Speaking for the Voiceless with Dr Mark Animal Advocate

Dixie: 00:00:02

Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the

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people and rescues making a

difference in the lives of animals.

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today I am visiting with Dr.

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Mark, animal advocate,

and published author.

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I am actually out at Mark's

Animal Rescue, and you could just

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hear the dog in the background.

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How you doing today, mark?

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Mark: I'm doing fine.

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He's a little rescue.

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I got about a year ago, somebody

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didn't want him.

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So anyway, I he's been part of

my family for about a year now.

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Dixie: You were episode one and you are

of course a rescuer, a published author,

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an advocate, and a former deputy sheriff.

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So, for all of our new listeners, let's

just share your journey a little bit

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about how you got into animal advocacy.

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Mark: As a young child, I always

loved animals, always had animals

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from the age of six years old

and I kinda grew up with animals.

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I guess where I really became a

strong advocate was during my time,

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my early years, I was in my twenties,

just made 21, went to work for the

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east Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office.

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During my tenure there as a sheriff deputy

we went to during that period of time, and

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I'm sure it still happens now, but I've

been outta that business for a long time.

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But there were a lot of family fights.

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We would go there and try to

resolve family fights or take

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care of whatever was going on.

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But one thing I did notice as an animal

person, that even the people that

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I rode with, 'cause I was a junior.

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Man in the car.

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That means I had really no say so.

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The senior man really had

the say so in the car.

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But one of the things I noticed

was every time that we would get

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involved in a family issue and

somebody went to jail, the bottom

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line is what happens to the animal?

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'cause most people did have animals,

whether they got treated good or not.

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But the point is that when we

left there, there was no one

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to take care of the animal.

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Nobody cared.

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So way back in 19 69, 70, 71 animals.

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Even back then, people just did not care.

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And I had this soft spot for

animals and always have, and

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it's been part of who I am.

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And I was always amazed

to see how people just.

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Does not look at animals

as a living being.

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They look at them.

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I can't even describe it,

but it doesn't matter.

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They're just an animal.

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We've all heard that term.

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They're just animals.

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They're not just animals.

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They're sent with beings.

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They, they do express that any anybody's

been around an animal, they express fear.

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One of the biggest things they,

they're great at loving people.

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They're very devoted.

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They present all of those things that I

wish we as a human being would possess.

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But unfortunately I'm don't find that in

in a lot of , my interaction with people.

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We've gotten so coldhearted that

things have changed, especially as

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today, I'm 79 years old, soon be 80.

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I've seen such a change in people

over the many years that, I've grown

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up and been a part of this world.

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But anyway the animals did not get

treated well back then, and it's not

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much different in all these years.

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Animals are still considered property,

and I don't know if people know that

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or how many people know that, but

animals are considered property.

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They're not part of your family.

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They're just an animal.

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They are property.

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And when, anytime you have any legal

issues you're going through a divorce or

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you're going through whatever you're going

through, animals are still considered

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property and nothing more than that.

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But when you consider animal property and

not as a sentient being, then it's very

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difficult to, just be around those type

of people because I don't share a lot

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of the things that I think people just

about animals that they just don't care.

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They're just there.

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Anyway and the other thing that

I've seen as a deputy, and that's

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unfortunate 'cause I've got a lot of.

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Not so good stories as a deputy with

animals is that I've seen many animals

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that are forgotten in backyards.

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They're locked up in houses after

evictions, they're left on parish roads.

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Now to this day, I live in a rural parish.

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I live in Mount Herman,

Louisiana, Washington Parish.

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I've been here oh six, almost seven years.

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In that amount of time, I have saved

over: 2000

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roads here in Washington Parish.

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But anyway, I got carried

away with that, that answer.

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But anyway, that was one of the

reasons that inspired me between

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being a rescuer of 10 years, a deputy

sheriff I became a strong animal

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advocate, and that is my passion.

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So that's probably the, one of the

biggest reasons is because I've seen

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so much neglect and just outright abuse

by people that I had to do something.

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So anyway, that's, this is what I

do every day, seven days a week,

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I work as an animal advocate.

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Dixie: How many books have you

written about animal advocacy?

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Mark: 21 books.

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Dixie: Today, one of the books that I

wanted to specifically discuss is one of

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your newer ones called Soul of the Silent.

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Now I really like the title of that

too, because you touched on this a

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little bit about how people treat

animals and people almost treat

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animals as if they do not have souls.

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Mark: That's right.

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Dixie: And of course I do

not believe that at all.

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Animals definitely have souls.

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You can look in their eyes and you

can tell, you can see a lot about

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'em just by looking in their eyes.

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So I wanted to talk about Soul of

the Silent today and let me know what

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inspired you to write Soul of the Silent.

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Mark: When I say how we treat animals,

it really reflects who we are.

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I mean our actions toward.

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The most vulnerable.

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Those who have no voice there's

no defense, no standing.

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In society, it reveals the

true state of our own hearts.

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If we respond with compassion, it shows

that kindness and empathy guide us.

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But if we can ignore suffering in

an animal, it says something about

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the limits of our own humanity.

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And it's unfortunate and it really is

unfortunate because being in the rescue

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business for 10 years, working as a

sheriff deputy for seven years and and

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just being around people and talking

to people and even those with animals

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today who have animals it doesn't

mean that they come from a good home.

