> "The dogs had shelter and food right?"

It didn't appear as this was the case. These heros don't normally do this but instead go talk to the people, educating them, donating dog houses and offer to potty train the dogs so they can live indoors.

> "I think these gals need to put their good intentions and too much time on their hands, to better use, perhaps volunteer at the local shelter"

They do. I know at least one of the worked for the humane society, payroll not volunteer.

I'm also pretty certain that I met the hero shown in the photo to the right one morning at a petsmart where they were adopting out dogs. If it was her, She was showing me all the tricks this one lab mix was trained to do.

I agree with Bean counter. These women are like Rosa Parks or Oscar Schindler. And it's not like they intended to steal the dogs they probably looked abandoned in some backwoods shanty. When they heard the dogs were reported missing, they returned them. And turned themselves in! How much more honest can a person get?

Honest people don't steal.

"How much more honest can a person get?"
Possibly by not breaking, entering, and stealing in the first place?

It does appear that the animals were taken care of -- at least according to the article you linked.

[Sgt. Bill] Franco said the dogs were taken by their captors to a veterinarian who found no signs of abuse.

"The veterinarian found all the dogs to be normal," he said.

A press release from the sheriff's office states the victim, Linda Jane Green, was contacted by a member of the animal rights organization A.W.O.O.F. -- Animal Welfare Organization of Forsyth --Ã"who offered assistance in providing a dog house and fencing for the dogs."

"[The dogs] were being restrained in a room with cable tie-outs and had food, water and bedding provided," the release states.

And it appear, according to the article, that they did go there intending to take the dogs.

There are bad laws, and laws that need to be changed. But if you decide you're superior enough to choose which laws you obey, you need to be prepared to live in a world where other people can decide to strip you of legal protection at will.

I applaud their sentiment and apparent committment to animals -- especially their committment to provide resources and training for pets and people in a positive way. I can't condone their decision to invade someone else's home -- and I hope they will be punished accordingly.

You aren't understanding.

To the women, it appeared the dogs were abandoned in that place and neglected. Not to me... I wasn't there.

So they took the dog thinking it was abandoned then later found out it was reported missing so they took the dogs back. They didn't intentially B&E and steal the dogs, you see they thought they were rescuing them from being left tied up in some pig sty.

It's a confusing article. It doesn't really clarify whether or not the dogs had been abandoned -- altho' it does clarify that they had food, water, bedding and were in good health.

The quote from Thielman makes it sound as though she had no first hand knowledge of anything -- "I had heard it looked like the dogs might have been abandoned," she said, adding that afterward, her house was searched; her computer was taken and she was arrested.

She also makes it sound like she had no physical participation in "rescuing the dogs" -- "I've been arrested with two felony counts basically for sending out an e-mail over concern about a dog." So... she didn't participate? All she did was send out e-mails?

Her husband says the groups goal was to talk with owners and educate them , and th article says that the group contacted the dogs' owner to "offer assistance in providing a dog house and fencing for the dogs" -- so you assume they knew whether the property was abandoned, regardless of whether or not it looked messy.

But if you decide you're superior enough to choose which laws you obey, you need to be prepared to live in a world where other people can decide to strip you of legal protection at will.

I'm sure that's what folks said about Rosa Parks. She should have known her place. She broke a number of laws. And look at the chaos she causedÂshe stripped whites of their legal right to treat blacks as subhuman.

PETA, whether you agree with them or not have brought the plight of animals into the public's conscience and have done a lot for animal rights. That is what they are working toward "animal rights". And they do it by breaking laws and challenging the legal system that looks at pets as property. They can't do it by fighting one cruelty case at a time. They need to make a big statement and get on the nightly news. They are willing to accept the legal penalties for their crimes if it makes people stop and consider the injustice.

No one can force you to advocate for animals. Defend the status quo if that is how your conscience guides you. Obviously there was a lot of confusion concerning the living conditions of the animals in question. I see reports that contradict each other. Obviously the women thought the dogs were mistreated or they wouldn't have taken them. They sure didnÂt grab them to resell for a profit. If a mistake was made I say better to see a healthy dog removed from a marginal home than to see the humane society carrying out 5 or 10 or 50 dead, sick and dying pets. I know we have all seen such horrors when no one has had the courage to do something before it was too late.

