Tough Guys Don’t Cry

It takes a certain kind of person to rescue abused animals and witness incomprehensible cruelty on a regular basis.

The war on animal abuse is not for the faint hearted. The new TV series Rescue Ink Unleashed, produced by National Geographic Channel, has found the perfect people for the job: a motley crew of tattooed New York-tough guys with 1,700-lbs of bulging muscles and soft hearts.

In their crusade to save suffering animals, the renegade band of bikers takes its zero-tollerance policy to the extreme. Regardless of what viewers may think of their highly confrontational rescue style—pounding on doors and getting in faces—two things are for certain: they ain’t diplomats and they ain’t leaving without the animal(s) they came to rescue.

“You don’t send a boy scout after a bad guy,” says ringleader Joe Panz, a 250-lb iron man who’s been shot six times and lived to tell about it.

As far as the eight-man organization in concerned, no creature is too big or too small. They rescue everything from fish to horses.

The show premieres September 25, at 10 p.m. And while they’re out riding the mean streets, viewers have opportunity to help out the easy way. Visit the official website  to show your support, including volunteering, attending events, donating, or simply shopping Rescue Ink’s online store.

It’s a hard job and a great concept. We’ll just have to wait and see if viewers can stomach seeing the haunting sights they do.