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That animal is staying in a good home.

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Because many people have this idea that.

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If animals, oh, they have a home.

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What kind of home is that?

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What kind of home are

they being raised into?

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Because how many times have I seen and

gone out to a home that the dog is chained

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up in the backyard a lot of times don't

even have shelter, no food, no water.

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And if they do have water, it's

dirty and it may, and who knows

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when the last time they ate.

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It's just so unbelievable to me.

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People can truly ignore

what God has gave us.

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God said, and I don't quote the

Bible, but I do have some idea of

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the things because I do refer to

the Bible a lot in terms of animals,

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but you know what God made was good.

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It was in Genesis, God

made everything good.

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He made animals, but , people

don't look at animals as something

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that, that we should respect.

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We have any kind of love for, it's

like there it goes, back to the saying,

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it's just an animal, it's property.

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And what really and truly concerns me,

and I know I get off on tangents about

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this, but one of the things that I

find is that my three core things that

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I do as an animal advocate, and I'll

get off on that, is that number one

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is I'm always going after government.

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Local government.

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I'm going after law enforcement,

I'm going after churches, and

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let's take government first.

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Local government, for the most part

not all of them, but for the ones

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that I've seen in my opinion, is that

there's a lot of parishes, particularly

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in south I don't wanna say South

Louisiana, but that's not what I mean.

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South United States, in the

southern part of the United States.

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It's a lot different how animals get

treated than the animals get treated

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up in the northern part of the country.

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And I'm not north south, I'm not

getting into that, but it's just

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what I've seen as a military person.

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I've stationed all over the world,

but in the north I find that animals

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got a little bit better treatment.

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They had, the laws were more enforced.

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And that doesn't refer to every state, but

a lot of the states that I happen to be

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stationed, that I saw some good things.

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I come south and just for example,

in the deep South where I live at, an

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animal for the most part is a yard dog.

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They're just yard dogs.

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Or it could be a cat or anything.

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They're just thrown out into the yard.

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There's no care, there's no vet care,

there's no interacting with the animal.

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They're just there.

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And that, I find that just

so difficult to believe.

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And what happens is our own local

government, and I don't mean where

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I live at or anything like that,

this could refer to many parishes or

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counties who suffer the same thing.

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They don't have animal ordinances,.

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They're just no animal ordinances.

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And if they do have animal ordinances, you

get into this with the law enforcement.

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And as a law enforcement officer,

I can tell you firsthand that

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it has not changed very much.

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It's not that they can't do

it, it's that animals are not a

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priority , for law enforcement,

it's just not because they are.

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And the first things I hear about

is we don't have the resources.

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We don't have the manpower.

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Those are the things I hear

all the time, and I'll get off

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on this tangent a little bit.

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As far as law enforcement is concerned

and being a former deputy sheriff,

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there are ways and there are people who

are willing to volunteer to do things.

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We have a lot of throughout the

country we have a lot of reserve

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deputies that work, a lot of reserve

officers that want to do the job.

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They don't get paid.

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They're volunteers.

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They're volunteer reserve

officers in the law enforcement.

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You can take a volunteer deputy reserve

deputy and put him into a program that

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gives him some training in animal abuse.

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You can take an administrative

deputy where people say what

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is an administrative deputy's?

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The deputy who.

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Is not a trained officer.

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In other words, they don't go to the

law enforcement training academy.

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They can be hired as a deputy

and they call 'em admin deputies.

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They have no rights of arrest, but

they do represent the sheriff's office.

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They can, if the sheriff allows.

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They can write tickets, they can write

citations for people who don't do

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what's right when it comes to animals.

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So if you take, say three, three to five

admin deputies, train them properly, and

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animal care and animal abuse, they can

do a great job for a parish or a county.

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They can do a really good job.

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And the thing about it is,

what does it cost the sheriff?

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Actually it cost the sheriff a

lot of times, and I'm thinking in

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this, in the, in this parish and

other parishes that these people

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can get, they give 'em insurance.

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It's a like a $10,000 life insurance for

them, but they don't pay 'em anything.

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My suggestion is you divide one vehicle.

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If you say you don't have a

lot of resources, one vehicle.

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You always have one person

on duty for if someone has an

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animal issue, they can call.

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If you have like one person's representing

your animal services well that one

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person's not gonna be around all the time.

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And so you call and say our animal

services to person is not available.

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I've got this dog out here that's

been thrown out in the roadway.

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And you mean you've

got nobody to come out?

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The answer is no.

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For the most part, they do not.

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And that's unfortunate.

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And it happens all throughout the country.

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It's just not locally, say where I live,

but it happens all throughout the country.

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But it's an easy fix.

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It's just not a priority for

most leaders in law enforcement.

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And I don't know if it ever will be.

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And that's an unfortunate thing.

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That's my thing with law enforcement.

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They could do a much better job at no

cost to them, very little cost to them

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and really and truly help animals.

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My third point is churches.

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I have a real thing about churches

and people have gotten really upset

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with me because I don't attend church.

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Like I used to.

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I was a big church goer.

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I grew up in the church.

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I.