You change laws by mobilizing people. Rosa Parks' actions alone didn't end discrimination on buses in the South -- the ensuing bus boycott did that. It could be that these women did what they did in order to get on the nightly news and gain attention for their cause -- in the same way Parks and the NAACP did with the bus boycott.

If that's what these women are doing, I have no problem with it. I would assume they could have picked a clearer case of abandonment and abuse, but maybe this was the best one they could find. But there is also no question that they entered property that was not there, and stole what they found. It seems like they're willing to accept the penalties in order to draw attention to their argument.

All I know about these dogs situation is what I read in the article -- one of the accused was told it seemed the dogs were abandoned, and they were discovered tied in the bedroom -- with food, water and bedding. I'm reluctant to applaud people who break the law based on their interpretation of what's right, because their interpretation might be different from mine. I smoke, -- should people be allowed to break into my home and take my animals? I know people who live in what I call filthy conditions -- should I break in and take their otherwise healthy children? As was mentioned previously, breaking the law based on an indivduals interpretation is a slippery slope.

From the article I got the impression that the "appeared to be abandoned" is the defense that the women plan to take to get them out of this mess. And the Rosa Parks analogy is not the same thing at all. For one thing it's people versus animals. But the biggest difference is public versus private. Rosa was taking a stand regarding Public Transportation. These women were breaking into a Private home.

"And PETA vegetarian campaign coordinator Bruce Friedrich told an animal rights convention in 2001 that "blowing stuff up and smashing windows" is "a great way to bring about animal liberation.""

I've said it once and i'll say it again, these gals should hit Ingrid Newkirk up for a job. They would fit right in with people that take animal rights to an extreme.

Only difference between the two these people returned the pets, PETA would have put them to sleep. Just like PETA put to sleep 90% of the animals it "helped" in 2005. Thats a great way to help animals in need. Steal them and euthanize them. PETA is a horrible organization that has been taken to an extreme and uses vigilante methods.

These women deserve any punishment they receive. They're lucky someone with a gun wasn't waiting on the other side when they broke in illegally. I feel for the poor woman that lives there, she lives in deplorable conditions, takes care of HER pets, and to top it off a couple of whack jobs break into her home. Wow, what a comforting feeling to know as bad as your situation is, someone will try to make it worse.

Remember this?
Young puppy chained to a tree. No food or water during 90+ temps. I wanted to take this puppy. I called AC they came out and talked to the owner but the owner didn't change their ways. I called again. 2 days later these imbissiles moved out.
I didn't take the puppy and maybe it was in ok health and managed to survive that. These heros probably saw the same thing I did and rushed to the conclusion that laws were being broken. They did what they felt was right seeing as how here in redneckland it's perfectly acceptable to treat your dog like dirt and skimp on the water and let the dog rot away there in the yard chained up.

And if this back country mountain momma wasn't guilty of anything why did she press charges?

Maybe if you would have stolen that puppy you could have been a "hero" too. So the imbociles should not have left the dog out in heat without water or food. Did you stay all day to see how long the dog was left out? Honestly, do you think the best solution was to steal this dog? No. If you really wanted to help you could have brought the dog a bucket of water. Seems like a better solution than being a thief.

You pointed out the biggest flaw in both situations "rushed to the conclusion."

The reason she pressed charges? Would you press charges against someone who broke into your home? Regardless of what was taken, breaking into someones home is illegal and violates the feeling of security they should feel within their home. She obviously isn't a "back country mountain momma" or those thieves would have left with a butt full of buckshot instead of dogs.

You're still not seeing it.
They didn't think they were burglarizing the place they thought they were rescuing two abandoned dogs. I don't know what email the article talks about but my understanding was that this was not premeditated.

Anyway you slice it, that puppy in the picture was out there too long with no interaction, it had a dog house and it had a water bowl which was upside down or empty. That's no way to care for a puppy so yeah I thought it would be better if it was in a different home. I called out AC because I'm well aware that entering one's yard can be trespassing and plus I wanted the AC officer to see the conditions. I know better than to take dogs I would just keep calling AC until they were tired of me nagging them.
I would be very surprised if the puppy was alive today to tell you the truth.

