Re the incidences of companion animal cruelty - I am abhorred by the large

number of incidences of it today.   I really wonder if this is an indication of

persons growing up with no idea of the meaning of compassion or if they are

just inherently cruel.   In either case- it seems to me that parents, teachers, and

our churches are not doing nearly enough to teach compassion and loving care

for the animals who share this earth with us and who deserve so much better

from people who are suppose to be God's stewards.   

Truly, I don't remember so much cruelty to animals happening when I was a child

of the 40's though sadly, I do recall hearing about some people's version of pet

population control.   I believe the most readily use of that was drowning the unfortunate

unwanted progeny instead of trying to find homes for them- though that too would

not have been a remedy as the cycle of reproduction would have continued ad

infinatum.   What they should have done is try to prevent the mating of these animals

in the first place by noting when the females were in heat and keeping them indoors

and away from the males.

But unbelievably -even to the present there are some idiotic parents   who feel they

should expose their children to witnessing the "miracle" of life by watching a live

animal birth.   How callous and thoughtless. Animals are like us - they want privacy at

such a private moment and not being subjected to gawking children and parents.  

One very wise animal rescuer commented on this and said - then they should also show

them the reality of death -horrible places in the recent past where surplus dogs and

cats were killed by being   placed in gas or decompression chambers.   While thankfully,

some cities have instituted the use of painless lethal injections as a humane way to end

an unwanted animal life, sadly there are still way too many towns and cities across our

nation which still use cruel and archaic means to put their animals down.   

I'm not sure when veternairian hospitals came into being.   But interestingly

enough, I just found a yellowed article from the now defunct Cleveland Press

which featured a pet column by Max Riddle.   Probably written in the 70's or 80's,

the article addressed the need to spay or "castrate" our pets. Yes, "castrating"

sounds like an "ouch" word, so I'm glad it has been surplanted with the word

"neutering" in reference to signifying the removal of the male dog or cat

reproductive organs.

A sad note too regarding these earlier times of the 40's.   The little dog who lived

across the street from us was hit by a car.   What was the solution?   A policeman

was called and he came on his motorcycle.   I watched in amazement and horror to

see him take out his revolver and shoot the little dog in the head.   Another reminder

that we had far to go re how our best friends should be treated, though I believe he

just wanted to put the suffering dog out of his misery.   Today, thank goodness, we

have animal hospitals usually within easy reach, but sometimes the end results are

the same though lethal injections are kinder than a revolver.  

Today's "new" very great concern seems to be how some people mistreat and abuse

these beautiful innocent creatures of God.   Most people already have heard about

Patrick, the starved pit bull who was thrown down a garbage chute by a New Jersey

woman who obviously was completely bereft of compassion.   In Florida, another

woman in a park with her two children struck two innocent sweet little kittens with

an aluminum bat.   What possessed her to do such a dastardly act? Surely the kittens

weren't a threat to her or her children. One died, but Dexter is on the mend, though

it was touch and go for awhile.   I only hope that both women will get what's coming

to them from the criminal justice system.

DIAMOND.   Now a 5 month- old American bulldog is among the newly abused.  

Matthew Davonn Weatherspoon of Denver, Colorado viciously attacked this sweet

innocent puppy by repeatedly stabbing her in the face.   When rescued, the vets

described her as an absolute doll - very sweet who readily gives kisses.   There

appeared to be no justifyable reason for her owner to have mistreated her so badly.  

This pitiful excuse for a human being claimed that Diamond bit him and cornered

him in his apartment, and he was forced to defend himself.   Unbelievable.

And when she began to bleed profusely all over his apartment from his cruelty, he

became angry and put her outside.   By now she had also received more lacerations on

her stomach and had a broken leg.  

Shutting her out was a blessing for Diamond because Animal Control came to pick

her up and thus remove her from "hell."   They provided the medical care she needed

as well as shelter in a warm kennel.   They also lavished her with the love and affection

she had been denied by her brutal abuser.

