Emaciated Dog Found Tied To Train Tracks

[rpannier]

BRADDOCK, Pa. -- Animal control officials said an alert train engineer saved the life of a dog tied to some railroad tracks.

A dog that humane society officials are calling "Choo-Choo" was found in North Braddock at Hawkins Avenue and 4th Street, deliberately tied to the middle of the railroad tracks.

Officials said an engineer passing in a train going the opposite direction spotted the dog and called for help.

snip

Feiser said the dog had recently been nursing, but they have no idea where her puppies are. Choo-Choo needs nutrition. Once she's healthy, the Humane Society said she'll be ready for adoption.

link:
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/cnn-news/17714317/detail.html

[EFerrari]

1. What is the matter with people.

[awoke_in_2003]

5. Well, when you are constantly told

that you are the most important and special species on earth (like most religions claim) it is easy for some to do such things and not feel bad about it.

[roguevalley]

10. This was done by someone who is so far away from God that they

couldn't find the light of God's love in twenty-thousand lifetimes. This is man, not religion. And then again, it could be an agnostic or atheist that did this. Generalizing can be a bitch.

[awoke_in_2003]

12. My experience in the babble belt...

is that yes, the large percentage of religious folks I know would not do this. But there is a subset of those who think that they are the most important thing on this planet, and have no compunction about things like this. Kinda like shooting wolves from helicopters. These are the same type of folks that don't care about global climate change, because the rapture is coming to rescue them. In fact, they want to do everything they can to see the biblical prophecies happen to rush on said rapture. Lots of fundies in these parts.

[roguevalley]

29. yeah, those people are disturbed. This poor animal can have a good

life now but I worry about her pups. I bet this ass was under 25.

[QC]

27. That is as desperate a reach as I have ever seen on DU.

And that's really saying something, given the sort of thing that sometimes gets posted here.

[Matariki]

34. I think it has far more to do with some individual's sadism and psychosis

And a person who does that is usually as much a danger to human beings as to animals.

[mod mom]

22. stories like this literally make me cry.

I adopted an abused dog (1 yo at time) before I had children. She would freak out at men with facial hair and hats. She had severe dominance aggression and separation anxiety. It took 2 years (and a bad bite to hubbie) at a dog behaviorist to turn Hadrian into a wonderful, loyal companion. She have a wonderful life as a part time city/part time country free range dog (we had acreage so it was totally safe). I recommend everyone who do not have children, but have the time and resources to adopt a dog who has had a rough start. It was really worth it.

[HopeFor2006]

2. Unbelievable!

Just heartbreaking. Thank goodness for the alertness of the engineer.

[lligrd]

3. Sick. nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. sick sick!

[emilyg]

4. If the owner is ever found

I know what I'd like to do to him/her.

[Triana]

6. I hate to even think what happened to the poor little pups

:cry:

[LisaL]

28. Let's hope he/she sold them and they are o'key.

[Dangerously Amused]

8. Breaks my heart AND makes me angry.

That is the worst feeling, would rather have one or the other.

I hope the f*ckers who did it get caught.

[wolverinez]

9. The people who did this should be tied to the tracks. nm

nm

[Eurobabe]

11. The lowest of low...

I cannot believe the depth of cruelty in some people. :cry:

:hug: Choo-Choo :hug: sweet girl, hope you find a loving forever home. :grouphug:

[ET Awful]

13. My guess? A by-product of the (much-needed) new puppy mill laws in PA

It requires all euthanizations to be done by a licensed veterinarian (among many other restrictions regarding housing, etc.).

It was passed (at least partially) in response to a puppy mill operator who when ordered to take 80 dogs to the vet for check-ups walked down the aisle and shot each dog in the kennel (an act which was LEGAL in PA at the time).

Believe it or not, despite their many virtues, the Amish are some of the most avid puppy-mill operators (thus the high number of puppy mills in PA).

[riverdeep]

14. Yeah, I remember watching Lisa Ling do her report about puppy mills.

She did most of her investigating in Pennsylvania and filmed what goes on in the Amish puppy mills. They have seriously old school biblical attitudes toward animals, as in the natural world is here for man's dominion. They need to either be regulated, or be shut down. This is the 21st century Ezekiel, we don't cotton to that anymore.

[Coventina]

32. Actually, the bible states that "a good man takes good care of his animals."

That's either a direct quote or pretty close.

[bread_and_roses]

15. I read somewhere that they also routinely send their old draft horses to slaughter

this is a while back - I don't know where I read it or how good the source - so I really shouldn't repeat it, but since I knew at the time about the puppy-mills I had no problem believing it myself. I don't care what other "virtues" they may have, since I read about the puppy mills (and then horses) I have never and will never buy any of their products (easily available here since we are not far from PA/NY border).

