I couldn’t stop thinking about those puppies. The litter of three pitbull puppies, now down to two puppies, that were abused and tortured and left to die along the railroad tracks.
And it’s not the first time animals have been beaten and malnourished and tortured. We hear the stories about the animal hoarders who get overwhelmed. Or the kittens that were tossed in a garbage can and left to die. Or the horses whose owner never fed or took care of them. Or the dog who was tethered on an outdoor leash while the family simply moved away and left him behind.
I’ve heard too many of these stories. Every one of them makes me sick. Every one of them – just like the news of the railroad puppies – hurts like hell.
In those moments, I can find solace in knowing that there are good people in the world – the people who can adopt these animals from shelters and humane societies, who can take them and give them a better home – the home those animals so richly deserve, the home they were cheated out of previously.
As much as I would love to adopt one of those animals – whether they’ve been abused or abandoned or overpopulated or just plain cuter than flowers and yarn – I can’t. I live in an apartment and the landlord has a no-pets policy.
Here’s what I can do, though. I’ve already donated one of my framed artworks, Black Starlight, to the Mohawk Hudson River Humane Society’s “Art Saves Animals” auction.
Nothing’s stopping me from donating more artworks. Nothing.
So here’s the deal. I’ve got four 11″x14″ versions of my previous award-winning pictures. They’re all properly framed and ready to hang. If you knew that bidding on these artworks would help raise money to take care of abandoned and abused animals, would you bid on:
COCA-COLA RELIEVES FATIGUE, SOLD EVERYWHERE 5c
NIPPER’S POLAR PANORAMA
THE RAILSPLITTER
MIDNIGHT AT THE PALACE THEATER
Here’s what happened. After these pictures won their respective ribbon and glory, I reprinted each one in “display” editions, and hung them in my apartment as part of a “trophy wall.”
But if these artworks can earn a few extra dollars for the Humane Society, that’s more important than any ribbon I could previously achieve.
So I ask you, my loyal readers… if I were to donate these four artworks to the Humane Society, in addition to the Black Starlight picture I’ve already given them, would you bid on them? And just so that you’re aware, I’m not making a single penny off of the sale of these artworks. All the money’s going to the Humane Society.
The poll is below. By Friday at noon, I will use this poll to see how many pictures I should donate to the auction. You can vote for one picture, or you can vote for as may as you wish.
[poll id=”12″]
Chuck The Writer 
Hi Chuck – great cause. I’ve adopted Guinea Pigs, a kitten and a young adult dog from MHRHS over the years. Can’t seem to get the voting link to work…I’ll check back later to see if it’s fixed or if I’m simply having user error! (My vote would be the Palace Theater one because it would attract a wide audience and the rail splitter one because it’s beautiful and is somewhat symbolic of the puppies story).
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All these pictures are impressive.
I work on AR/AW issues every day. Many animals are tortured each year in this country, but pit bulls are likely from a different source (either dumped when no longer used for profit or dumped because they were pit bulls).
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I’m trying to vote, but either I’m having a VERY bad MS day or it’s not working properly.
IF I could vote, I have to select Rail splitter, my favorite, no make that absolute favorite picture of all time. It’s so symbolic to me–determination, blossoming where nothing should, beauty where none was visible before, etc.
And Nipper would make an awesome contribution also! After all, dogs should help other dogs, eh!
I applaud you for doing this, Chuck. You’re using your talent to do so much good!
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Chuck, thank you for all of your support, you are a true friend of the animals.
The railsplitter piece does make me think of how these poor puppies were found and at least two have survived in spite of their circumstances.
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You have a BIG heart my man. This is a very good thing you’re doing. A lot of people are ‘talking’ about these pups, but not a lot are ‘doing’ anything to help them. Thank you for being so generous. I of course had to vote for Nipper, but also the Palace Theatre. I couldn’t vote for the rails as it’s so sad that the poor pups had to endure being nailed to them. Thanks Chuck!
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Will you lose copyright of them if you donate them?
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Chris – I won’t lose copyright; I’m donating printed and framed copies of the original works. Another print of Midnight at the Palace Theater is also being donated for Historic Albany Foundation’s “Built” fundraiser.
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PS: I will send a check this week marked “pit bull pups.” Perhaps other folks will also contribute ??
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I am in tears right now after reading the story of the Pitbull puppies. I will bid on the railsplitter photo and as an amatuer photographer, maybe I could make some prints of my photos and donate them. I will reiterate what I say every time there is a case of animal abuse, “Stop giving the abusers a second chance to offend.” Put them away and up their sentences, fine them big bucks and give the money to the shelters, get them psychological help!!! If that doesn’t deter abusers, then put them down, just for the simple reason that they will never be rehabilitated and will only escalate onto people! I am sick about how our country tolerates this kind of behaviour. In some countries, they kill you for lesser offenses! We have taken the “time out” approach too literally and now it seems that violence is escalating at such an incredible rate and no one seems to want to be the one who says, “enough is enough”! Stop babying society and kick some butt! Get tough with your laws!
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There is much much good karma coming your way Chuck…so incredibly generous of you to donate to such a worthy cause. Kudos to you!
The Palace picture is probably my favorite of all of your photos I’ve seen (via this blog) thus far. Simply gorgeous picture.
I also think Railsplitter and Nipper are very appropriate given the charity involved and the puppies’ story.
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Railsplitter, then, for sure. It’s a great image and really conveys a lot of positive sentiment.
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The poll is not working for me (only shows results, not voting options), but I would vote for Railsplitter.
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Those who abuse animals for no obvious reason, Lockwood said, are “budding psychopaths.” They have no empathy and only see the world as what it’s going to do for them.
History is full of high-profile examples of this connection:
Patrick Sherrill, who killed 14 coworkers at a post office and then shot himself, had a history of stealing local pets and allowing his own dog to attack and mutilate them.
Earl Kenneth Shriner, who raped, stabbed, and mutilated a 7-year-old boy, had been widely known in his neighborhood as the man who put firecrackers in dogs? rectums and strung up cats.
Brenda Spencer, who opened fire at a San Diego school, killing two children and injuring nine others, had repeatedly abused cats and dogs, often by setting their tails on fire.
Albert DeSalvo, the “Boston Strangler” who killed 13 women, trapped dogs and cats in orange crates and shot arrows through the boxes in his youth.
Carroll Edward Cole, executed for five of the 35 murders of which he was accused, said his first act of violence as a child was to strangle a puppy.
In 1987, three Missouri high school students were charged with the beating death of a classmate. They had histories of repeated acts of animal mutilation starting several years earlier. One confessed that he had killed so many cats he?d lost count. Two brothers who murdered their parents had previously told classmates that they had decapitated a cat.
Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer had impaled dogs? heads, frogs, and cats on sticks.
Read more: Abuse Connection – The Link Between Animal Cruelty and Interpersonal Violence | Pet-Abuse.Com Animal Cruelty Database http://www.pet-abuse.com/pages/abuse_connection.php#ixzz26H8VeN5f
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How could anything but Nipper be appropriate?
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