Thankfully, Weatherspoon may also soon be getting what he deserves.   With a criminal

history (surprise?), he was charged with one count of aggravated cruelty to animals.   And

per the district attorney, he will likely pay every penny of Diamond's vet bills.

The people of Denver, veterinarians, and activists around the country were appalled

by this animal cruelty.   "Prayers for Diamond," a support group on Facebook with

nearly 6,000 members, sent over 8,000 petition signatures to the district attorney.  

They asked for the maximum sentence be given to Weatherspoon.  

DA VINCI.   Now this week from the mail -ASPCA sent us the story of DaVinci.   Sadly,

his story of abuse is not rare, for they receive all too many like cases of cruelty to

innocent animals in New York on a daily basis.   A neighbor called in re DaVicni's abuse.

When the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Agents entered the house, they found

DaVinci in so much pain that he could neither stand up or even bark.   His body was

battered and his back legs were broken.  

Not wanting to frighten him, the agents knelt down and spoke softly to DaVinci.  

They were even afraid to touch him for fears of frightening him, but they needn't

have worried.   DaVinci sensed that they were his friends and he began wagging his tail.  

DaVnci was rushed to the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital where upon

examination, the veterinarians began addressing the severity of his abuse.   He had

sustained multiple fractures of his back, legs, and hips as well as a fractured rib.   All

of this was consistent with blunt force trauma.  

DaVinci was now showered with love and affection -something he probably had never

experienced from his abuser who was charged with animal cruelty to which he pled

guilty.   DaVinci rallied after months of physical therapy involving "leg bicycles"

and now has found a loving forever home with one of the ASPCA team who fell

in love with him.  

STAR. The account of Star happened in Malta, but it has been weeks since I read it.  

I do remember most of her terribly sad story.   Because she was "old," her male owner

peppered her with buck shot - then trussed her up and buried her while still alive in a

shallow grave.   There was a picture at the Care 2 site which showed that she had

obviously managed to poke her nose and face out of the dirt to breathe as well as

to whimper.   Someone came to her rescue and removed her from the grave, but sadly

I believe she died later on.   Another horrible person who had not an ounce of compassion

in him.  

There are so many other examples of animal cruelty.   Even now -two more names

have come to mind - Phoenix and Sparticus.   I believe both were set on fire by different

people and in different places.    I know that Phoenix was abused by twin teens who

naturally pleaded not guilty.   I'm not sure about Sparticus, but I'll probably find him and

Phoenix on the interenet to refresh my memory.  

I'm always happy and relieved to find that finally most of them are getting justice -

something in times past was denied them and other suffering and abused animals.

Re the incidences of companion animal cruelty - I am abhorred by the large

number of incidences of it today.   I really wonder if this is an indication of

persons growing up with no idea of the meaning of compassion or if they are

just inherently cruel.   In either case- it seems to me that parents, teachers, and

our churches are not doing nearly enough to teach compassion and loving care

for the animals who share this earth with us and who deserve so much better

from people who are suppose to be God's stewards.   

Truly, I don't remember so much cruelty to animals happening when I was a child

of the 40's though sadly, I do recall hearing about some people's version of pet

population control.   I believe the most readily use of that was drowning the unfortunate

unwanted progeny instead of trying to find homes for them- though that too would

not have been a remedy as the cycle of reproduction would have continued ad

infinatum.   What they should have done is try to prevent the mating of these animals

in the first place by noting when the females were in heat and keeping them indoors

and away from the males.

But unbelievably -even to the present there are some idiotic parents   who feel they

should expose their children to witnessing the "miracle" of life by watching a live

animal birth.   How callous and thoughtless. Animals are like us - they want privacy at

such a private moment and not being subjected to gawking children and parents.  

One very wise animal rescuer commented on this and said - then they should also show

them the reality of death -horrible places in the recent past where surplus dogs and

cats were killed by being   placed in gas or decompression chambers.   While thankfully,

some cities have instituted the use of painless lethal injections as a humane way to end

an unwanted animal life, sadly there are still way too many towns and cities across our

nation which still use cruel and archaic means to put their animals down.   

