Would You Help a Puppy?
By: Neil Siskind, Esq.
www.siskindlawfirm.com
www.neilsiskindsupports.com
I love dogs. Do you? I once found a Labrador puppy in a park near my house. I figured he had no food or shelter and could not fend for himself. I did not drop him off at a local shelter. Instead, I brought him home and fed him and played with him for hours. I knew I would not be able to locate the puppy’s parents so I did not waste time searching. Besides, why would I want a parent who negligently lost him, or intentionally abandoned him, to get him back? So I emailed friends and let them know that I had a puppy for adoption and that he would need shots and a dog-friendly home. A puppy needs a certain kind of environment if he is going to thrive and grow up to be a functional pet and a healthy animal. Wouldn’t you have done all the same?
Yet, everyday we fail children in our communities who are themselves abandoned and lost. We can see they have no direction, a broken family and no guarantee of security and provisions. We have no way to know if the youth is in an environment where he or she can thrive and grow up to be a functional member of society. In fact, we see environments and behaviors indicating risks to the contrary. We often know when a youth in our community has no father and lacks the basic guidance needed in order to thrive. Do we take action?
No one can resist a puppy. No one could resist rescuing a puppy they find in a park with no parents and no guarantee of health and safety. I doubt that any one of us would fail to intervene to provide the basic needs of a puppy in this circumstance. You would help an aimless puppy- will you help an aimless youth?