Lavender’s face has made international headlines — swollen, battered and earless. Dubbed “the saddest face in America,” this severely abused dog, found mangled on the streets of Schenectady, is doing something remarkable: uniting people across political lines in a call for change.
Her case follows another just weeks earlier — a dog burned in its crate on the streets of Albany. And those are just the stories that made the news.
As I write this, a starving, emaciated dog is being examined by our veterinary team — another victim in an active cruelty investigation. Their story may never make headlines, but they are one of the hundreds of abused and neglected animals who come through our shelter each year from across the Capital Region.
Our humane law enforcement team fights every day for justice, and we’re proud to have a 100% conviction rate in the cases we pursue. But the cruelty doesn’t stop.
As the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for Albany and Rensselaer Counties and a partner with many other communities, we do everything we can — but we are a single nonprofit, largely funded by private donations. We’re up against a tidal wave of abuse, with limited resources to stem it.
One recent case involved over 100 seized animals, costing our organization more than $450,000 to treat, rehabilitate and rehome them. Thanks to our community, we were able to make miracles happen. But the need is far greater than the care we can provide alone.
We need tougher laws that deter abusers — and meaningful funding at the local, state and federal levels to support animal cruelty investigations and care.
Living evidence like Lavender can’t be locked in a closet while the wheels of justice turn. She’s a sentient being with urgent medical, emotional and behavioral needs.
What’s more, there is a well-documented link between animal abuse and other violent or criminal behavior. Where we find abused animals, we often find signs of domestic violence, illegal weapons and drug activity. In many cases, it’s the discovery of animal cruelty that leads law enforcement to uncover deeper, more dangerous crimes. Ignoring animal cruelty doesn’t just fail animals; it fails people, too.
To effectively combat animal cruelty, we must implement comprehensive measures, including strengthening Buster’s Law, making animal fighting an enterprise crime, granting SPCA officers access to stronger research tools for efficient background checks and amending felony cruelty laws to include weapons offenses. We must also establish a state Animal Crimes Fund that would provide necessary resources for shelters caring for seized animals. These steps are essential to deter abusers and support the care and rehabilitation of abused animals.
Lavender’s long road to recovery is just beginning. Let it mark the beginning of the end of this suffering — not just for her, but for every animal still waiting for justice.
Ashley Jeffrey Bouck is the president and CEO of Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.
