Cruelty To Animals

I have always hated animal cruelty above all of the other evils that humans are capable to. There is nothing more innocent, trusting, and unconditional in love than a pet dog or cat. When you get a pet of your own, you are entered in what might be called a sacred bond. You are obligated to give that animal protection in exchange for the companionship it gives you. I believe that cruelty to animals is one of worst ways you can break that sacred bond.

Global Problem

Of course,  cruelty to animals does not start and end with pet ownership. Animal cruelty is a pretty pressing global problem that flares up wherever and whenever people make domestic and livestock animals a part of their lives. A lot of my friends are involved in the animal rights movement, and some of the stuff that they tell me is pretty disturbing. A lot of animals that are raised for food are treated with very little compassion. They pass their lives in small cages, barely able to move around at all. When I think about how much suffering is caused by  cruelty to animals, it almost makes me want to give up.

So much we can do

Then again, the good thing is that there is so much we can do to make things better. I have recently started adopting pets as a way to help them out. There are a lot of stray and unwanted cats and dogs down at the local shelter, and many of them are perfect for pets. I have also become a lot more conscious about what I eat. Nowadays, I just eat free-range, organic meat which comes from farms which do not practice cruelty to animals. I know that it is not much, but it is a start.

Direct involvement

A good friend of mine prefers to take a much more direct approach to preventing cruelty to animals. He decided to get involved as an animal control officer in his city. Although some of what he does is dealing with natural pests like raccoons, a big part of his job is responding to complaints about cruelty to animals. He gets to go in to someone’s house, investigate, and make sure that any critters on the premises are accounted for, and that none of them look to be mistreated. When someone does seem to be treating an animal in a cruel and inhumane way, he usually gives them a hefty ticket, makes them appear in court, and takes the animal away at the same time. He says that he has gotten literally dozens of animals out of bad homes while doing his job. All in a day’s work, I guess.