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Grew up in the Baptist religion and

in even way back then, I never ever

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heard any preacher that I can remember,

ever say a prayer for one animal.

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Not the blessing, not anything.

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Pray for animals, do.

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That has not changed in all the

years that I have gone to church.

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And believe me I've attended many

different types of churches all over the

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country, and I have yet to hear a pastor

get up in front of his congregation

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and say, let's pray for the animals.

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I've never heard it to this day, and

that bothers me a whole lot because

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even our pastors that who represent.

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I'm trying to think of

what I wanna say here.

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Anyway, they're the leaders in

our religious society, supposedly.

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We look up to them.

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for different things.

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They're not there.

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They're just not there.

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They don't say anything.

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My, my suggestion is, 'cause

I wrote another book, but

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I won't get into that book.

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But anyway, my suggestion to churches is

that you go to church you sit in a pew.

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You give an offering, you

sing a few songs, listen to

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the preacher, you go home.

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But you know what, everything is

inside those four walls of that church.

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But as soon as you walk outta

those four walls, what do you see?

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I'll tell you what abused animals.

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Animals thrown away, right?

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Could be right outside the church door.

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And what does people do?

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Walk on by Not my problem.

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It's not my problem.

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You know what?

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And that really bothers me, that

you can go to church and maybe call

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yourself a Christian, but yet you do

nothing outside of those four walls.

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My suggestion was that people

take at least one Sunday,

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let's say every six weeks.

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Become a part of the community that,

when I say that is take two miles,

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it's just two miles around your church.

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And you find out, and I don't mean

just animals, people too, you find

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out do those people around your

church have do they need anything?

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Are they have, do they have any issues

that we as a church can help them with?

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Take one Sunday instead of inside the four

walls, you go out outside the four walls

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and you help people in your community.

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You wouldn't believe what a difference

it would make in a community if people

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would just do that, but they don't.

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It's like a ritual.

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You go to church every Sunday, you

go inside the four walls, you do

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your cultural thing, and then you

leave and nothing else happens.

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And I've gone to churches with meeting

people who, and I've seen firsthand

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how people just ignore animals.

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It doesn't matter.

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And people too.

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My thing, of course, my passion is

animals and I get on these long rants.

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But anyway, go ahead Dixie.

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You want to ask me something?

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I'm sorry..

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I'll, I just talk forever sometimes

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Dixie: That's quite all right.

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I did wanna touch on that too,

what you said about churches.

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'cause actually there's some situations

that I have recently seen on social media.

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Mark: Okay.

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Dixie: And one was, there was this

cat that showed up at this church

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and the priest just wants it gone.

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And the priest isn't willing to work with

a trapper to have a trapper come just.

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Humanely remove the cat, or

better yet just TNR, the trap

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neuter and release the cat.

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Instead, the priest is actually

threatening to take it upon

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himself to trap the cat and just

go dump the cat somewhere else.

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Mark: I can give you a lot

of stories exactly like that.

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Just within the six years I've been here,

I've had three rescue incidents here

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that, persons from the church, they were

called saying, we got animals over here.

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Somebody needs to come get 'em.

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We don't want 'em here.

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One of 'em was a preacher.

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We don't want that animal here.

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I don't even know what to say

or how to answer that here.

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You are a leader of your church.

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You know a man of God.

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Animals are mentioned in the Bible

from Genesis to Revelations all

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throughout the Bible, God basically

says throughout the Bible that he

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gave us animals that whatever his

creatures he gave us are good.

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Everything he gave us was good.

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He gave it to us for a reason.

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But we as humanity, we abuse that.

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We absolutely abuse it.

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And for me, and I don't have

a good answer for you, Dixie.

320

: 00:18:50

I don't understand that mindset that

religious leaders, particularly religious

321

: 00:18:56

leaders you, go in church every Sunday

and give you a verse after verse and tell

322

: 00:19:01

you all about this verse and the love of

God and the love of this, and the love of,

323

: 00:19:05

but yet you never hear it about animals.

324

: 00:19:10

Dixie: It's true.

325

: 00:19:10

It's funny because I have some family

that is highly religious go to church

326

: 00:19:16

every Sunday, and they had some cats

show up by them and one of 'em was

327

: 00:19:23

actually threatening harm to, and it's

like, I just don't understand that I

328

: 00:19:28

have respect for all creatures Now.

329

: 00:19:30

I don't consider myself religious.

330

: 00:19:32

I'm spiritual, but not religious.

331

: 00:19:34

I don't really follow an organized

religion, but at the same time, I

332

: 00:19:39

could never do that to an animal,

instead of finding somebody to help.

333

: 00:19:43

And there are plenty of people

who are willing to help animals.

334

: 00:19:47

What role does your faith

play in your advocacy?

335

: 00:19:52

Mark: I'm like you, I'm the same thing.

336

: 00:19:54

I am not a religious person.

337

: 00:19:56

I really stop going in inside churches

'cause the churches need to change

338

: 00:20:02

the way they are today because I think

religion today has become a ritual

339

: 00:20:07

and that's pretty much what it is.

340

: 00:20:09

My faith is more spiritual and I

wish I knew the psychology of man,

341

: 00:20:15

and how sometimes we think, but

I don't, and I say that because

342

: 00:20:19

I grew up with a giving heart.