If the ladies were on the up and up they would have contacted the proper authorities. It should not have been to hard since one reportedly worked at the local shelter. Now to the situation they assumed the animals were in... they could have done a quick assessment of the animals health.. If they are as informed as they would like us to be they would have been able to look at the animal and seen if the ribs were showing, were the gums retracted, quickly re filled with blood if pressed to determine hydration or anemia? Were the animals infested with lice or fleas? Was there discharge coming from the nose, eyes or ears? Dont tell me these women were acting on behalf of the animals. They were targeting a person to further their own cause. What about the feelings of the person who's animals were stolen? What kind of inhumane condition did she suffer? Did she have health issues that were caused by the home invasion and snatching of her healthy animals? Do we know if their actions caused her distress? Btw, some people kennel their animals to a very small area. If I was confined to an area I would prefer not looking through bars and be able to move with some amount of freedom in a room. So maybe a chain is more kind then a kennel? Sorry but these women targeted a person not an animal to their own gain.. When they heard the animals were missing they turned their selves in and got their 15 seconds of fame. It was nothing to do with the animal. What they did was cruel and highly illegal. I hope the judge throws the book at them.
Lorie

I volunteer for a Humane Society - I would never dream of breaking into a house - whether or not I thought it was abandoned. I can't imagine that their HS doesn't have officers to go out and check out such situations. But if they didn't, a call to the local police would've been the way to go.

Sadly many people do move away and leave their animals behind. If they are apartment renters then usually the landlords find them right away. If they abandon a house, usually someone calls because they see the mail piling up, which can take days or weeks, which can mean a starving or dead animal will be found. :(

My last puppy I fostered and then adopted was left behind in an apartment bathroom with a cat. It makes me sick that people would ever dream of doing that.

For the record I don't see what's so bad about chains as long as it's in a secure area or while being supervised. The problem is in this area people just tie up their dogs in the yard with not even a fence or anything and that should be outlawed.

I'm also not trying to argue that taking those dogs was the right course of action but the conditions *had* to be pretty bad. I know that doesn't make it right. Just that these women were not ill-intentioned. What I would argue is that while the owner must have felt violated from being broken into that the dogs are back with her now and they were taken because of a misunderstanding and returned promptly once they were reported missing. No harm no foul. The shelters need more dogs like they need a hole in the head so that's not a reason to take the dogs and if the owner really cared about the welfare of pets she'd let this one slide and not tie up the court system so that more drunk drivers could be sentenced to life without parole.

No harm no foul? Are you kidding? The woman's house was broken into - what about her lost sense of security? I've never had a break-in but from what I have read it is very traumatic to deal with afterwards.

The fact that she got the dogs back must show that she is caring for them... how can you argue that if she really cared about her pets she would let this go and not tie up the courts? What does that have to do with it?

I love my pets but if someone broke into my house by "mistake" and took them, but then gave them back once they saw they were fine - you better believe I would be screaming all the way into court to prosecute them.

"I have been chided on this forum for recommending people to work with the authorities when they feel a pet is in danger."

Don't take it personally... if you look at some of these nutjobs wrong on this forum, they'll flame you right out the back door.

Maybe if you would have stolen that puppy you could have been a "hero" too. So the imbociles should not have left the dog out in heat without water or food. Did you stay all day to see how long the dog was left out? Honestly, do you think the best solution was to steal this dog? No. If you really wanted to help you could have brought the dog a bucket of water. Seems like a better solution than being a thief.

Huh. Groomingal, sometimes people work from their homes and do know just how long a dog is outside, for your information. Like moi. Also, Quirky did not steal the dog. She called the authorities who did nothing, just as they would have done with these chained up "inside" dogs. Just about kills me to imagine either of these breeds "chained" inside a bedroom, but the Jack Russell in particular, knowing how active the breed tends to be. If you recall the thread, Quirky received all sorts of helpful advice just like yours...suggestions that she should go over to the feral neighbor's shack and offer to take their pup for daily walks...bring over water and food...advise the people that lack of food and water is not "compatible" with life in extreme heat and humidity, because maybe they didn't "know" that...yada, yada, yada. Basic crap that these people already knew, whether or not they spoke english. It's not Quirky's responsibility to fix other people's mistakes. It is her responsibility to notify the authorities if some gomers are not properly caring for their critters, which she did. It seems it doesn't matter most places, since it appears that if the animal is still alive, it's not being seen as abused even if the conditions are deplorable. And it really sounds as if these dogs were living a very crappy life. Whatever your take on these well-meaning dog thieves, don't drag Quirky's actions with her neighbors into this.

