April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. 

While I believe that we should be working toward this goal all year long, it is worthwhile to have a recognized and dedicated month to bring issues surrounding animal cruelty to the front mind.  Especially for some people who never give the innocent victims of cruelty a thought.

What do you think of when you hear the phrase animal cruelty? 

I think of hart hero's who have taught us firsthand about the suffering that neglect and abuse causes: 

Darby came to hart with a collar embedded in her neck.  Someone had attached a collar when she was  a pup and it was never adjusted as she grew.  By the time hart located her she was having trouble breathing and her neck was an infected mess.   Unfortunately, Darby had a canine buddy who was also suffering but despite our efforts we could not find him to help. 

Volunteers actually witnessed Saige being thrown out the door and down the front stairs of her home.  The shaken volunteers convinced the owner to surrender Saige on the spot so they could bring her into care. 

Out on a different rescue, hart volunteers came across a new litter being cared for by their emaciated mom.  Taking shelter under a front porch, with no access to food and water, her coat matted and crusted with fecal material Phoebe could barely hold her head up.  She was giving everything she had to her pups and she had nothing left to give. 

Frozen, emaciated, cut and scarred Cinnamon was barely moving when surrendered by her owner.  Although she cannot tell us what all she endured, we know by her physical scars that she was not receiving hugs and smiles before her rescue.

Little Seela was a pup learning about the world when some awful humans taught her a lesson that we will never forget.  Tying Seela up to a tree, an accelerant was poured on her head and lit on fire.  A horrified passer by risked her own safety to save Seela. 

Unfortunately, these are only some of our hart hero's.  We have many more stories to share. 

No animals should go through the pain and suffering that these dogs endured.  It is shocking to think of the horrendous acts of abuse that go unnoticed or unreported. 

Let's work together so that we may have no more stories of abuse and neglect to share.  Let's make everyday about preventing the suffering.