Kristy Kelly: Death by good intentions
The saga of Duplin, also known as the dog with a jug on his head, appears to be coming to an end if a post on social media is to be believed. The post announced the dog’s imminent euthanasia and was then shared with various news outlets, including ours. The outrage is building online as I type this. Unfortunately, the outrage is misplaced.
The SPCA's Role
The SPCA is not the villain in the saga of Jughead but rather the last line of protection between dangerous dogs and equally dangerous humans. Duplin, by all accounts, was a feral dog. Even if he wasn’t feral before this fiasco, weeks of being hunted would have inevitably changed his demeanor towards humans. The SPCA has governmental ordinances it’s required to follow. It’s late to claim ignorance after the damage is done. Realistically, how did you think this story would end?
The Real Culprits
Don’t want another story like Duplin’s? Spay and neuter your pets. Donate your time and money to saving all the animals, not just one with a gimmick. Animal Control and the SPCA are both very small entities dealing with an abundance of stray pets and wild animals in the area. It’s unfortunate those animals weren’t cute enough or commercial enough to garner the same amount of attention as Duplin, but they’re still alive, so there is that.
Offering and providing assistance without knowing the ramifications of your actions means others bear the responsibility of your good intentions. A dog who, as far as I know, hadn’t harmed a human or a pet, paid that price. He just lived his life in the wild and had the unfortunate luck of getting his head stuck. If he is euthanized, it will be the price he paid for the kindness of strangers.
How to Prevent Future Tragedies
There are real villains in this tale, and it’s not the SPCA or the people caught up in their own desire to offer assistance. The reason Duplin may not see another sunrise is because someone, whether Duplin himself or a dog in his bloodline, was abandoned or lost. Negligent pet owners are the reason dogs like Duplin are roaming the county. Dogs are dropped off at farms, abandoned in fields, or rehomed to less than savory places. As a society, we created this problem, and we’re trying to pass the buck and the blame on an organization designed to help prevent the abuse of animals.
The SPCA, like every other organization out there, isn’t perfect, but it offers a vital service to our community. Sometimes its services are putting animals down that may be a threat to themselves or to humans. This is not something they want to do or set out to do. No one there woke up one day and said, “Hmm. Gonna go kill some dogs today.” Please don’t fault them for doing the jobs no one else wants to do.
When you set out to help anyone, whether it be our four-legged friends or our two-legged neighbors, make sure the help you are providing is actually beneficial to those in need.
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