What to you makes the difference?

Just reading the story about the old lady that's been tagged for "willfully allowing her dog to suffer.

Is there, to you, a line between neglect and cruelty?

To me, neglect, can often be put down to being either unaware of how to care for an animal properly, and IMHO should be dealt with by education instead of punishment. Providing the dog or animal is able to be treat by a vet and you/authorities can do check backs on the animal and are confident that the person involved really was just unaware and not willfully neglecting then isnt' that better than siezing the animal?

Willfull neglect, is IMHO when you know an animal needs something and purposely deny it that. And then you have down right cruelty. These should result in animals being siezed.

Simplistic view I know...but interested on your opinions.

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My view is very very simple:

Neglect is a passive act, it becomes cruelty when you know you're doing wrong.

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I agree with you i think that they are two separate things, and that the lady in the other story was delt with very harshly and they went over the top, but that's not to say that she didn't let the dog suffer

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Harvey - staffy
Chance - american bulldog (rescue)

19 snakes, 5 geckos, phibs, T's, inverts, fluffies and hedgehog.

There is probably a fine line between the two.

Neglect for me would be more ignorance- lack of knowing/understanding or lack of caring whereas Cruelty would be knowing full well what you are doing and resulting in hurting or causing an animal major distress.

I think neglect can easily go into cruelty though- if that makes sense?

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Join us at: http://www.cockapoo-owners-club.org.uk/

Sorry,but if you cant afford vet care or insurance,you shouldnt have a pet

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Opinions are like ar$eholes,everyone has got one.
I will say what I think, Like it or lump it.
Im too old to beat about the bush!

Eh? Where's that entered the debate from?

Think the majority have said what I was saying. Neglect is passive, cruelty is on purpose...but the two can fast run into one another.

I'll always remember a case of a horse we got on our yard once. The woman had inherited it when her daughter had died, and didn't have a clue how to look after it, but wouldn't part with it because she felt it kept her closer to her daughter.

The thing was skin and bone when it came on our yard, I was horified. Its feet needed looking after, was riddled with worms...but our yard owner had deliberately let her come onto our yard as she knew that all she needed was help.

Within 3 months the horse was looking miles better, and 6 months later we helped her bring it back into work and she rode a horse for the first time ever.

4 years later she was show jumping it.

She could have been done for cruelty, but I don't think she wanted the horse to suffer, she just didn't know. Now, if you ever ask her about it, she breaks down.

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Whilst I sorta agree (you should either be able to afford the insurance or be rich enough to pay every vet bill), that totally isn't the point of this thread.

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I knew a woman once who had a yorkie, he was 17 years old, he was blind, deaf, incontiant, epileptic, and had no teeth, he slept 99% of the time waking only to eat or when his trachia collapsed and he was choking (yes Im serious) She was convinced that he was happy and her vet didnt suggested he was pts but his owner refused, that is neglect, it was out of love but the dog was still suffering. I feel sorry for that old lady with the lab and I think the decision should have been taken out of the owners hands in situations like that. If you knowingly cause an animal suffering then I would class that as cruelty though.

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gsds (Henrick and Bella), the cats (Syd, Lilly, Elvis and Dizzy), the gerbils (Honey, Lisa, crusty, Millhouse, Flanders, Bart and Homer), the rats (Valentine, Flower, Petal, Blossom, Koda, Cava, George), the mice (Minnie, Pop, Seudag, Caraid, Silver, Trouble, Athena, Pandora, Aphrodite, Meep, and Springtime)

Wrong thread,sorry.Please ignore!

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Opinions are like ar$eholes,everyone has got one.
I will say what I think, Like it or lump it.
Im too old to beat about the bush!

Old age is one thing, i think there are plenty of old dogs who cope with being old and are fine. The question would be to me if it was on pain killers (if needed?) and had she seen a vet about the conjunctivitis? If my animals were siezed, the first person i would be calling to help me would be my vet to prove that i wasn't letting them suffer (and if it was in the news, i would be highlighting that). I think if she didnt go to a vet as she didn't like what she was hearing, then that is veering into cruelty rather than neglect.

Every winter my cat now needs pain killers as she is starting to get arthritis (car accident) and every March, my other cat needs a shot or two (at £60 a time) for seasonal allergies. If i stopped doing this, i would class it as being cruel as i am withholding treatment she needs.

Does that make sense??