On June 5, 2014, a concerned St. Louis, Mo., citizen contacted police and informed them of an abandoned dog in a garbage dumpster on the 4700 block of Hammett Place. Officers were dispatched to the location and they found a scared and malnourished female, terrier mix puppy, cowering inside the garbage bin.
The dog was pulled from the container and taken to Stray Rescue where she is being cared for and nursed back to health. She was named Little Kimmy.
“Her eyes had that look of lifelessness, and now they’re bright and excited,” said Stray Rescue founder Randy Grim. “She’s happy, she’s goofy.”
Photo Credit: Stray Rescue
Grim told STL Today that the dog’s only health issue so far is her malnourished state. It s believed that Little Kimmy is not older than ten months, and once healthy, she won’t weigh more than 40 lbs.
So far, authorities have no leads about the person(s) responsible for the abuse. However, anyone with information regarding the dog’s abandonment is encouraged to call Stray Rescue’s abuse hotline at 314-771-6121, ext. 255. A reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
“People need to know alternatives to this abuse,” said Grim. “They need to know that when they treat animals this way, they will be prosecuted.”
By Grim’s estimate, Stray Rescue has been part of the successful prosecution of 40 to 50 cases of animal abuse. Most recently, it was part of the successful arrest and prosecution in a case of five dogs being tortured in 2012. He does want to stress that the most important part of any case going to trial and someone facing consequences is educating that person that there are responsible and non-abusive options available when it comes to handling your pets.
“We can’t just say, ‘Arrest everybody.’ We have to be able to educate. It’s the most important thing,” he said.
He said that when these cases reach court, as part of sentencing judges can require people to participate in a responsible pet guardian course at Stray Rescue.
“It can be a good alternative to putting people in jail,” he said. “We’re offering the tools and knowledge on how to take care of a pet.”
Grim and his organization have gone into areas that are deemed as high-risk for abuse and offered free medical care, including spaying and neutering services. The last time the services were offered, over 600 people showed up with their pets, and Grim says he has seen attitudes in the St. Louis area shifting to one of anti-abuse advocacy.
“There really aren’t any vets in north St. Louis,” he said. “We’re providing a service dogs and owners wouldn’t normally have. It’s breaking a cycle. This is about treating each other humanely. If you can’t treat a dog humanely, how are you going to treat humans that way?”
Little Kimmy is available for adoption at Stray Rescue. For more information on her, or to provide information on Little Kimmy contact 314-771-6121 ext. 255.
Kimmy is available for fostering or adoption. For more information on her, contact Stray Rescue.
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