343

: 00:20:24

I grew up with compassion.

344

: 00:20:26

It's not something I had to learn.

345

: 00:20:29

I never had to learn compassion.

346

: 00:20:31

I just did not, and I don't even

know if it's a learned thing or not.

347

: 00:20:36

Mine just comes with me.

348

: 00:20:38

I was like that as a child.

349

: 00:20:40

I've been like that as a young

adult and as an older male.

350

: 00:20:43

Now, I have never changed.

351

: 00:20:45

I look at things and I just, it melts

my heart if I see something that just.

352

: 00:20:50

Particularly animals.

353

: 00:20:52

They're so innocent.

354

: 00:20:53

But yet people just don't care.

355

: 00:20:55

So I gotta wonder, what makes

them, how are they different?

356

: 00:21:00

Why are they different than me?

357

: 00:21:01

Don't they see the same thing I see?

358

: 00:21:03

Don't they see that animal as suffering?

359

: 00:21:06

Do, they just don't care?

360

: 00:21:07

What kind of heart, what kind

of soul do they actually have?

361

: 00:21:11

And the good thing is that.

362

: 00:21:14

At least I do know people

that feel the same way I do.

363

: 00:21:18

I've talked to 'em, I've been around them.

364

: 00:21:20

We share the same compassion, the

same love for animals and, but there's

365

: 00:21:26

many more that do not even ask you.

366

: 00:21:29

Again, I hate to use that term

again, but it's just an animal.

367

: 00:21:33

People don't get it.

368

: 00:21:35

I just don't think they get it.

369

: 00:21:36

It's not just an animal.

370

: 00:21:37

It's God's creation.

371

: 00:21:39

We're all God's creations.

372

: 00:21:41

That's why I say I'm not religious,

but I'm extremely spiritual.

373

: 00:21:46

Dixie: I see what you're

talking about too.

374

: 00:21:47

It's a lack of compassion.

375

: 00:21:48

And also I find it even with a lot

of people who want a pet when I have

376

: 00:21:53

animals that are up for adoption, I

am very picky with who they go to.

377

: 00:21:59

And the reason that I am is because I'm

gonna put all of my time and love and

378

: 00:22:03

effort and dedication into those animals.

379

: 00:22:06

To make sure that they're

well taken care of.

380

: 00:22:08

And I don't wanna turn around

and adopt 'em to somebody

381

: 00:22:11

who isn't gonna do the same.

382

: 00:22:13

I don't wanna adopt them to

somebody who just wants a pet.

383

: 00:22:16

I wanted to adopt them to somebody

who wants a family member.

384

: 00:22:20

Mark: I totally agree.

385

: 00:22:21

Let me ask you a question.

386

: 00:22:22

'cause we talking about compassion because

can you remember a time that you weren't.

387

: 00:22:27

Like you are today to say,

did you come up like, I did?

388

: 00:22:30

Did you come up with love and compassion

and it was just part of who you are?

389

: 00:22:34

Dixie: Yes.

390

: 00:22:35

Yes.

391

: 00:22:35

I've always been that way around animals

from the, youngest I can remember, I

392

: 00:22:40

have always been involved with animals.

393

: 00:22:42

And I've grown up with the importance

of spay and neuter, which is weird

394

: 00:22:47

too, because I have heard other

people, other lists, other guests.

395

: 00:22:51

Who are from the North say that

there is a huge culture shock in the

396

: 00:22:55

South when they come to the South and

they experience animal rescue here.

397

: 00:22:59

And it's weird 'cause

this is what I'm used to.

398

: 00:23:02

This is what I've grown up with

'cause I've always been in the south.

399

: 00:23:05

But again, I've always been

a spay neuter advocate from

400

: 00:23:09

the time that I can remember.

401

: 00:23:11

Growing up in the eighties, if I had

a pet, they were spayed or neutered.

402

: 00:23:15

So I always bring that up, what

do you think the difference is?

403

: 00:23:19

'cause they say that in the north people

just treat the animals totally different.

404

: 00:23:22

They treat 'em more as

like a family member.

405

: 00:23:25

And here we just don't do that.

406

: 00:23:28

A lot of people, like you

said, they just don't care.

407

: 00:23:32

Mark: I don't know if

it's the mentality or not.

408

: 00:23:34

I actually was born in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

409

: 00:23:39

For the most part, I left Louisiana

when I was about 25 years old, 26 years

410

: 00:23:46

old, and I never came back south again.

411

: 00:23:49

I've been back now about six years, and

so a better part of my life I've spent in

412

: 00:23:56

the military traveling and when I was in

the north their local government there.

413

: 00:24:03

, They had ordinances and people were

required to have their animals license.

414

: 00:24:08

They were required to have spay

and neuter, and you actually

415

: 00:24:11

had to address those issues.

416

: 00:24:14

Coming south here and being a rescue

here in south Louisiana it's atrocious

417

: 00:24:21

what I've seen here in how people

treat animals and the reality is

418

: 00:24:26

that, a lot of people just don't care.

419

: 00:24:28

And this a Louisiana's, I'm not a

hunter, so I'm not saying anything about

420

: 00:24:33

hunters or what have you, but it's a

different world than what I'm used to.

