By ALEX COSTELLO
Joe Panz and the group's other members use nicknames -- and no last name -- to prevent retaliation. “We go to the places that they’re afraid to go to.”
That’s the way that Rescue Ink operates: as they put it, they take an “in your face” approach to animal rescue.
The group has ten members, with many more volunteers. And nearly all of them are the kinds of guys you wouldn’t want to run into alone in a dark alley. Most of the group, members and volunteers alike, are big, tattooed bikers, hence the “Ink” in the organization's name.
“At motorcycle shows and places we’d get together socially, conversations would come up about something in the news,” said Junior, another Rescue Ink member. “'Hey, there was an abuser,’ or how bad people were treating animals.
“The conversations came about, and there was this mutual passion for saving the animals, this love and respect for the animals,” he added. This prompted Joe Panz, Junior, G, Angel, Eric, Batso, Big Ant, and Johnny O to form Rescue Ink.
"There are a lot of people who like us, but there are some that don’t," Junior said. "When you’re dealing with some unsavory characters, [people who are] fighting dogs and abusing dogs and abusing animals, they tend to not be just limiting their attitudes and their violence towards animals. So we have families we protect."
Rescue Ink bases their operation out of a building that Junior owns in Island Park. But because the group does not board animals, they cannot give out the address because people will start dropping off animals there.
The group formed only two years ago, but it has grown to be more than most of the guys ever expected it to be.
"It’s become a full-time job," said Robert, the president of Rescue Ink. "Everybody has something on the side because we are a not-for-profit organization and we’ve been taking money out of our pockets.
"But for the most part...what we had originally thought to be a part-time thing turned into a very involved, time consuming (in a great way) volunteer organization," he explained.
But being a group that is technically part-time doesn't mean that the members keep normal hours. "We’re all available 24/7," said Junior. "If there’s a need, we’re pretty much going to drop everything and attend to it."
In addition to just taking cases, the group also does educational programs all over the Tri-State area. They go to schools and talk to children about the right way to treat animals and also aid in public events to raise awareness about animal cruelty and pet adoption.
When they do go out on cases, the guys of Rescue Ink get them through either their Web site, www.rescueink.org, or their toll-free hotline, 1-800-510-7355. They typically have two types of rescue cases: the ones other people overlook, and the ones that need a little more muscle.
"Anybody could turn around and throw bologna over a fence and help a dog for a day, but what we do is we confront the abuser and we change his mind towards the way he treats animals," said Joe Panz. "We adjust his way of thinking our way, the Rescue Ink way."
According to Robert, the group got a tip not too long ago about a man who had his dog tied up to a tree with almost no protection. They knew that it was unsafe for the dog to be kept outside unsheltered in the winter weather. Instead of just going and talking to the owner, the group built a dog house for the dog, free of charge.
"We try to work them into being a better pet owner," Robert said. "And many times they just won’t be, and we try to convince them to turn the animal over to us so we can find the animal a better home."
The other kind of cases are the ones where, as Joe Panz put it, "we’re the muscle behind everybody’s hustle."
"A lot of times, the ASPCA, SPCA, Animal Control, Humane Society, a lot of these groups are headed by...people who go into situations and get into trouble," Joe Panz explained. "Sometimes the situation gets out of hand, then they need a little more muscle. And we come to help."
Meaning that, when an abuser refuses to listen to or even threatens someone from another rescue group, that group can call Rescue Ink for help. As Joe Panz said, a half-dozen menacing-looking bikers can be a very powerful persuasion tool.
"I think everybody prefers to reason with an abuser first, and we do whatever’s necessary within the limits of the law," said Junior. "But if you’re going to abuse an animal, we’re going to put an end to it one way or the other.
"I think the smarter people, if you can call people who abuse animals smart in any way, they decide to change their ways when Rescue Ink shows up," Junior added. "And at heart, we’re probably all a peace-loving group, but what we want is peace for the animals."
Comments about this story? ACostello@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
