THE remains of two mutilated puppies were discovered at a boat ramp adjacent to the Division of Fish and Wildlife in Lower Base, according to Department of Lands and Natural Resources Animal Health Manager Lauren Cabrera.
She has forwarded the case to the Department of Public Safety. Under Public Law 21-31, animal cruelty is illegal in the CNMI.
The puppies were found approximately 10 feet away from each other. The scene was “gruesome,” Cabrera said.
“You have to ask yourself, if somebody is capable of torturing an innocent puppy, what else are they capable of? In animal welfare, there is a very well-known phenomenon referred to as ‘the link.’ This is the link between cruelty to animals and incidents of child abuse, elder abuse, and domestic violence. It is well known that those who are capable of seriously hurting an animal are also at risk of violence to humans. This is something we want to avoid,” Cabrera said.
Grace and Aria Keilbach, who founded Boonie Babies, were with Cabrera when she filed a police report.
The Boonie Babies believed another puppy could be at the same site, so they conducted a search in the area.
The sisters also issued the following statement to Variety:
“Our community as a whole needs to decide this is something we care about. So many people know people who are harming or abusing their animals and unfortunately do not speak up. Animal cruelty and abuse is normalized and excused in our community and will not stop until people decide to stop excusing the actions of others.
“We hear community members confessing to witnessing dogs being beaten, had boiling oil tossed on them, thrown rocks at, tails tied together, etc.
“None have made any actual reports.
“Appalling abuse such as animal shootings and machete attacks are horrific and the most extreme and worrisome cases since the strong correlation between animal abuse and violence towards people. These cases definitely get the most community attention, however, everyday neglect is just as prevalent and important to address. Aside from direct human on animal attacks, lack of food, shelter, medication, and water for dogs is active neglect as well. This ‘smaller scale’ abuse is just as torturous and cruel to dogs but viewed as excusable because it is not as gruesome as extreme cases.
“These puppies who were clearly abused deserved justice and outrage at the cruelty they faced, but so does every other animal facing cruelty and neglect, extreme or not, on this island every single day. Be outraged, but be outraged for them all, and then speak up.”