421

: 00:24:38

And it has taken me a while and I still

have not gotten used to how people

422

: 00:24:43

can just go out and kill animals.

423

: 00:24:44

They think nothing about it.

424

: 00:24:46

Abuse animals here, throw

animals on the roadside.

425

: 00:24:50

I just rescued three

puppies not too long ago.

426

: 00:24:54

We have a busy highway here called

LA 38 in Mount Herman, Louisiana.

427

: 00:24:59

I was just coming home doing, just on my

way home from the store, there's three

428

: 00:25:04

little puppies on the side of the road.

429

: 00:25:06

I almost ran over.

430

: 00:25:07

One of them stopped.

431

: 00:25:09

I'm one of those persons

who are not going to leave

432

: 00:25:15

an animal and particularly

puppies on the side of a road.

433

: 00:25:19

I'm gonna tell you their life

there is going is gonna be death

434

: 00:25:23

and they're gonna get run over.

435

: 00:25:25

And the other thing is, and people

say somebody ask me, say, why are you

436

: 00:25:28

always seeing puppies on the road?

437

: 00:25:30

Let me tell you the biggest

reason why people don't know this.

438

: 00:25:33

You know why you find dogs and

stuff on the side of the road?

439

: 00:25:36

You see 'em a lot.

440

: 00:25:37

I'll tell you why.

441

: 00:25:37

Because when the owner dropped them

off, those dogs, those same dogs,

442

: 00:25:43

think that owner's coming back.

443

: 00:25:45

So they stay there.

444

: 00:25:47

They will stay there weeks at a time

unless something happens to 'em.

445

: 00:25:52

And that's why you find many dogs

out on the roadway because if they're

446

: 00:25:57

dropped, discarded, dumped, whatever

words you want to use, that's where

447

: 00:26:01

they stay because they, in their

mind that person who dropped them

448

: 00:26:07

off is coming back to get them.

449

: 00:26:10

If dogs don't go straying

off in the way back up in the

450

: 00:26:12

woods, they're on the roadway.

451

: 00:26:14

And when you see all these animals

that have been killed and people

452

: 00:26:18

call road kill, it's a horrible

term as far as I'm concerned.

453

: 00:26:22

But animals killed on the

road, particularly lot of dogs.

454

: 00:26:25

And he cats as well.

455

: 00:26:26

You just can't get away from it, is

that the fact is they don't leave

456

: 00:26:31

the roadway and they stay there.

457

: 00:26:33

And that's why they wind up

being killed on the highway.

458

: 00:26:37

Dixie: Yeah, it's a sad situation.

459

: 00:26:38

We just got a kitten that was

actually dumped in a swamp, and you

460

: 00:26:43

could tell when we got the kitten

home that the kitten had been eaten

461

: 00:26:46

mud, swamp mud, trying to survive.

462

: 00:26:49

Very emaciated thin.

463

: 00:26:52

So we got the kitten in, got 'em

dewormed, got rid of the fleas on 'em.

464

: 00:26:57

It's finally starting to gain some weight.

465

: 00:26:59

Very sweet kitten.

466

: 00:27:01

So this was not a feral kitten

that grew up in the swamp.

467

: 00:27:04

Somebody had to go dump the kitten there.

468

: 00:27:06

Mark: Yeah, they went and dumped

469

: 00:27:06

them.

470

: 00:27:06

Oh, absolutely.

471

: 00:27:07

They dump, like I said it may even be

more, but since I started counting the

472

: 00:27:13

animals I rescued it's been 2000 plus.

473

: 00:27:17

I just dumped on the side of

the road about three months

474

: 00:27:20

ago, maybe four months ago.

475

: 00:27:24

And I've said this story many times.

476

: 00:27:25

I do a lot of YouTube stuff.

477

: 00:27:27

I have two YouTube channels and one of

'em is called Heart to Heart with Dr.

478

: 00:27:32

Mark.

479

: 00:27:33

But on that YouTube channel I'm always

curious, I'm very curious person in terms

480

: 00:27:38

of when I was coming home there were many

buzzards flying and it looked like from

481

: 00:27:44

where I was, it was flying over my house.

482

: 00:27:46

I always worried 'cause I got a big

animal rescue here and something happened.

483

: 00:27:50

It wasn't my house, so I followed

where those buzzards were.

484

: 00:27:55

Make a long story short is those

buzzards were hanging right over

485

: 00:27:59

and they were already on the ground.

486

: 00:28:01

There were six puppies, about six

to eight weeks old that somebody had

487

: 00:28:08

discarded on one of the country roads.

488

: 00:28:10

And it was sickening.

489

: 00:28:12

It was absolutely sickening.

490

: 00:28:13

I could not let that go,

and I'm glad to this day.

491

: 00:28:18

Fortunately for me, they all got homes.

492

: 00:28:20

I got 'em homes.

493

: 00:28:21

But to this day, how does somebody

go out and dump six little puppies?

494

: 00:28:27

On the side of a country road,

there's no houses, there's no nothing.

495

: 00:28:31

And those buzzards were about 10

feet away waiting for 'em to die.

496

: 00:28:36

So fortunately I followed my instincts

and went and I picked up all six puppies.

497

: 00:28:42

But the point is i'll never know.

498

: 00:28:44

I hear this question asked all

the time, how can people do this?

