Can anyone tell me what the purpose of the SPCA is? I have tried contacting them on more than one occasion and I’ve gotten voice mail and once got a woman who couldn’t care less about animals. All she was concerned with was getting off the phone. It seems that poor helpless animals that are being abused and neglected get ignored unless they have been set on fire, drug behind trucks are used in dog fighting by celebrities. It seems that the only people that get something done is the television stations or some media group. Then and only then do the SPCA, animal shelter and the law enforcement want to help out. What does it take to get something done here in Mobile Alabama.

That is a good question and one many of us would like answered. I have been in your shoes with trying to file complaints and get follow through. Our local SPCA is not affiliated with the National SPCA, to the best of my understanding-so there are no national investigative boards to report this to. As frustrating as it is, if you have a complaint or know of animal cruelty, please keep calling, be persistent and if you have to, do what you have done here by contacting the media and anyone else you can think of . I will be glad to help you anyway I can with giving you some contact #’s etc if needed. It was not until I started calling on government officials and well known national rescues that I started to get at least one issue addressed. But it will take the voices of all concerned citizens to get permanent resolution to animal cruelty issues and how they are handled.

Good question, Jane Doe.  I called the local chapter of our SPCA the day after they had been on WKRG tooting their own horn about breaking up dog figthing rings.  I wanted to report a dog fighting ring in our area.  You know what they told me?  (and I quote) “We don’t handle that.” They gave me a disconnected phone number to some animal shelter in the county.  It took me almost three hours of searching for phone numbers and I finally called the City of Prichard’s crime hotline.  They were the only ones that got off their rear ends and did anything about it.

The system in Baldwin county is way more efficient.  There are a number of organizations in the area that are very aggressive, including the Baldwin county humane organization.  I’ve also had a great deal of success reporting several neglect and abuse cases to different veterinarians.  They just seem to care more on the eastern shore.  Does anyone have knowledge of dog fighting in Bay Minette?  If so can you provide anonymous details?  It can be reported without revealing your identity.

There are four of us who feel the same way about the SPCA and I am sure there have to more who care. Does anyone know how to go about getting more aggressive here in Mobile and be more like the Baldwin County group? Why couldn’t Mobile get a police group like they have on television who go out and give out citations and arrest people who are abusing and neglecting these animals. I received an email this morning where 6 lab mix puppies were rescued from the middle of the street on Saturday. Again the SPCA can’t help!!! She is keeping them in a kennel in her basement temporarily while she sends out emails to everyone she can to try and get homes for these puppies. She didn’t want to have to take them to the shelter where they would be put down in 5 days. If anyone would like one of these puppies, please let me know.  In the meantime, no one has come to check on the puppies that I reported to the animal shelter Friday and Tuesday. I truly hate the way our system works. These poor babies are still chained to the fence with no shelter. I don’t think that anyone has even fed them.

janedoe - 10 October 2007 08:28 AM

I received an email this morning where 6 lab mix puppies were rescued from the middle of the street on Saturday. Again the SPCA can’t help!!! She is keeping them in a kennel in her basement temporarily while she sends out emails to everyone she can to try and get homes for these puppies. She didn’t want to have to take them to the shelter where they would be put down in 5 days. If anyone would like one of these puppies, please let me know.

Jane,

The email you are referring to is a hoax of sorts. It’s been making the rounds in various forms on the internet for years.

Check http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/puppies.asp#update and see if you recognize the photo.

janedoe and any other concerned citizens:

