Animal Cruelty Awareness
I will let you all in on a secret, sometimes veterinary medicine is hard. Some of the hardest cases we deal with involve animal neglect and cruelty cases especially at the ER. There are several things that veterinarians need to do during these cases. When I see a neglect or cruelty case the first step is assessing the animal. They receive a physical exam, we perform diagnostic tests and start treatment if indicated. After we attend the animal then we typically are gathering as much information we can for the prosecuting team that will be fighting in the court. Our thorough medical records are used in court to help bring justice to the voiceless. In the state of Michigan, the intentional abuse of an animal is a felony punishable by up to 4 years in prison. Animal neglect (failure to provide care) is considered a misdemeanor, and becomes a felony for a second or subsequent violation.
This sweet girl is my dog Nysa who was found in a backyard by a good Samaritan with no food or water. Her first night in the ER she almost died. It took her 2 months to gain back enough muscle to walk without a hunched back and where she did not have to wear 2 sweaters to help keep her body heat. Now she loves to cuddle under blankets and keeps everyone in the house in line, including me!
-Dr. Kayla
