This is how the evil of animal abuse looks like. It breaks my heart and makes me angry. It is a vicious cycle of violence that must stop now.
As my friend Rebecca was driving this morning along ITC Compound Road in Valenzuela City, Metro Manila, she found this dog. The dog was inside a sack, with her neck chain tied to her hind legs. Her hind legs were cold and seemed to be paralyzed. She had a huge gash on her vagina. While Rebecca was preparing to rescue her, the dog was crying (obviously in pain) yet also wagging her tail (probably happy to have a kind and comforting presence around her). The dog offered no resistance when Rebecca took her and put her in a dog carrier. She decided to call the dog Summer.
Rebecca brought Summer to Mandaluyong Animal Care (MACE) Dog and Cat Hospital for assessment. Sadly, her injuries were found to be too severe and she was in so much pain and suffering. Just a few hours after she was rescued, Summer was given her peace and put down.
I asked myself how could anyone be so cruel to this dog. After a bit of online research, I learned that the people who inflict animal abuse are most likely victims of abuse. They are exposed to violence and abuse in their homes and other environments. They don’t develop empathy and respect for others. And tragically, early behavior of animal abuse or cruelty can lead to future violent behavior against people.
Here are some articles I found to help me understand this hideous behavior:
“Understanding Animal Neglect and Cruelty” (www.nhes.org)
“The Animal Abuse-Human Violence Connection” (www.paws.org)
We are stewards of the earth, and that responsibility includes caring for other humans, animals and all life. Violence is violence, whether it is against humans or animals. We need to stop this vicious cycle of violence. While not all of us maybe able to rescue abused and neglected animals, we can all help to educate ourselves and those around us about being humane. We need to learn to become a humane society.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Mahatma Gandhi