Before going into a rescue, most dogs are first in a government funded (meaning paid for by YOUR tax dollars) animal care and control facility. Stray dogs are held for at least 5 days per the laws and policies currently in place. These mandated and designated stray holds allow for possible owner reclamation because sometimes dogs do get away (or in some cases stolen) and their owners actually come looking for them. These 5 days are long and grueling for rescues to have to wait, so think about what the dog experiences in a loud, cold, confined place. In one particular dog’s case, her days were spent much like every other stray brought in, alone in a cage and waiting. However, at Tatum’s intake, she had a very apparent emergency medical need, a large (4.6 pound) ruptured tumor that went unaddressed for 6 LONG DAYS. She was minimally treated and not allowed to go to a rescue during this time, even though past experiences show that our Chicago Animal Care and Control has released dogs early for medical needs. So why was an early release not allowed in Tatum’s case? They claim fear of the owner coming forward with a possible lawsuit as their reason for no action even though there is legislation (see the Illinois Humane Care Act for Animals:(510 ILCS 70/16.5) Sec. 16.5. Emergency care to an animal; immunity from civil liability section for reference) that clearly states they have every right to act in an animal’s best interest when presented with such a situation. On her 6th day, Trio Animal Foundation was finally allowed to take Tatum into their rescue division, Project Rescue Chicago, for one last shot at a healthy life but it was too late and she passed away soon after surgery. It was abundantly clear that Tatum suffered long before entering CACC, but to continue to suffer at the hands of the people employed to care for her best interest is not acceptable. We ask you to please take a moment and sign this petition created by Trio Animal Foundation & Project Rescue Chicago to encourage change to the stray hold policy and to bring awareness about the situation at hand. Shutting down this facility is not an option because where would all of these animals go that are stray, given up, confiscated from cruelty, etc. Tatum’s story is certainly a sad one, but just consider how many go untold. We need a positive change and this comes by way of our collective voices and support.
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 14:57:05 +0000