> "No harm no foul? Are you kidding? The woman's house was broken into "

How many times do I have to repeat this... They saw a run down mountain shack hole in the wall and thought the dogs were abandoned there and didn't realize the residence was occupied. This is atlanta if you have to lock your doors and this door "doesn't even close completely"- quoted directly from the victim. It was a misunderstanding they didn't intend to break and enter someone's residence and steal their dogs.
(My theory)
(Not a justification)

I'm rooting for the ladies all the way! We have too many laws already protecting negligent owners.It's time the laws were changed to start helping these animals. Way to go ladies~fight the man!

Quirky, the article says they had contacted the owner and offered fencing and a doghouse. They'd been in touch with the owner. This was not a spontaneous, drive-by "rescue" -- they'd been in touch with the owner and they got in touch with each other!

I think these sound like well-intentioned people. Especially the woman who volunteers at the shelter and helps find resources and training for pet owners. That's more than most of us do for other animals.

But they crossed a line by breaking and entering and stealing. It's too bad they've jeopardized all the good work they've done with an error in judgement or just a stupid decision.

Taken from their shelter website:
Sheriffs Office: 770-781-2222 - If you suspect cruelty to an animal or pet, call immediately

Sounds like they needed to take their own advice.

And then they come out 2 hours later and say well the dogs have a roof over their head, theres no law about chains and there's some rain water in the bowl. Have a nice day. It's not like those animal cops shows on tv.

Junebug- I didn't drag up quirky's actions, quirky decided to repost a past issue (one of which I was unaware.)

"It's not Quirky's responsibility to fix other people's mistakes. It is her responsibility to notify the authorities if some gomers are not properly caring for their critters, which she did."

I totally agree with this comment, which is why it is very upsetting to hear of people STEALING peoples pets. Quirky also stated that she wanted to take that puppy.

Based off what info was written with that posting that is why I made the comments that I did. Despite what I think about someone being a thief, I will questions someones actions or thought of actions if they choose to post them on a public forum.

I think it sounds like Quirky did exactly the right thing. Contacted the authorities. And then followed up with the authorities. It takes more work than spiriting the animal away, but it's working within the law, and Quirky is still at liberting, able to help other animals and owners.

"at liberting"

sorry; meant "at liberty" as in, not in jail!

As a victim of a drunk driver AND as the victim of someone breaking and entering... I felt violated. I spent countless nights wondering what that creaking sound was or what that door slamming that was next door was. Having your home invaded no matter if it was clean or not IS a violation of your being. I wont even go into what it was like to be severely injured by a drunk driver who was out of jail for one week after serving time for 2 prior convictions for the same.
Lorie

I dont feel this lady was violated as everyone is trying to make it out if her front door wouldnt even close.Anyone could have gone in her place at anytime,and she should be thankful for the wake-up call and that nothing more valuable was taken.

These ladies didnt have to turn themselves in,and no one would have been the wiser.The fact that they did,shows they are decent people who were only trying to do the right thing.

Lorie I hope there wasn't something offensive that you found with my comment about drunk drivers getting life sentences. That actually wasn't sarchasm for a change. In fact I wouldn't be too torn up if prohibition was brought back either I think we'd see a lot less crime.

quirky, I found nothing offensive in your suggestion that there is a need for tougher laws for drunk drivers. What I do find offensive in this thread in general is the attitude that it is acceptable to violate someones home no matter what as long as it furthers some perceived "cause". I really had a hard time forming my answer to your challenge about the drunk driver laws and I have been reading and re reading this whole thread today trying to figure out why it has bothered me to such an extreme. Besides the blatant disregard for someones home and property I found it very disturbing that there were repeated derogatory generalizations concerning the area culture. "North Georgia redneck,backwoods shanty,They saw a run down mountain shack,if this back country mountain momma wasn't guilty of anything why did she press charges?". These are not cute "you may be a redneck if.." jokes, they are being used to paint a negative image of a culture. In my eyes that is unacceptable.
Coolmomma, I am so disappointed to see that you would blame the victim for someone violating their space. That is why a lot of sexual assaults / rape are not reported. ie The victim slept with a window open, therefore it is their fault.
Just my thoughts on a web thread... I hope I have not stepped on too many toes.
Lorie

Lorie

I would like to say that your postings have been very well stated. I was also bothered by the derogatory remarks, thank you for bringing that to light. I'm sure if someone made racial slurs or sexual comments they would be pointed out very quickly. Making remarks about someones culture is no better and shows nothing but ignorance.
I am so sorry that you have had to experience such traumatic experiences. You seem like a very strong person by standing your ground and voicing your thoughts.
It really makes me wonder if the people that support criminals and justify their actions would react the same if it happened to them.
Don't worry about stepping on toes. I agree with you 100%!

