Two animal stories

A small bear cub seen wandering alone in Herkimer County was rescued and taken to the Friends of the Feathered And Furry Wildlife Center in Hunter for treatment. The female cub, about 1 year old, was severely undernourished, weighing only 17 pounds. Normal weight for bears of this age is between 40 and 60 pounds.

One of the dogs, a 5-year-old named Wally, was so matted that it was described as an “exoskeleton.” It took a veterinarian and two veterinary technicians two hours to peel off the matted shell. The dog was anesthetized during the shaving procedure because of the pain he would have had to endure. All five dogs were undernourished.

Several porcupine quills had to be removed from the bear’s front paw and she was treated for sores on her hind paws. The bear was starved and completely emaciated when she was found. The veterinarian on staff treated the bear for malnourishment and various wounds and injuries. After two weeks of treatment, the cub is on the road to recovery.

Rist’s license to breed dogs was revoked in 2022 by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. He was barred from selling dogs in New York State. But unknown to authorities, Rist kept the five dogs that were surrendered last week. All five dogs, ranging in age from four to 10 years old, are expected to make a full recovery in at least another week and will be placed for adoption.

These are different circumstances to be sure. If Rist surrendered his animals sooner, all of this pain and suffering could have been avoided. We don’t know how the bear cub was separated from its mother or how it became an orphan. It could have been natural causes. But reckless hunting is another possibility. Authorities can’t deal with these episodes until after the fact. Common sense and compassion might do the trick.