You have to ask…

Several years ago I wrote about the five freedoms that we try to provide the animals in our care; these freedoms provided the minimum standard of care that we should provide.

Recently we are seeing photographs of the conditions in which immigrants are being forced to live in.  Although this is an animal welfare blog, humans are animals too.  There is a reason that President Biden doesn’t allow the media in to see the conditions these people are living in.  It reminds me of how an animal shelter looks every morning before staff has started cleaning.  We too, prefer to have the media come in after we’ve cleaned.

Whether our President accepts his responsibility or not, he invited these people to come to our country and failed to prepare for their arrival.  He can blame this on the previous President all he wants, but this is HIS CRISIS!

When you have to call in FEMA, you know that you have a disaster on your hands.  When you have to bring in volunteers to provide support for FEMA, then you are in real trouble.  It seems that everyone, except the President, is coming to terms recognizing the problem that we face.

Without getting all political, I believe that we should minimally provide these arriving immigrants with the same care that we provide our shelter animals or send them home; in the shelter business, we call that limited admissions.

The Five Freedoms

As animal shelter intakes decline and the desire for increased placements, animal are being held for longer periods of time. Some animals adapt to long confinement, others do not; as such, it is necessary to maintain the Five Freedoms for each animal to make sure that our desire for higher release rates do not commit inhumane acts upon the animals in our care.

The Five Freedoms:

Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.

Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.

Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.

Freedom to express (most) normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.

Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.