You are not alone in wanting to better our system here in Mobile County. A group of us have organized and are working diligently to solve this problem. I became personally aware of the lax attitude of our system here after reporting 6 starving horses that were near death. It took 3 weeks and phone calls and graphic pictures to the DA’s office and media outlets before our local SPCA even did anything and this was after a report had been emergently filed with them, by me. I see now that some people have taken to “rescuing” sick dogs and neglected puppies themselves. This just shows another incidence of the failure of THE SYSTEM to protect the animals that are entrusted to serve and protect, that ordinary people would feel the need to do this. I know there was the story about the dog in Irvington with heartworms so bad it couldn’t move and some one took it-well why was the dog chained outside to begin with, and was it getting medical attention? I don’t know, but I have posed these questions to both the station that originally reported it and to WKRG for follow-up investigation. Yesterday, a local radio DJ was talking about some little puppies that appeared not cared for, filthy, living under a house. He did not know what to do. I called in and told him he could try SPCA and the animal shelter, but most likely, he wouldn’t get any response. Guess what-he had already had the same or similar calls from other listeners that the system doesn’t work. Today, he updated the plight of the puppies, because he went by yesterday afternoon and was going to talk to the owner and see about taking them himself to the “proper authorities” if there is any such thing in Mobile. However, when he arrived, the puppies were gone. I can only hope that some loving kind person rescued those puppies and will see to their care. If you would care to contact me-you can email me at . I would be glad to talk to you and let you know what we are doing to help improve the situation here, and if you would like to help also that would be great too. Power comes in numbers, and as they say the squeaky wheel gets the oil-so we need everyone who is interested to become a part of our “squeaky wheel” so that we can all promote positive change. Also, on August 24 and September 3 of this year, I wrote letters to the editor about this issue-the response was overwhelming, I have several pages of people to follow up with who also had concerns and frustrations. So no, you are definitely NOT alone.

How are we 100% certain the e-mail about the lab puppies is a hoax?  Has anyone actually done real leg work to investigate?  I doubt it.  When I reported a possible dog fighting ring in the area, I was blown off by a number of local agencies.  Until the Prichard Police got involved, I was treated like a was a complete lunatic and until the lawmakers in the state of Alabama take action to strengthen the state’s animal protection system, the abuse is going to increase.  I am so thankful that the local media, namely WKRG, has taken such an aggressive approach in reporting and drawing attention to the abuse and cruelty in our area.  While I am saddened by Michael Vick’s patterns of cruelty, I am, at the same time, thankful that his dog figthing organization gained such notariety.  I believe that his case has brought much-needed media and community attention to a taboo subject which is frequently dismissed.  Animal cruelty is a crime.  We need tougher local enforcment and investigation policies.  In many counties, Alabama included, a full-time cruelty investigator is on the county payroll.  In Mobile, I would encourage someone to try and report abuse.  Be prepared to do a lot of digging through the phone book because no one will help you.

I don’t know how trying to find homes for an animal could be considered a hoax. Even if the puppies were immediately adopted as in the case of the one’s in California, it still shows that this stuff goes on and needs to be stopped. Why dump puppies in the road, take them to a pet adoption or put up signs or better yet, if you are not prepared to care for them in the first place-get your dog spayed or neutered. Several months ago, my teenage daughter brought home 2 mange and flea/worm infested puppies that she found on the side of the road-the other had unfortunately already been hit and killed. We cleaned them up, treated for mange, fleas, worms and gave their first shots and found a home for them. So yes puppies in the road happen all the time I’m sure as well as many other forms of animal neglect and cruelty.

Well it is Wednesday and I have called the animal shelter for the second time. The dispatcher, Rick, is a very rude person. I don’t know why they put people like him dealing with such sensitive matters. The person who was supposed to come out called and told me he got off at 1:30 and was currently on his way to Mississippi. He would call his supervisor and try to get someone else out. He told me that they were aware of this trailer park and they had been out on other reports in the past. My question is why wasn’t all the issues addressed at that time. Why can’t the owner of the trailer park be held responsible and fined for allowing these people to have the pets in the first place. I know that owners of rental properties has the right to refuse residency if you violate any of their rules or policies. This trailer park has been in the new before about numerous dogs running loose. It hasn’t been that long ago and now this. It is also known that the people who rent these trailers aren’t all law abiding citizens. You would think they wouldn’t want the publicity.

I would continue to follow-up with this person IF you feel he is the appropriate person to handle your call. When I reported dog fighting in the Eight Mile area, the local SPCA informed me they didn’t handle such matters and gave me the disconnected phone number for a county animal shelter. It took me hours to finally find a number to a City of Prichard crime hot line. It cannot hurt to call the county sheriff’s office. I would also document the number of calls you’ve placed, who you’ve made contact with and what, if anything is done. Perhaps someone in the media will follow-up if you give them the address of this trailer park. They seem to be very active in pursuing these neglect and abuse stories. I would also contact a veterinarian in that area. Perhaps the staff at the clinic will be able to give you a source for dealing with the problem. I can assure you, if you’re dealing with the local SPCA they will not do anything. They just do public relations - news broadcasts and fund raisers. There is not actual “cruelty prevention” going on there, I can vouch for that.