Ace – Mourn Him and Make Him the Impetus for Change in Metro Detroit!
This essay below from the Michigan Human Society eloquently mourns the passing of Ace – a stray dog now known to most of the Metro Detroit community due to the extensive media coverage this story has received locally. However, personally, I’m having a difficult time being as charitable as the Humane Society. I am ANGRY! I am angry that this dog was forced to endure the treatment and malnourishment he did. I am angry that he was turned over to animal control rather than an animal rescue organization. I am angry that such a ridiculous law exists that would prevent rescue groups from taking responsibility for this animal and giving him the life he so obviously deserved. And I am particularly angry that the Department of Animal Control is actually trying to get away with saying they never saw a court order that was issued to prevent them from putting this poor dog down!
In my opinion, DAC representatives need to at least lose jobs for this – but preferably have legal action brought against them. I cannot imagine that they were unaware of the court order – and I expect an investigation would prove me to be correct.
This whole situation is frankly beyond my comprehension. In my opinion the animal rescue groups and animal lovers in the Metro Detroit community need to come together to change the laws and prevent this horror from ever happening again – maybe then Ace’s life will not have been in vain. Do you have suggestions for how we can make this happen? If so, please share them as comments. Let’s make Ace the impetus we need to drive us all into forcing a much-needed change and bettering the lives of animals in Metro Detroit! And in the meantime, let’s all mourn Ace, a dog who deserved so much more in life than he received, but in death may be able to save the lives of many of his fellow animals.
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Ace: Mourning a Tragedy, and Where we go from Here
How we can all help animals like Ace
Yesterday night, we all heard the heartbreaking news that Ace, the emaciated Pit Bull found at a hardware store in Detroit and brought to Detroit Animal Control, had been euthanized following his state-mandated four-day stray hold, despite the best efforts of MHS and other animal welfare groups. MHS had urged DAC and city officials to have Ace released into our care, but were told that DAC would not budge from their policy to not release pit bulls or pit bull mixes to any organization or individual other than the original owner.
Still heartbroken, we must now focus on the lessons Ace can teach us.
- It’s important to let Ace remind us that today there are thousands of animals right here in southeastern Michigan who are lost, abused, neglected or simply in need of a new, loving home. Let’s make a difference for them right now!
- We can’t underscore enough the importance of making sure our beloved pets have proper identification; starting with collars and tags but also including microchips. These simple investments can ensure that thousands of dogs and cats each year stay connected to their families and are not lost, alone, confused and suffering on the streets.
- Ace’s death has shown that it’s now more important than ever for animal welfare organizations, rescues, pet lovers and the community at large to work together for the benefit of the animals. No matter how large or how small, we all have a part to play in making a better future for animals here in our community. This problem is far too large for any one organization – only by working together, and not against each other, can we put an end to stories like these.
Today, as we mourn Ace, let’s make sure that his death was not in vain. Let us make this moment when things changed for the better. Let us say that this was a moment where we as a community stood up to say that no longer will we allow dogs to go hungry. No longer will we allow ours to be a community where dogs are neglected or abused. No longer will we allow our cities to be havens for people who fight dogs for profit.
This should never, ever have happened. I was absolutely felony wrong.
I sympathize with everything in here, but, the original owner did come forward in time, on Wednesday, but she was shown the wrong dog, on purpose. The officials cannot use the excuse that they only release to the original owner, because they did NOT, and don’t. Which leaves only one conclusion, the real ACE was killed on Monday already, because he was seen Monday morning in DAC, but Monday at noon he was gone, only his food and water bowl were still there. And on Wednesday they were trying to use a look a like dog which not even closely resembled the original ACE fromthe photo. No way he could have healed and gained weight like that in just a couple of days. DAC and the city officials are nothing but a bunch of lying and corrupt criminals trying to cover their tracks by maliciously killing another dog on Thursday in direct violation of a court order hand delivered to them. I pray all of their heads will roll and they find themselves walking the streets, but I am hoping for prison terms for all of them. They are a disgrace to humanity and should be ashamed of themselves. They have given Detroit a worse reputation than what it already has in regards to crime. You would hope corruption in our government does not exist anymore but they have just proven, it certainly still does.