499

: 00:28:48

How can they I don't know how.

500

: 00:28:49

I don't have the answer.

501

: 00:28:51

I just don't.

502

: 00:28:53

, Dixie: Another trend too that I tend

to see is a lot of people who may see a

503

: 00:28:58

situation where an animal does need help,

but rather than step up and help or do

504

: 00:29:03

something to actually physically help,

they'll just go post it on social media.

505

: 00:29:09

Like, oh, hey, this animal

needs help over there.

506

: 00:29:12

And so it's like, how do you

even get people like that

507

: 00:29:15

even more involved to help?

508

: 00:29:17

'cause they're in the

situation where they can help,

509

: 00:29:19

Mark: that's another whole issue with me.

510

: 00:29:21

I've done so many books and sometimes

I go into one book and another.

511

: 00:29:25

But one of the books I wrote

too was Silent Stewards.

512

: 00:29:28

There's the other one.

513

: 00:29:29

Let me turn around here for a minute.

514

: 00:29:30

'cause I got so many the other

one's called Bystander Nation.

515

: 00:29:35

If your audience ever gets an

opportunity, just go to Amazon, Dr.

516

: 00:29:40

Mark Mc Morris, Jr.

517

: 00:29:42

No, I'm not here to sell my books, but if

you're interested in getting 'em, because

518

: 00:29:46

if you are interested in being an animal

advocate and really want to learn about.

519

: 00:29:51

You know what it's like

to be an animal advocate.

520

: 00:29:54

I have several great books that you can

get that will give you that information.

521

: 00:29:59

All of that information.

522

: 00:30:00

It truly will educate you if you're

interested in helping animals.

523

: 00:30:05

But the question and I

got off on a tangent.

524

: 00:30:08

Refresh my memory here

525

: 00:30:09

Dixie: so was talking about the

people who, will go post looking for

526

: 00:30:13

help, but without actually helping.

527

: 00:30:15

Yes.

528

: 00:30:15

Now, the only positive thing that

I can say about that is there are a

529

: 00:30:19

lot of individuals who will go help.

530

: 00:30:22

It's frustrating sometimes that they're

in that situation where the animal needs

531

: 00:30:26

the help immediately, and they would

just rather post it than just help.

532

: 00:30:32

Fortunately, sometimes it does get

the animals the help that they need.

533

: 00:30:36

Mark: Let me address that though.

534

: 00:30:37

Sure.

535

: 00:30:38

Let me tell you how people can

help, and they really should start

536

: 00:30:42

doing this because I'm on a case

right now that I'm working that.

537

: 00:30:47

And it had to do with these puppies

that were abandoned on this highway.

538

: 00:30:51

Let me tell you what you can do.

539

: 00:30:52

If anybody's listening you, let's

say maybe I can't, keep the dog

540

: 00:30:57

or the cat or what have you.

541

: 00:30:59

But here's what you can do and you should

do is call your local law enforcement.

542

: 00:31:06

By law is, particularly in Louisiana

and many states, at least 30 states.

543

: 00:31:13

There are dumping animals is a felony.

544

: 00:31:17

It's a crime.

545

: 00:31:18

So what you can do is you stay there.

546

: 00:31:22

Make sure that animal that's been

dumped, that you stay there and make

547

: 00:31:27

sure you can see what you can do

to help protect or what have you.

548

: 00:31:31

Call your local law enforcement and

tell them where you are, who you are.

549

: 00:31:37

And get all that information.

550

: 00:31:39

Take pictures, take videos, document

everything that you see and please,

551

: 00:31:46

I hope if those who are listening to

this, please do this because this is a

552

: 00:31:50

big thing that I'm working on right now

with my videos is document everything.

553

: 00:31:56

Stop document.

554

: 00:31:57

Try to help as best you

can, call law enforcement.

555

: 00:32:03

Get a case number when

you call the dispatch.

556

: 00:32:06

Wherever law enforcement at, wherever

you live at, you'll get dispatch.

557

: 00:32:11

You ask dispatch for a case number.

558

: 00:32:14

That is extremely important

because that case number actually

559

: 00:32:21

presents that these law enforcement

officers have to make a report.

560

: 00:32:27

That's the way you follow up on whether

or not that law enforcement agency, what

561

: 00:32:33

they did, if they did anything, if they

didn't do anything, you got a case number.

562

: 00:32:40

And you can with that case number,

follow up with that complaint.

563

: 00:32:46

Now, I know this takes a lot of work,

but truly this is important because

564

: 00:32:51

this will begin to start changing

how law enforcement starts to act.

565

: 00:32:56

But we have to do something first.

566

: 00:32:58

So you run across an abandoned animal.

567

: 00:33:01

You get video, you get pictures, you

call law enforcement, you have 'em come

568

: 00:33:07

out, you get a case number from dispatch

again, I repeat, that's important.

569

: 00:33:13

Now, law enforcement might not show up.

570

: 00:33:16

They say we don't have anybody to come

or what have you know what you pull that

571

: 00:33:21

case number, find out what happened.

572

: 00:33:23

Nothing happened.

573

: 00:33:24

Then you go to the chief

law enforcement officer.

574

: 00:33:27

That may be the sheriff,

that may be his chief deputy.

