The three women who were recently saved from their alleged kidnapper and rapist, Ariel Castro, may have some help in the healing process by means of three dogs that Castro had in his possession at the time of his arrest.
Castro who has been charged with the above crimes held these defenseless women hostage for over a decade. During that time, he acquired a Chihuahua and two Terrier-Poodle mixes. Dogs Unlimited Rescue, a rescue group, is taking care of the dogs and said other than matted hair, the dogs appear to be in good health. They have been groomed, spayed and neutered. The dogs are also not very shy. This is good sign because it shows the dogs, at least, were taken care of to some degree. They are ready to be fostered as of this past Tuesday.
During this time, the three kidnap victims will have the opportunity to decide if they want to adopt one of the dogs. According to John Baird, Chief Cleveland Animal Control Officer, “the dogs will remain in foster care until Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight decide if they want to take the pets into their homes, Baird said. He said the women will get all the time they need to decide.
“They may have bonded one on one with the dogs in captivity and, as such, the pets would be important as they acclimate to freedom”, Baird said.
“It kind of makes sense, maybe that there were three dogs, three women,” he said. “They may have bonded with these dogs and we would like for them to have a shot at them if they want them, just because it was something they could attach themselves to.”
While most people commenting on this story support this decision wholeheartedly, I have to ask if adopting one of these dogs be completely beneficial for the victims? That is what matter most. While many are saying, including Animal Control Officer, John Baird, the women may have bonded with the dogs, is it possible they could be reminded of their alleged kidnapper and rapist by having one of the dogs with them 24/7?
While the women and dogs are innocent, their kidnapper and rapist is not. Many victims suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. What is PTSD?
PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is an anxiety problem that develops in some people after extremely traumatic events, such as combat, crime, an accident or natural disaster.
People with PTSD may relive the event via intrusive memories, flashbacks and nightmares; avoid anything that reminds them of the trauma; and have anxious feelings they didn’t have before that are so intense their lives are disrupted.
Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Psychology
I can only imagine what the women are experiencing. No, actually, I can’t. Ten years of captivity is mind-boggling to fathom. Processing an ordeal like this requires the help of professional people who have the capabilities to understand the effects from a psychological point of view.
As good as it sounds for these dogs to be reunited with these women, is it the right answer for them?
On the other hand, these dogs may have been what kept the women sane through the ordeal they endured for over ten years.
Before everyone is quick to say this is fantastic, the professionals and the women have to decide if adopting the dogs is the best medicine and treatment. I’d hate to see them equate the dogs to their alleged captor and surrender them at a later date.
This so-called man wrecked so many lives when he made the decision to hold these women hostage.
Do you think adopting the dogs will be beneficial for these women?
This is something to seriously consider. PTSD is a serious psychological condition in which people are traumatized as in the case of these three women. I know alot of people are happy for this reunion to happen, I think they haven’t thought the whole thing through.
You illustrated a good point by saying anything that reminds them of the event and the dogs could be a trigger for them. As much as animals can be therapeutic, it may not be the case with them. It will take someone who specializes in PTSD to help determine if having these women adopting these dogs would be psychologically helpful or be a hindrance to their well-being.
I hope the former, of course. These animals had to have gone through some trauma too, I’m sure. But, no one knows. The women will know. We, as bystanders, have no clue, what happened behind the doors of that monster.
We need to leave it to the professionals.
I am quite familiar with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. A psychiatrist is needed in cases like this. This isn’t a simple yes or no answer. Each woman is different and the events that took place over the course of a decade and more have affected each one in different ways. The answer needs to be thoroughly searched for each woman. Is having the dog in the best interest of the woman? Does the woman want the dog? Does the dog remind her of her captor? If so, will she displace her anger onto the dog? While it sounds great from an outsider’s point of view, this runs so much deeper.
The women will get the professional help they need and they will help decide if this is best for them. I feel so badly for the women. I can’t imagine the pain they’ve endured. I wish the women and the dogs all the best.
NO! After you wrote about PTSD, I’d think long and hard before allowing them to be adopted. What if they have a flashback and hurt the dog. Not intentionally but if they did, think about the poor dog. How would the woman feel later realizing what she did? Tough one and not an easy answer.
Adopting these dogs would save the lives of these dogs and could be a lifesaver for the women.
I think it’s a great idea. These dogs know the women and they probably became attache to them. It’s a win-win for all!
I have to agree with those who say let the professionals help these poor women decide if adopting is the proper way to go to help them. There are certain detrimental factors that may show getting these dogs isn’t the most beneficial for them. Maybe, it is ok, too, We don’t know what happened so it is better to let others help them and for us to keep our opinions to ourselves.
Great points which I never thought of.
i say let them all be. let the dogs be with the women. they will be a comfort to them.
Wait and see how they recover. I don’t know how anyone recovers from something like that.