BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WBRC) – The Greater Birmingham Humane Society has shared information about someone trying to poison puppies in Bessemer.
They say someone tried to give 7 week old puppies antifreeze. Some puppies ingested the poison and one died.
Thanks to the Good Samaritan, the puppies are now in charity care, but the shelter is still looking for three more. The WBRC has reached out to Bessemer Police about the situation and potential charges, but had not heard back as of Friday night.
This is just one of several animal cruelty reports the shelter has received in recent weeks. We reported on another puppy abuse just a few weeks ago, but GBHS says it’s become a major issue after receiving a high volume of animal abuse calls in the last month.
“Things are escalating and something has to be done to check and undo,” said CEO Allison Black Cornelius. “I can’t take this.”
During the December cold spell, Black Cornelius said he began receiving hundreds of calls about dogs being left alone in freezing temperatures.
“Birmingham passed an ordinance in the summer of 2020 that ties dogs in certain ways that are against the law,” she added. So when they call the City of Birmingham, they just turn around and call us, and the citizens are so upset that we have to go out.”
Outside of colder climates, she says, animal cruelty practices are escalating.
“People who abuse animals do it out loud,” she said. , even more so when they start using , firing, and leaving poisons unattended.”
Black Cornelius wants the city to crack down on the abusers before things get worse.
“We all know there is a link between animal abusers and animal cruelty and domestic violence, abuse of children, abuse of the elderly and women,” she said. added. “It’s real.”
That’s a big reason she wants people to take animal cruelty more seriously.
“As such, police recognize that not all dog and cat barks can be addressed,” Black Cornelius said. “But what we can do is look at other cities’ solutions on how to enable animal control officers to provide support to the police.”
She hopes to set up a meeting with law enforcement to come up with a better solution to stop this trend of animal cruelty from continuing.
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