Just because they were afraid the dog might harm others, the owner tightly bound the animal’s mouth until its snout became painfully necrotic… anyone who saw it could not hold back their tears
The story of the dog rescued after suffering severe snout necrosis has sparked a major debate online: should people save dogs or save humans?
The timely arrival of animal rescue teams in cases where online communities call for help rescuing abandoned, stray, or injured dogs, cats, and other animals is no longer unusual. Day or night, these volunteers are always ready to search for, rescue, and care for unfortunate animals that have been neglected or mistreated.
Recently, the heartbreaking story of a dog in Ben Tre whose snout had become necrotic due to being tightly bound moved countless people online. Many expressed deep sympathy for the poor dog and sincere gratitude toward the rescue team that tirelessly searched for and treated it.
This morning, another dog whose mouth had also been tightly wrapped to the point of necrosis became the focus of online calls for rescue. A pet rescue station quickly contacted the informant and sent volunteers to bring the dog back for treatment. Once again, animal rescue teams demonstrated their dedication, compassion, and love for animals. After these emotional stories spread, animal rescue organizations became more widely recognized and appreciated by the public.
However, while witnessing these volunteer efforts, many people began questioning why, instead of forming animal rescue groups, young volunteers were not creating organizations to help humans in need. Some also wondered why social media users passionately called for rescuing dogs and cats but remained silent about homeless elderly people or starving children begging on the streets.
These opinions sparked a heated debate about saving dogs versus saving humans.
One young person wrote:
“For months, I’ve been busy posting to help lost dogs and cats find their owners, calling for rescues of bears and civets, but I neglected caring about humans — the most important thing. Now I’ve finally realized it. These little human beings deserve care and attention far more than animals.”
Another person shared:
“That dog in Ben Tre truly deserved to be rescued and treated, but not every stray dog or cat needs people to constantly call for help and take care of them. Look around — there are countless homeless elderly people and children suffering every day. Why doesn’t the online community unite to help them too? Why do people ignore stories about struggling humans but rush to share stories about rescued dogs? Maybe people are simply following trends.”
Another commenter wrote:
“I’m happy the dog from Ben Tre was rescued. Not only because it survived, but because of the kindness shown by young volunteers. But then I think about how indifferent people can be when reading stories about disabled children begging for food or elderly people abandoned with no one to care for them. Honestly, I’m guilty of it too. We all get emotional over abused animals but often ignore human suffering as if it were normal.”
On the other hand, many people became upset by comparisons between rescuing animals and helping humans.
One commenter said:
“Anyone who wants to rescue dogs should do it. Anyone who wants to help humans should do that. The two things are not mutually exclusive. Both humans and animals are living beings. Why is helping humans considered noble, while helping dogs and cats gets criticized? Is it simply because animals are seen as food or property?”
Another person shared:
“If you truly see dogs and cats as companions, there would be no debate about choosing between saving animals or humans. Every living being feels pain. Humans can speak, but animals cannot — they depend entirely on human compassion. Open your heart, and you’ll realize that helping either humans or animals is still an act of kindness. I used to volunteer in animal rescue too, and many people called me foolish, but I never cared.”