I never made any comments about being a redneck...only pointed out how unsafe it is to not a door that closes properly.What if instead of these ladies,it was a burglar or a man who wanted to rape her? That would be so much more horrific.
The fact that only her dogs were taken,and she now has them back was lucky for her.

Another feeling I have is,that if this issue was about children who were thought to be abused,and someone was trying to help them,people's feelings would be alot different.But in society's views,"it was only a few dogs".

I cant say the women did the right thing,but I myself get very emotional over animal abuse/neglect/cruelity,and I cant say that if I was in the same situation,I wouldnt do the same thing if I thought I could save the animal.

Question: If they had contacted her to help her with fencing etc (which they don't claim just the DH does)why did they think the house was abandoned? And obviously her stuff was in the house along with the dogs, did they think she left everything behind? Doesn't make sense. My take is that they just are against chaining and thought the owner didn't care about the dogs anyway. But surprise! The owner did care and reported the dogs missing and with the trail of emails (and my guess here is that the woman was threatened otherwise why arrest the woman who wrote them?)they turned themselves in.
coolmama: A few days ago I came home to find the pass thru bar window screen open and all three of my indoor cats had gotten out. In the hour that it took to find them (luckily they never left the yard)I nearly had a heart attack - my BP went thru the roof! My DH, who left the screen open will hear about this for years and years to come. If I could have him arrested just so he would never put me thru anything like that again I would. That woman came home and probably freaked when she found them missing. Try to put yourself in her shoes.

I have tried.But then,I wouldnt have a front door that doesnt close right.I wouldnt leave my animals chained in the bedroom with no food or water either.Before I owned a pet,such as a dog,I would make sure I already had proper fencing. Owning a pet is like having a child and people should be prepared for them.
I know too many who get animals only to not properly take care of them.Cat goes into heat,oh well,forget paying to have it fixed,I'll just get rid of it.Have a puppy that is a few years old and dont feel like finding it a new home cuz you no longer want it.Oh,I'll just put it to sleep.
Dont have proper fencing,oh I'll just lock it the bedroom with no food or water.
See my point? These things are not being a responsible pet owner in my opinion.
Obviously if this lady cant even afford a door that closes she probably cant afford these dogs either.
Obviously I'd be upset if something happened to my beloved pets...but I'd have to wonder if like this lady,I might be a bit responsible for it.

Re-read the article. "[The dogs] were being restrained in a room with cable tie-outs and had food, water and bedding provided," the release states."

Would people be less in an uproar if she had the dogs crated instead of on tie-outs in the house?

This woman doesn't deserve to have her dogs stolen from her because she is poor. The vet stated her dogs were fine. Maybe she's one of those people who puts more money into her pets and doesn't have money to fix her door.

share oh: ditto

The tv news interviews gave different details on where the dogs were found than the article I posted. I will try to work on my intolerance of rednecks but past failed attempts to do so seem to indicate that I'm incorrigible.

What's more ignorant... living in squalor where the front door to your cabin doesn't even close completely and overflowing with .... and owning two pets that are not adequately provided for or casting those persons who do this in a negative light.

"...they are being used to paint a negative image of a culture. In my eyes that is unacceptable. "
That's because it's a culture that's negative. It's like trying to paint a pretty picture of gang members.

But of course it's unacceptable to you... You live in Canada... There are no rednecks there.

At this point in time I would like to hold up my American passport and assure Quirky that there are rednecks in Canada. Why heck, we even listen to American Country Music here. ;)
bbl.. have to go fix my front door that does not lock or close all the way. My years at university never prepared me for that reality in life. First I better look up and down the street to make sure that no redneck gang members come by on their tractors and shoot their crossbows at me!
Ya all have a good day!
Lorie

Quirky -- you keep talking about the door being open -- perhaps you saw a picture of the house after the women had broken in? I've been searching various news accounts of the incident, and I only find one mention of the door:

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=93440
Linda Green says on February 10, someone entered her Forsyth County home and stole her two dogs. "The door was open when I got here," Green said. "I went in and the dogs were gone."

