Compassion is what drives most people involved in animal welfare. But at SPCA Tampa Bay, a lack of compassion contradicts the PR image the organization puts forth while trolling for donations. This example recently appeared in the Tampa Bay Times.
Last week, a suitcase was found floating in a St. Petersburg, FL canal. Inside was the battered body of a pit bull, but the story is not what you — or the police — expected.
The dog’s name was Beloved. She was the cherished pet of a disabled couple, who adopted her off the street when no one wanted her. Leashed and on a walk, Beloved had gotten loose and been killed by a hit-and-run driver. The distraught pair carried her body home and called SPCA/TB for help.
They were told it would cost $55 to pick up the dog.
The couple didn’t have $55. They attempted to give their precious pet a decent burial on the grounds of their apartment building, but the landlord said no. He told them to put their dog’s body in the trash dumpster.
Refusing to show so little respect for their beloved companion, the couple decided on a burial at sea using a suitcase they found in the dumpster. They wanted Beloved to rest in a place she had enjoyed in life, a canal near their home.
Given their circumstances, they did the best they could to honor the life of a pet they loved.
$55? Really? A nonprofit organization that allegedly exists to care for animals couldn’t waive their fee for two heartbroken people living on disability? Two people who treasured and mourned a lost pet?
The couple for whom Beloved was a family member were full of compassion. SPCA/TB, with its CEO making six figures, shows once again that it has none.
And the saddest irony: had the couple been able to pay the fee, their dog’s body still would likely have been dumped into the trash.
We hope potential donors will remember this story.