Pomeranian held hostage by abusers in city shelter
Some rules, such as "Don't attack", "Don't steal", or "Keep your (non-coerced) word" always make sense. Most other rules, especially arbitrary government or bureaucratic rules, don't. They are a substitute for thought. Just as "zero tolerance" policies in schools frequently forbid the "authorities" from distinguishing between a butter knife and a switchblade (both have their legitimate uses and neither should be forbidden anywhere), so do the rest of government's rules remove the human element- discernment- from the equation.
Now a family is suffering from bureaucratic mindlessness, as is their dog. Their pomeranian is being held by Albuquerque's Eastside Shelter, and the "law" says the dog can't go home until it has been neutered. But this particular pomeranian is a breeder. To neuter it would devalue the family's property. It's like if every time the city "impounded" (stole) a vehicle, it refused to give back the stolen property until the seats had been removed. And that's in addition to the ransom being paid.
To have a "no exceptions" policy that is based on anything less than an ethical principle is wrong. And there is no ethical principle that demands that you neuter someone else's dog. In fact, the ethical principle is that you shouldn't damage other people's property. But, governments shouldn't steal or lie or attack the innocent either, so their inability to grasp this simple concept isn't surprising. Evil can be found in the most trivial of places and is upheld by the most stupid of people. Why not tell them about it?
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