575

: 00:33:30

But you go and make the complaint

and you do it in writing.

576

: 00:33:34

You do it in writing because I

will tell you just to talk or

577

: 00:33:40

communicate without writing.

578

: 00:33:42

Things just go by the

wayside when it's in writing.

579

: 00:33:46

You have a paper trail start

a paper trail if you really,

580

: 00:33:50

truly want to help that animal.

581

: 00:33:52

You start a paper trail and

that's the first thing you do.

582

: 00:33:55

Like I've sent out a couple

of certified letters.

583

: 00:33:58

Now I've got certified

letters out about things.

584

: 00:34:01

Let's say the chief law enforcement

doesn't do anything about it.

585

: 00:34:03

Your second step is the

district attorney's office.

586

: 00:34:07

That is your second step

that you write a letter.

587

: 00:34:10

Again, paper trail.

588

: 00:34:11

Paper trail.

589

: 00:34:13

Alright.

590

: 00:34:13

The district attorney.

591

: 00:34:14

And then they may do something.

592

: 00:34:15

You may have an action.

593

: 00:34:17

At least do something.

594

: 00:34:19

Let's say they just ignore you.

595

: 00:34:21

Nobody does anything.

596

: 00:34:23

Your next step is your state police,

your crime department, you call them.

597

: 00:34:28

There's always some way.

598

: 00:34:29

The point is, there's always someone

that you can go above to get something

599

: 00:34:34

done about animals that are being dumped.

600

: 00:34:37

Again, I repeat that is a crime and

law enforcement should investigate it.

601

: 00:34:43

I get carried away.

602

: 00:34:44

You notice that?

603

: 00:34:45

Dixie: That's quite all right.

604

: 00:34:46

It's good to be passionate about animals.

605

: 00:34:49

Do you have that in Soul of the Silent

for listeners who care, but feel

606

: 00:34:55

powerless what they can actually do?

607

: 00:34:57

Does the book go over that as well?

608

: 00:34:58

Mark: Yes, I do.

609

: 00:35:00

I have a lot of books.

610

: 00:35:01

Soul of the Silence kind of is

about who we are as a person.

611

: 00:35:08

You read this book and it's gonna

tell you really seriously about how

612

: 00:35:14

you are, your feelings and other

people's feelings and what you look

613

: 00:35:19

for and what you look for in yourself.

614

: 00:35:21

It's like looking into a mirror.

615

: 00:35:23

If you would read this book, it's

like looking in a mirror at yourself.

616

: 00:35:26

That's exactly what it's like it's

going to tell you exactly what kind

617

: 00:35:30

of person that you may or may not be.

618

: 00:35:33

It's a kind of a deep

insight about who you are

619

: 00:35:37

Dixie: and what do you hope people will

take away after reading Soul as a silent,

620

: 00:35:46

Mark: One thing that I hope they take away

from it is that they develop, and I don't

621

: 00:35:51

know if that's a good word or not, but

they look at animals in a different light.

622

: 00:35:57

Instead of looking at them as property

or looking at them as a non sentient

623

: 00:36:02

being, they're gonna see animals

that are in a different perspective.

624

: 00:36:08

That's what I was hoping to get out

of this book, is that when people read

625

: 00:36:12

it, they'll actually see what animals

and truly how animals feel and how

626

: 00:36:18

you feel as a person and what may be

things that you can do to change the

627

: 00:36:23

way your compassion and your heart is.

628

: 00:36:26

So I love that book.

629

: 00:36:27

It's one of my better books because

it's a book that was taken from

630

: 00:36:32

a lot of years on this earth and

dealing with people and animals.

631

: 00:36:37

So it's a heart wrenching

book that I had put together.

632

: 00:36:42

Unlike my other books, some of the

other books are factual in nature.

633

: 00:36:46

This is a heartfelt looking.

634

: 00:36:49

Yourself and animals.

635

: 00:36:51

Dixie: And then I think one thing too

about the book is even if you are a

636

: 00:36:56

compassionate person, and even if you

are an animal lover like us and don't

637

: 00:37:01

look at animals as property I refer to

the animals in my house almost as people.

638

: 00:37:07

Mark: I got one on my lap, I

should have called him Velcro.

639

: 00:37:11

Dixie: But one thing that I would like

to say is whether or not you are already

640

: 00:37:15

an animal lover, compassionate like

us, this is still a really good read.

641

: 00:37:19

It's a good reference for you to use

to tell other people that, maybe will

642

: 00:37:25

help change people's perspectives

on how they look at animals.

643

: 00:37:29

Mark: I hope I, I really do because

if they'll take the book seriously,

644

: 00:37:33

if they'll buy the book and take it

seriously and really read through it,

645

: 00:37:37

then I'm hoping that something will

cause a change in you because we need

646

: 00:37:42

so many more people to help animals.

647

: 00:37:44

'cause right now, from the early

years of my life till now, animals

648

: 00:37:50

have come up on the shortt stick.

649

: 00:37:51

Short end of everything.

650

: 00:37:53

They're still abused very

badly, particularly now.

651

: 00:37:57

I think you brought this point up.

652

: 00:37:58

This is a really bad time.

653

: 00:38:00

People are trying to rehome

animals or try to adopt animals.

