If You're a Pet Owner in Over Your Head

Taking care of a pet is not for the faint of heart. The emotional investment is huge and sometimes, the financial investment can get overwhelming.

In Meriden, a 1-year-old dog was recently found wandering the streets with an elastic band wrapped so tightly around her snout that it had embedded itself into her skin.

A Cocker Spaniel abandoned during a night in November represented the worst case of neglect ever seen by a Connecticut animal control officer.

Robert Yuchniuk, animal control officer for Waterford and East Lyme, wants all pet owners to know that if you find yourself in over your head, you’re not alone and there is help for you and your pets.

“If you or someone you know is in over their head with animals, or if there are serious financial or care issues with any animal, please reach out for help,” Yuchniuk wrote on Animal Control’s Facebook page.

He said there are rescue groups and caring animal control officers who can help, but only if pet owners come forward and ask.

• What to Look for in a Reputable Dog Rescue Organization

“Please understand in this day and age many people are having difficult times and many animals may be suffering through no fault of the owners,” he said, “but if I or anyone can help out, we will do our best to get you the help you need.”

He urged pet owners not to fall victim to pride or being afraid to ask for help, particularly if it results in the suffering of animals.

“Whether it’s just some education or advice, or signing over the animals to the shelter or giving you some food to get you through to payday, or hooking you up with a rescue group, if I can help, I will,” Yuchniuk said.

He said helpful people are out there but pet owners in need have to take the initial step to ask for assistance.

“No one is going to judge you, no one is going to yell at you,” he said. “We only have the best interest of the animals at heart.”

Related Articles

• Animal Cruelty Case in Meriden: Rubber Band Placed on Dog’s Snout Cuts Into Flesh
• What to Look for in a Reputable Dog Rescue Organization
• ‘All I Want for Christmas is a Home’

(Photo of Robert Yuchniuk via Waterford-East Lyme Animal Control Facebook page)

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