- Lennox
If you have followed my work or read any of my books or blogs, you know that I remain calm and rational when talking about animal abuse and always try to keep our focus on effectuating change to better the life of animals and away from simply venting against those that hurt them. I have been trained as a prosecutor, so we tend to think and react in controlled ways to horrific events. As an advocate and a former lobbyist, I know that calm and rational achieves more results. You also know that I choose my words carefully and speak from a rational voice than to throw around emotionally-charged words.
Well, today you will have to forgive me because I’m on a rampage! I completely LOST IT when I read this article about someone who put a kitten in cement up to his neck. By the time a Good Samaritan found him, chipped him out of the cement and rushed him to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, the damage had already been done. This little darling, who never hurt one being on this Earth, died a few days later. (Insert tears and some foul words of your choosing) As I write this, I just want to scream!
While I usually take solace when our companion animals can die in the arms of a loving person, it is not consoling me today. For this little kitten who was named Thomas, dying in the loving presence of caring people may have been the only kindness that he ever received in his short life. And this story came on the heels of me and millions of others across the globe mourning the killing (and you know I don’t use that term lightly) of Lennox, a dog who had been held prisoner in Belfast, Ireland for two years simply because of his breed. He never did anything wrong other than love his family. Yet he was removed from his family by authorities because he looked like a pit bull. The Belfast City Council killed him yesterday in spite of massive protests. If you want to sign the petition to recall the Belfast City Council, click here.
Are you at your wits end about how people treat animals? I know that I am. I am often asked how we can stop it and I have dedicated a majority of my career to educating others on how to stop it. Although I will never give up, I’m feeling like a failure today because we have not been able to identify the key to stopping people from torturing and harming animals. Knowing how much torture and harm is inflicted by humans against humans, and knowing that animals are seen as not as important to most people, it just seems like a losing situation for the animals.
Rather than wallow in misery, I’m going to do something. I’m reaching out to some of the experts in the field who I am honored to have as friends and colleagues and will be asking them to guest blog for me about why people abuse animals, what we can do to stop it, and so on. Bee Friedlander with Animals & Society Institute and an attorney with the Michigan State Bar Animal Law Section has already agreed to blog about AniCare, a treatment program for animal abusers. So has Dr. Clif Flynn, a researcher and chair of the Department of Sociology, Crimnal Justice and Women’s Studies at University of South Carolina Upstate, and recent author of “Understanding Animal Abuse”
Let’s get clear, we cannot continue to go on this way. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye, or get emotionally upset at the stories and then do nothing. Whenever we hear someone make a snide remark about an animal, I want you to stop dead in your tracks, look them in the eye, and say “What happened in your past to make you such an uncaring, uncompassionate and unempathetic person? You must not only hate children and other adults, but also yourself.” Or feel free to come up with some other retort that hits them to their core about their words and actions. We need to be more vocal against how we treat animals as our consumable, wearable, kickable, starvable, worthless objects that we can torture. We need to celebrate the beauty, love, and unconditional acceptance that animals bring to our world. We need to use our words and to stop choking them back in order to be nice to people and not rock the boat. I’ve got oars, so let’s rock baby!
As I ponder endlessly about why animals are harmed by people, it always brings me back to the core question … Why do some humans think they are ordained with the right to harm another living being? Where the heck did that line of thinking come from? Is it a biological short coming, a DNA flaw, an awful upbringing, violent TV shows, eating too much junk food, selfishness? What is causing people to behave so despicably?
Yes, there are people who reference the Bible and that man has dominion over animals. Digressing: You know how two people can witness the same event yet have two different stories of what happened? There appear to be two different belief systems of what dominion means. Where did man think that dominion means that we can overpower and harm an animal? Does dominion mean domination (which just sounds harsh and barbaric) or does it mean that we have the power and the obligation to protect?
So unfortunately for this posting, I don’t have any answers. I just had to get this out and I want us to start being more vocal. No exceptions! As I ask several experts in the field of animal protection to guest blog for me, let me know what questions you have or what issue you want to read about. I will then do my best to have someone address your question.
