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A small group of Tacoma, Washington neighbors and animal lovers took the law into their own hands when they rescued a dog that appeared to be severely neglected and abused.
When a concerned neighbor of Steven Lee Jr, whose father owns the dog named Kiki, took photos of the emaciated dog and posted them to Facebook along with the address where she was living, a small group was formed to go in and rescue her.
“The dog was clearly starving and in really bad shape so we got a group of us and go over there,” Autumn Niesz-Ramos, who admitted to taking Kiki, told Fox13.
The group of four entered Lee’s property where Kiki was chained alongside a dog house. They cut the chain and carried Kiki away.
“The dog could barely stand up she was so weak,” said Niesz-Ramos. “She was shaking, she was so cold.”
The group rushed the dog, whose owner admits she was not well, to a veterinarian. The chain used to tie her up was so tight it had become embedded in her neck.
The dog was then handed over to the local Humane Society in hopes that she would be better cared for.
Unfortunately, Kiki’s owner simply went and picked her back up.
Now, an animal control investigation is ongoing into whether or not Kiki is being abused or neglected to determine if the dog should be seized. Although, to any onlooker, the emaciated dog, almost too weak to stand, with an embedded chain collar is clearly not being well cared for.
Niesz-Ramos asserts, “I don’t think I stole her, I think I saved her.”
So, what would YOU do?
Heidi
says:Totally she was abused I would have taken her too, no animal should suffer like this.
moriah
says:They should never have taken the animal to the ANIMAL SHELTER. If you’re going to help the dog – not get it back in the owners hands you have to follow through with the rescue. Not drop it off somewhere expecting the right thing to be done. Now it’s back with ignorant people who obviously don’t care enough to feed the dog or even notice the collar is embedded in the flesh of the dog. I hope they “feel good” about what they’ve done cause they didn’t get the dog any relief at all.
Dawn
says:Unfortunately, most shelters or humane societies have NO special rights to confiscate neglected/abused animals. In our area, if the owner appears within 7 days, we must return the pet to it’s owner. They did the right thing by rescuing this dog who seemed in immediate danger of dying, but the next call should have been to local law enforcement to take possession of the dog from the vet. An animal confiscated by law enforcement is no longer the property of the owner and would not have to be returned.
Joan, FYI If you donate to the Humane Society of the United States, none of that money goes to your local humane society. “Humane Society” is a general term. The Humane Society of the United States is not an umbrella organization that oversees local humane societies. Your local humane society would be an independent organization.
Gina
says:They never should have taken the dog to the pound. Rather, they should have taken it to a vet to be checked, and then called a rescue association. With a chain embedded in his/her neck, and the emaciation, the dog was clearly being neglected, and abused in my opinion. The dog should be re-rescued and taken to a rescue association.
Vivian Gonzalez
says:Thank you for trying to save her. I would have done the same thing. Why did they return the dog back to the owner? They don’t love him/her. We are their voices, they can’t talk we have to help this poor baby. The nerve of the owner my rage would be so much he wouldn’t handle the profanity out of my mouth
Steph
says:i would return to the abused animal, and I’d take care of her. The dog clearly is starving, cat stand up and has an embedded collar in her neck. The owners ahold be charged with animal cruelty. What monster would treat an innocent animal this way? What idiot would do nothing and let the dog go back with her owner with no consequences?
kathy
says:agree with you steph…id keep her
Why did they give them the dog back. The dog was clearly neglected. I don’t understand. I would have stole the dog also, paid the vet bill and kept the dog and re-homed it, if the Humane Society in my area was that irresponsible.
Joan Salyer
says:I would absolutely have done the same thing. This dog is absolutely being abused. Why in the world did the Humane Society give this dog who looks like he does back to the abusive owner. I donate money to the Humane Society. Maybe that’s not such a good idea. Doesn’t look like they are doing their job.
Janet
says:I would of “RIGHT OUT & LIED”. I would of told them I found the dog walking down the road & I picked it up knowing it was so weak & couldn’t walk!
JC
says:I’d do the exact same thing. This guy should NOT have been given this dog back.
Gayle
says:I would have taken her and not let the owner know where she was. Now the owner should be charged not her protectors
Ruthie
says:They shouldn’t have turned her over. They should have contacted rescues to get her out of town with the story and identity of owners. She never would have been given back. I think they did the right thing at first but failed the dog by turning her over to a local shelter.
Dawn
says:Ruthie – that’s another good option. There are people who move animals out of the area when all other options fail. The shelters definitely need to know who the owners were to avoid a repeat of this neglect.