...Capt. Frank Huggins from the Forsyth County SheriffÂs Office said at least one of the women went to the house on February 10th, heard the dogs wining, and saw them chained to a bedpost near an open space heater. Green was not home, and the front door was not locked.

Sounds like the women left the door open after they took the dogs.

From this account it seems pretty obvious the women should have known whether or not the animals were abandoned -- at least some of them had contacted her. And, the suspects did not return the animals to the owner as soon as she filed a missing report -- they returned them after the police found them and confirmed they had the animals. That puts a different light on things.

http://wsbradio.com/news/030707dogs.html
"They stopped by two or three times offering me a dog house or a dog pen big enough for them," says Green. "I guess they thought the dogs were in danger. I don't know, but my dogs are perfectly healthy."

....Sgt. Bill Franco with the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office says their investigation led to the suspects, who agreed to meet with investigators and return the dogs. Instead, Franco says the suspects went to Green's home on Valentine's night and returned the dogs to her. Warrants were issued for the suspects and they turned themselves in Tuesday.

Lorie- listening to country music doesn't make someone a redneck. Chaining their dog to a tree does. Rednecks don't have tractors because rednecks are lazy fools that don't work! They don't live on farms.

Alison- when they interviewed this woman on tv, she said flat out the door doesn't lock and that it "doesn't even close completely" as the camera panned around to show boxes and rubbish pouring out the door.

quirkyquercus: obviously you have no idea what a redneck is, it certainly has nothing to do with chaining up a dog. Look it up in the dictionary. Actually being a redneck is all about being bigoted. In this case I think the women come off as being bigoted.
I have chained up a dog in the past. We had rescued him and he hated the indoors unless we were there - would howl and our neighbors would call the authorities. And we couldn't keep him in the backyard which was fenced ( 5 foot tall, max by law)because he could jump it without any problems. We paid a fortune to dog trainers to try to break him of the habit without any luck. To leave him unchained probably would have eventually killed him since we lived close to a major highway. Oh, I am a teacher and my DH is a doctor.
And you haven't answered the above question: How is chaining a dog up inside any different than crating? Maybe this outfit should have offered crates?
How did the women know that the dogs were tied up inside without peeking. I have a really bad feeling about this whole thing. People should not be judged for their pet ownership or parenting skills based on their economic circumstances but on how well the animals or children are taken care of and it looks like the animals had food and water and were in good shape. I don't get why these women stole the dogs.

Just wanted to say I can't agree with the term 'culture' being used here in reference to quirky's 'generalizations'........IMO the correct term would be 'class'.
quirky's just saying what he/she truly feels and not worrying about what's politically correct!

"Lorie- listening to country music doesn't make someone a redneck. Chaining their dog to a tree does. Rednecks don't have tractors because rednecks are lazy fools that don't work! They don't live on farms."

Wow, what a way to show your ignorance. So are you saying all lazy fools are rednecks? Many areas have different derogatory terms for lazy people, generally based on ethnicity or skin color. Rednecks don't live on farms huh? I guess they live in the big city. You know most of the rednecks I know live in NEW YORK CITY!
I didn't know chaining your dog automatically gave someone the status of a redneck, better pass that memo out down the holler.

I've lived my life in the south and still get classified as a hick, hillbilly, country bumpkin, white trash, and a redneck. I look beyond peoples comments when they try to classify me for my upbringing and all I see is ignorance. "Rednecks" are generally poor low class white people. It isn't that they are stupid and do things because they want to, but they lack education. They are far from lazy, they usually quit school at early ages to work farms or other jobs to help support their family. I know so many people that fall into that category but they are the kindest people that would help anyone in need. Sometimes it takes a kind word, understanding, and an extended hand to help them understand the importance of things we find so simple.

It does nothing to judge people for any reason, be kind, and offer a helping hand.

Annz, I double checked on my choice of word. Culture is what I meant and I stick by that. Class is close but has subtle differences.
Quirky, by definition redneck is a poor white person of the blue collar working class and is often employed in agriculture (ie farmer). The term redneck comes from where the sun shines on their neck when they farm. The term redneck is not specific to the American south but also to Canadians. The term is considered offensive.
Alison, I have tried to open the video on the news channel site but it does not seem to work for me. I still have not seen the footage. Thanks for providing the links though. I could see the picture of the blind JRT. Perhaps the dog was chained in the bedroom so it could have a soft place to sleep and not walk into the heater? I will be curious to see what all comes of this at the end of the month.
bluesbarby, I too must be a redneck because my jrt has to be chained when he goes out. It keeps him from getting caught up in the truck and tractor wheels. Yup I am a cruel owner.
Lorie

But I'm not using it as a racial slur, I'm using it as slang.