654

: 00:38:05

Our local government, and I go back to

my number one issue, our local government

655

: 00:38:09

should have laws that tell, you know what,

when you get an animal, that animal should

656

: 00:38:14

be licensed, it should be health checked,

and it should be spay or neutered.

657

: 00:38:19

Unless you have a particular license.

658

: 00:38:21

If you are a breeder, , and you have a

bonafide breeding farm, that's different.

659

: 00:38:27

But if you are a person who is

looking for a pet, or you know

660

: 00:38:30

what spay neuter should be done,

licensing of an animal should be done.

661

: 00:38:35

Health certificate should

be done to let you know.

662

: 00:38:38

And not only does that protect you and

your family, but it protects others.

663

: 00:38:42

It protects the animals.

664

: 00:38:44

And then we wouldn't have the

problem of euthanasia because that's

665

: 00:38:48

another big issue that I'm writing

about right now is euthanasia.

666

: 00:38:51

Millions of animals are being euthanized

healthy animals, because our local

667

: 00:38:57

government, for the most part, and I don't

mean where I live at, just in general,

668

: 00:39:02

local government will not do their job.

669

: 00:39:05

Law enforcement will not do their job.

670

: 00:39:08

And that again, I referenced that with.

671

: 00:39:10

There are good law enforcement agencies,

there are good local governments

672

: 00:39:14

that take animal life serious.

673

: 00:39:16

But again, I have to look at the

generalization of what I see.

674

: 00:39:20

And in my opinion, there are

many people that needs to change.

675

: 00:39:24

Dixie: Thank you for sitting down

with me today to talk about your book.

676

: 00:39:28

Mark: I was happy to do it.

677

: 00:39:29

Dixie: And before we end this

episode, is there anything else

678

: 00:39:32

that you would like to add?

679

: 00:39:34

Mark: I would appreciate if

you're a person that is looking

680

: 00:39:37

to help animals and truly help

animals I got some great books.

681

: 00:39:41

I put a lot of in into those books,

and one of 'em is animal advocacy,

682

: 00:39:46

how to be an animal advocate.

683

: 00:39:47

I've got how to investigate animal abuse.

684

: 00:39:50

There's a number of

books that you can get.

685

: 00:39:53

That I put my heart and soul into these

books, and I think you'll find that.

686

: 00:39:57

And so if you're interested in working

with animals, then I suggest that

687

: 00:40:00

you would go to Amazon under Dr.

688

: 00:40:03

Mark mc Morris, Jr.

689

: 00:40:04

Not that I'm plugging my book, but I am.

690

: 00:40:08

And so anyway, that's the

only thing I had to say.

691

: 00:40:12

Dixie: All right.

692

: 00:40:12

Thank you for letting me come out

and tour Mark's Animal Rescue.

693

: 00:40:16

I had a really good time

speaking with you today.

694

: 00:40:18

Mark: Thank you.

695

: 00:40:19

I'm glad y'all came

696

: 00:40:19

appreciate it.

697

: 00:40:20

Dixie: Alright, thanks.

698

: 00:40:23

That's all the time that we

have for today's episode.

699

: 00:40:26

Thank you for listening and

we hope you join us next week.

700

: 00:40:29

If you know somebody that loves animals

as much as I do, please send 'em our way.

701

: 00:40:33

We would love to talk to 'em.

702

: 00:40:34

If you are enjoying our show, please

consider leaving us a donation.

703

: 00:40:38

A hundred percent goes to our animals.

704

: 00:40:44

Paws in

705

: 00:40:49

the night Claws in the

fight Whiskers twitch and

706

: 00:41:00

tails

707

: 00:41:03

take flight

708

: 00:41:04

They’re calling in Stories to spin

From the wild to the heart within

709

: 00:41:11

Broken wings and hopeful springs

We’re the voices for these things

710

: 00:41:17

animal posse hear the call.

711

: 00:41:22

We stand together.

712

: 00:41:25

Big and small Rescue tales We’ve

got it all Animal posse Saving

713

: 00:41:39

them

714

: 00:41:45

all

715

: 00:41:46

The vet’s got tips The rescuer’s

grit The foster homes where love

716

: 00:41:52

won’t quit From a pup in the rain to

a bird in pain , Every soul’s worth

717

: 00:42:07

the

718

: 00:42:09

strain

719

: 00:42:11

Animal posse

720

: 00:42:19

Hear the call

721

: 00:42:26

We stand together Big

722

: 00:42:32

and small Rescue tales We’ve got

it all Animal posse Saving them all

723

: 00:42:41

Every caller tells a tale, every

howl a whispered wail, we rise up.

724

: 00:42:47

We never

725

: 00:42:52

fail.

726

: 00:42:55

This

727

: 00:42:58

is

728

: 00:43:00

the

729

: 00:43:06

bond

730

: 00:43:11

The holy grail

731

: 00:43:13

Animal posse Hear the call We stand

together Big and small Rescue tales We’ve

732

: 00:43:28

got it all Animal posse Saving them all

733

: 00:43:37

Every caller tells a tale Every howl

a whispered wail We rise up We never

734

: 00:43:45

fail This is the bond The holy grail.

735

: 00:43:49

Song by Suno.ai