As a society, we could end probably 90% of the cruelty and abandonment issues that surface repeadedly in news incidents like these (always with the implication that somehow it is "news" - as if cruelty were not daily, hourly, and millions of animals were not suffering routinely). But doing so would require strict regulations and additional costs to the would - be owners of animals, and we (we the culture) refuse to accept that.

[carlyhippy]

16. again, humans suck...no other creature would be so vile

same thing I said about the guys who tied up the handicapped man and tortured him yesterday.

[Earth_First]

17. I wonder why so many responses here are so quick to jump to conclusions...

Could this dog have been tied to the railroad tracks by an individual of complete sound mental and economic mind? Sure, anything is possible, however there is another situation that is completely plausible.

We tend to overlook our homeless population. A health care system that simply will not provide for a sizable population, economic situations that are forcing many more people out into the streets, and a slew of ancillary problems from drug and alcohol addiction that stem from the complete failure of our health care system and economy. It's heartbreaking really.

However, homeless people, like you and I take in cats and dogs for the very same reasons that you and I: companionship. As an individual of homelessness, often this is the only companionship a person will ever have, or trust.

My theory is that perhaps this dog belonged to just such a person. No less of a human being than you and I, just perhaps not of rational mind from our breakdown in society. Perhaps the canine was left while this individual was taking care of business or otherwise.

PERHAPS (the local media in Braddock denies the problem with their homeless population,) and the dog was never TIED to the railroad tracks to begin with...

Just a thought...

[riverdeep]

18. Are you out of your mind?

No one who would do this is of sound mind, at least as far as I'm familiar with soundness of mind. Any homeless person that needs to get rid of their pet can take it to the pound, which are all over, and if the dog can't be adopted, the dog will at least get euthanized humanely and not terrorized and die a brutal and horrific death if it dies right away at all.

edit: If someone needed to tie a dog up someplace, the train tracks is about the last place to do it. A tree out of the way and away from people might make more sense. This person was not of sound mind, and meant to injure or kill that animal.

[Earth_First]

20. You completely missed that post 100% n/t

[riverdeep]

23. What am I missing?

You're implying that the media, in collusion with the Humane Society, is making up a story for...the purpose of casting aspersions on homeless people?

From the article:

"There were actually knots, as well as dirt from underneath the tracks, dug up so they could wrap it around the track," Feiser said of the rope holding the animal.

"Obviously somebody who tied this dog to the railroad tracks, obviously not a very kind person. I mean the dog would have died a horrible, horrible death. She would have been struck by a train," Fieser said.

[LisaL]

26. You have got to be kidding.

Talk about spinning a story out of thin air.

[Regret My New Name]

37. Maybe they built the train tracks around the dog... you never know.

[Supply Side Jesus]

19. It would be real hard

to resist tying the SOB to the tracks himself.....

[DS1]

21. Oh, I thought this was a John McCain thread

That's fucked up

[PVnRT]

24. I'm surprised

That the chorus of those who think that you can't simultaneously give a shit about starving children and mistreated dogs haven't shown up yet to chastise those who feel sickened by this.

[SammyWinstonJack]

25. WTF is wrong with people? Sick bastard, who ever did this! Tie 'em to the tracks of a

of a slow moving train. :mad:

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

30. Mark Twain - "The Damned Human Race"

I must say I couldn't agree more with him.

http://skeptically.org/logicalthreads/id14.html

[flvegan]

31. $2700 reward for information. Hope someone steps forward.

"There were actually knots, as well as dirt from underneath the tracks, dug up so they could wrap it around the track," Fieser said of the rope holding the animal.

Pretty dog from the pic at the story link.

[Quantess]

33. Looks like a Boxer?

So sad.
I hope someone gives her a good home.

[Beacool]

35. Sick SOB!!!!!!!!!!

Whoever did this should be sent to jail for a considerable length of time. What a cruel thing to do to the poor dog and she looks so lovable!!!

There's something I can't tolerate is anyone abusing the defenseless: children, animals and the elderly or infirm. There must be a special place in hell reserved for these kind of inhumane bastards.

[PJPhreak]

36. Timber says

He's got $20 Bucks to add to the Reward for catching this Freak!!



He would also like to spend 20 min. having a "Private" conversation with Choo-Choo's previous Owner

[Regret My New Name]

38. That is screwed up... I bet the prick(s) were sitting off somewhere watching and waiting.