Last night a person who volunteers with another rescue called me and wanted an opinion on the Desmond Hague dog abuse matter. Since then I have been polling co-workers for opinions and Googling for as much information as I can find in the matter so that I wouldn’t spew my knee jerk reaction but rather make well informed opinion.

I have a terrible curse of being able to see many sides of an issue in many cases (my husband would disagree-I just thought I’d put that one out there) and can drive myself crazy with “What ifs.”

By working just six football games, this group generally makes around $5000 for their rescue, and that constitutes their number one fundraising avenue for the entire year. I have no idea what the operating budget is for this group, but my impression is that this is a significant portion of it. Do they work and take the money and help countless other animals, or boycott because of the treatment of one animal?

Naturally, like anyone who has been caught, Desmond Hague is sorry. His apology is pitiful and seems full of lies. He states that he was frustrated with a friend’s dog and that this behavior is out of character but the dog in the video has been proven to be his. This dog exhibits behaviors to make one think this was not a one-time incident, so is Desmond Hague a liar and a habitual animal abuser? Who’s to know?

For the employees of Centerplate and those many groups who stand to gain financially, where does moral ground end and practical matters begin? How easy would it be to find another job, another large fundraiser? Many people have expressed the desire to boycott buying concessions at a Centerplate venue, of which I believe there are 13, including Notre Dame, the Superdome, 49er’s new stadium, Fedex Field, Qualcomm Stadium, and Belmont Park just to name a few. Some of these places are issuing statements which will allow for individuals to bring in food, acknowledging that both the team and Centerplate may lose money.

The dog in question has been taken into custody and awaits adoption to a better life, Hague, if convicted faces up to two years in jail and a $75,000 fine and a ban on animal ownership.

So, what are your thoughts on the matter?