In the meantime, let’s all send a prayer to baby Thomas, Lennox, and the thousands of animals that will be harmed today. And use your words on behalf of animals … after all, they are voiceless.
Join the conversations!
Thank you Allie! I felt that way as well and just after reading the EXACT same 2 stories. I felt so sad, disgusted and horrified at the pain & suffering people inflict upon helpless victims. I will always stand up for the animals despite the laughs and snickers behind my back (yes, I hear you people). I hope everyone else follows suit too!!!!!!!!!!!!
And next time I hear someone snickering, they might be suprised at the response they get!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Holly, you’ve always been a great advocate who has never hesitated to say what needs to be said! Now let’s clone you!!
I think anger, rage, sadness, and other emotions can be effective in delivering a message, but we all know there is a line. And I am having a hard time, like you, Allie, staying on the productive side of it. But if I need to toe it, teeter on it, or just plain cross it when I come across words or actions that are harmful to an animal, I will do it. Many Facebook friends posted Lennox’s story yesterday and simply commented that they were sad. I posted that the animals don’t need their sympathy…the animals need them to act! Don’t just be sad…do SOMETHING. ANYTHING. Like your book DEFENDING THE DEFENSELESS speaks to, there are so many ways to help homeless or abused animals without even setting foot in a shelter or writing a big donation check. Find the way YOU can best help and then do it…for the Thomas’s and Lennox’s of the world.
So true that the animals don’t need or want our sympathy .. they want us to speak up and take action!! Love it!
I’ve known since stumbling upon you/your website recently that you would be a great resource for me and a great place to learn. I didn’t know you would move me with the burning question I ask myself too (make myself crazy over?); Why? And more so, what can I do to help change it? How do we reach these people to inspire them to change? I have a lot to learn from you and aspire to do just that. I am tuned in, waiting for what I might learning in the coming weeks & months from your guest bloggers and more so, how I can help improve the world for our animals and honor Baby Thomas and Lennox. Thank you Allie.
Thanks for the kind words April … together, I’m hoping we can make sense of all of these needless tragedies!
P.S. I just got Dr. Clif Flynn, a researcher and chair of the Department of Sociology, Crimnal Justice and Women’s Studies at University of South Carolina Upstate, and recent author of “Understanding Animal Abuse” to guest blog. So stay tuned!
We can continue to strive to understand and address abusers, and that will help in some cases, but the more I see the more I am convinced that a huge piece of the solution lies in harsh penalties for animal abuse. When the penalties truly fit the crime, those cruel individuals who do not respect animals’ rights will stop and think about the consequences to themselves. Some people can be reached by no other means. In my opinion, animal cruelty should be a felony in all states and punishable by meaningful jail time. Allie, you would be a wonderful leader in a movement to do this, and if you decide to take it on, please sign me up to help you.
I agree that better laws are definitely needed. But I struggle with whether laws are really effective because we still see people committing terrible crimes against people knowing that they could spend their life in prison. I love the ideas coming forward! Thanks Pamela!!!
Thank you for the passion. I have an appointment this week with my local shelter to learn the ropes and get volunteering there. I think maybe we need a list of things to say like you have in your post. I would request someone with knowledge of the passages in the bible to come up with alternatives to the harsh passages quoted to justify harm and misuse. Most of us (me anyway) are not used to speaking up this way so I could use some scripts so I make a point effectively. I look forward to the guest bloggers.
Hi Connie – That is fantastic that you are going to volunteer at your local shelter. Have you read “Defending the Defenseless” yet? If not, there are a lot of good talking points throughout the book. I’m running a special this month if you want to purchase it through my website. Thanks for taking that first step to help the animals!
A friend of mine has come up with a great idea to help end animal abuse. She is an elementary school teacher and has started her own rescue for senior dogs. And also is starting an education program in Sep 2012 to educate children about animal welfare and proper pet care. etc. The only way to stop this cycle is to educate the next generation, adults should already know better. As you well know some people are just cruel and inhumane for whatever reason. It still does not make it OK. Teaching our children about animal shelters and how to care for a pet is a great answer in my opinion. I wish it was
taught in every school!