If you have a phone and a couple of free minutes, I’m going to give you the opportunity to be a hero and change the world.

I know you’ve heard the saying “Saving one dog won’t change the world but surely, the world will change for that one dog”

I wish people would quit saying that, because it’s not true. Saving one dog changes EVERYTHING.

Take a look at the saying from the simplest, most common standpoint. Imagine for a moment that you advocate for a dog on death row in a shelter and then that dog gets rescued because of your actions.  Three things are immediately changed: you, the dog, and the people who have him now.

You are changed because saving the dog made you feel good. You feel empowered, and most importantly – you believe you can make a difference. You advocate for another dog, and another. Each dog that is saved because of your actions gives you more confidence. You realize that it’s possible to affect change wherever you apply yourself. Who knows what the long-term effects of that will be? Maybe that empowerment will motivate you to take your advocacy to the streets; to foster a shelter dog, to volunteer as a rescue transporter, or to volunteer at a shelter. Maybe you will expand your efforts beyond animal advocacy and feed the hungry, or clothe the homeless, or fight for human rights. Whatever you do affects others, who undergo their own internal and external changes, who are able to make different choices and attain different goals because you helped them.

And what about that dog you saved? There is nothing more joyous and grateful than a dog who has been saved. Dogs don’t keep those sorts of feelings to themselves, they want to share them. That dog becomes the most loving, faithful companion you can imagine. He will protect his new family in times of danger and comfort them in times of sadness. He will teach the children in the family to love and respect animals. Maybe knowing him will inspire a child to grow up to be a vet, or a zoologist. The dog will bring hours of laughter and joy to his people. He will keep them healthier in body, mind and spirit.

But there are even more possibilities. The dog you advocated for may become a service dog, helping a handicapped person live a less stressful life.  Or maybe he’ll become a therapy dog, and bring comfort and joy to the sick and lonely in nursing homes and hospitals, or help children learn to read in library programs.  Maybe he’ll become a search and rescue dog and save lives. There’s just no way of knowing until he is saved. And you saved him, remember?

So, that brings me to today. A friend brought a cruelty case to my attention and asked me to spread the word. The case involves Alyssa Duvall, a young woman in Calhoun Georgia, who got mad at her dog and beat the cowering animal with a frying pan. I saw the video, which I won’t embed here, but here’s a link if you think you can stomach it.

She was arrested for animal abuse and has posted bond, but she hasn’t been formerly charged yet.

Everybody gets mad at their pet at one point or another, but beating the pet should never be an option. And beating the pet with an object, should unequivocally be condemned.

A frying pan?  Really? Need anger management counseling much?

According to the incident report, Duvall was punishing the dog after “it urinated on the floor” and then bit Duvall’s mom. Duvall’s own mother called the police to turn her in.

The thing is, the frying pan incident is not the whole story. Duvall’s best friend, Marissa, is the one who videotaped it and released the recording. I think that speaks volumes. How awful would your best friend’s actions have to be for you to do that?  There is a history of Duvall committing animal abuse. Marissa stated that she’d seen Duvall abuse the dog before, but this was the first time with a frying pan. Duvall is the same woman who once reportedly gave her dogs so much liquor that they couldn’t walk, and one of the dogs died.  Clearly, she should not have a pet, and the poor dog who is repeatedly the target for her anger needs to be permanently removed from her home. The sheriff removed the dog from the premises, and he/she is currently in the custody of the Calhoun Sheriff Department, but that dog’s fate still hangs in the balance, and two more dogs remain in Duvall’s custody.

So here’s where you get to be a hero.

Please make a phone call. Call Rosemary Greene, the District Attorney of Gordon County and tell her that you think Duvall should be charged with animal abuse, and that her dogs should be permanently removed. We need to let lawmakers know that this sort of behavior is not OK, and should not be tolerated. Your voice really does make a difference!

PLEASE CALL:

Rosemary Greene,
District Attorney
Gordon County Courthouse Annex, Second Floor
101 South Piedmont Street
Calhoun, GA 30701

******Phone: 706-629-5651********
Fax: 706-625-4537

Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 am Friday, 5:00 pm

Want to give us a helping hand Up on the Woof? We are always looking for coupons for certain items we purchase for our dogs on a regular basis. If you have Rachael Ray Nutrish coupons (we are still trusting Ainsworth foods),  Cesar coupons, or milkbone coupons that  you will not be using, please save them for us. Contact me if you have some to send.