OK this topic is getting out of hand. You win. I've showed my support for theives/burglars/dognappers and I'm predjudiced against rednecks. I'm a bad bad person.
I'm a bad person who's going to go play with his unchained, vaccinated, cuddly furry friends now instead of argue over who's a redneck and who's not.
{{!gwi}}

I was curiuos what the dictionary said a redneck was - I had my own thought of what it meant. This is what I found:

* a poor white person in the southern United States (princton edu)
* In modern usage, redneck predominantly refers to a particular stereotype of whites from the Southern United States. The word can be used either as a pejorative or as a matter of pride, depending on context. See also Hillbilly (Wikipedia)
* Used as a disparaging term for a member of the white rural laboring class, especially in the southern United States (your dictionary.com)
* A white person regarded as having a provincial, conservative, often bigoted attitude (your dictionary.com)

ALL of the definitions say it is OFFENSIVE SLANG. So, I think really had no place on the forum. As for breaking into the house, I don't care if the door is unlocked or not, they had no right to enter. Call the police, have the animals checked on, but stay within the law.

To those who were offended by my use of that offensive slang then I'm sorry. I will not use that term on the forums ever again and since nobody seems to know what I'm talking about anyway I'll just go back to using the word aceholes instead. Nobody will be offended by that since nobody thinks they are one.

I was quite close to this situation. Labmmamma has the right insight. Egos spoiled it and not the good kind. Hearts were definitely in the right place, and a couple of them had stellar leadership abilities for bringing a large group together as well as lot of good connections, however, underlying was a clique mentality. Reminded me of High School. (Can we graduate please?) A small circle of do-gooders who complained and humiliated other "helpers" publicly that everyone else wasn't "doing enough" then when you'd volunteer, you'd get no reply, ignored, etc. Funny thing is one of the ladies above stated to me shortly after the doggie poop hit the fan that they had to make sure the org. did not "get into the wrong hands" meaning, I take it, that applied to anyone else who had ideas about initiating another movement to keep going forward with some sane animal laws. In other words anyone but them at the helm was the "wrong hands". And now the dogs in this backwards county are still suffering badly, because the whole org. kind of died. So sad. They did a great job of getting within a "dogs hair" of some better animal protection laws and it all just died overnight with this incident. I still think about it and want to cry.

Those who have been detained did not work within the confines of the law. The saw a situation and jumped to conclusions. What if I chained my dog up outside for awhile? Maybe I had a good reason, maybe my house is being refurnished. My point is that when you take the law into your own hands it is often a result of an emotional response to something you see. This is not good or bad, in some cases it can be a great thing, in others it can cause more harm than good. FACT - Owners of a dog have to abide by the laws set by that county or state which they live in the boundaries of. The animal control officers must abide by certain criteria, vets are contacting and information gained. It is only fair to give an owner an opportunity to provide either an explanation of why the situation is as it is or to modify the issues. Nothing is perfect and the law does not take into consideration that dogs are social beings which need contact to remain mentally healthy - hopefully the laws will change, but like lower gasoline prices it takes longer to make things change.
My issue with these people is that their stories are not consistent....

Wow, we are responsible pet owners who chain our dogs.We don't fence the yard off because it is waterfront property.As soon as I wake up,I tie the dogs outso I can go shower and dress.That way they don't have to wait for me to get ready if they need to do their business.There is no water bowl outside.They are not on the lines long enough to develop excessive thirst,and I live in an area with too many mosquitos to leave water sitting.after ten minutes or so ,I pull them in,the animals say good morning to their humans,and we get the leashes and do the walk.They get walked about five times a day,spend several times a day on their lines,and come in and sleep and play in their house most of the time.Is it cruel?About two or three times a week I return two "houdini hounds" that jump the fence at their home and swim our alligator laden canal to come play in my yard.I have their owner's number on speed dial.Annoying?Very,but they are doing the best that they can with the animals that they love,and I do the best with mine.I hope to Go- that no one ever does my dog a favor and snatches him while he is out watching rabbits.