Community conversations: Cruelty in our communities

By SANDY LONG

sandylong@riverreporter.com

HONESDALE, PA — Six animal cruelty events in as many weeks have stirred concern that acts of cruelty are on the rise in Wayne County. “It’s been very busy lately, and this is usually a slow time,” said Marlene Metzger, Dessin Animal Shelter’s Humane Police Officer, who has seen her cruelty caseload more than triple in the eight years since she started the job.

Metzger recently filed charges against four Wayne County women on behalf of victims that included horses, rabbits, cats, dogs and a puppy. Since then, she is seeking information on two additional cases. The first involves a female dog found near Hawley with a chain embedded in her neck. The second is a kitten, believed to have been dumped by someone driving a cream-colored Chevy Silverado pickup truck near Lake Como. (See page 5 for more information).

In ministering to the victims of animal abuse, Metzger and the veterinarians she works with see human-inflicted harms of all kinds, ranging from gunshot and arrow wounds to starvation.

The faltering economy is one of the factors contributing to the rise in animal abandonment. With soaring foreclosures, the Humane Society of the United States has established an emergency foreclosure fund to help shelters help those who forfeit pets due to foreclosure.

More often, cruelty is related to ignorance and neglect. “People think that pets and animals are disposable, that they’re property,” said Cherry Ridge veterinarian Dr. Amy Platko, who serves on the board at the shelter. Metzger cited inadequate food, shelter, water and veterinary care as the most common forms of cruelty she runs across. “If you can’t take care of your pet, find someone who can or take it to a shelter,” said Metzger.

How they deal with the serious problems some animals face is another matter. “You focus on the end result, the joy you get out of helping them,” said Platko. “With this type of rehabilitation, we’re teaching others about compassion and empathy.”

“Somebody needs to be their voice,” added Metzger. “We’re not looking to impose judgment on a situation. We’re looking for solutions.”

The River Reporter devotes this series to the people of the Upper Delaware region and their perspectives on various community issues. In the following conversation, TRR talks with Dessin Animal Shelter’s Humane Police Officer, Marlene Metzger, and Cherry Ridge Veterinary Clinic veterinarian, Amy Platko, about animal cruelty. To share your perspective on an issue, call 845/252-7414 or email sandylong@riverreporter.com.