I'm not sure when veternairian hospitals came into being.   But interestingly

enough, I just found a yellowed article from the now defunct Cleveland Press

which featured a pet column by Max Riddle.   Probably written in the 70's or 80's,

the article addressed the need to spay or "castrate" our pets. Yes, "castrating"

sounds like an "ouch" word, so I'm glad it has been surplanted with the word

"neutering" in reference to signifying the removal of the male dog or cat

reproductive organs.

A sad note too regarding these earlier times of the 40's.   The little dog who lived

across the street from us was hit by a car.   What was the solution?   A policeman

was called and he came on his motorcycle.   I watched in amazement and horror to

see him take out his revolver and shoot the little dog in the head.   Another reminder

that we had far to go re how our best friends should be treated, though I believe he

just wanted to put the suffering dog out of his misery.   Today, thank goodness, we

have animal hospitals usually within easy reach, but sometimes the end results are

the same though lethal injections are kinder than a revolver.  

Today's "new" very great concern seems to be how some people mistreat and abuse

these beautiful innocent creatures of God.   Most people already have heard about

Patrick, the starved pit bull who was thrown down a garbage chute by a New Jersey

woman who obviously was completely bereft of compassion.   In Florida, another

woman in a park with her two children struck two innocent sweet little kittens with

an aluminum bat.   What possessed her to do such a dastardly act? Surely the kittens

weren't a threat to her or her children. One died, but Dexter is on the mend, though

it was touch and go for awhile.   I only hope that both women will get what's coming

to them from the criminal justice system.

DIAMOND.   Now a 5 month- old American bulldog is among the newly abused.  

Matthew Davonn Weatherspoon of Denver, Colorado viciously attacked this sweet

innocent puppy by repeatedly stabbing her in the face.   When rescued, the vets

described her as an absolute doll - very sweet who readily gives kisses.   There

appeared to be no justifyable reason for her owner to have mistreated her so badly.  

This pitiful excuse for a human being claimed that Diamond bit him and cornered

him in his apartment, and he was forced to defend himself.   Unbelievable.

And when she began to bleed profusely all over his apartment from his cruelty, he

became angry and put her outside.   By now she had also received more lacerations on

her stomach and had a broken leg.  

Shutting her out was a blessing for Diamond because Animal Control came to pick

her up and thus remove her from "hell."   They provided the medical care she needed

as well as shelter in a warm kennel.   They also lavished her with the love and affection

she had been denied by her brutal abuser.

Thankfully, Weatherspoon may also soon be getting what he deserves.   With a criminal

history (surprise?), he was charged with one count of aggravated cruelty to animals.   And

per the district attorney, he will likely pay every penny of Diamond's vet bills.

The people of Denver, veterinarians, and activists around the country were appalled

by this animal cruelty.   "Prayers for Diamond," a support group on Facebook with

nearly 6,000 members, sent over 8,000 petition signatures to the district attorney.  

They asked for the maximum sentence be given to Weatherspoon.  

DA VINCI.   Now this week from the mail -ASPCA sent us the story of DaVinci.   Sadly,

his story of abuse is not rare, for they receive all too many like cases of cruelty to

innocent animals in New York on a daily basis.   A neighbor called in re DaVicni's abuse.

When the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Agents entered the house, they found

DaVinci in so much pain that he could neither stand up or even bark.   His body was

battered and his back legs were broken.  

Not wanting to frighten him, the agents knelt down and spoke softly to DaVinci.  

They were even afraid to touch him for fears of frightening him, but they needn't

have worried.   DaVinci sensed that they were his friends and he began wagging his tail.  

DaVnci was rushed to the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital where upon

examination, the veterinarians began addressing the severity of his abuse.   He had

sustained multiple fractures of his back, legs, and hips as well as a fractured rib.   All

of this was consistent with blunt force trauma.  

DaVinci was now showered with love and affection -something he probably had never

experienced from his abuser who was charged with animal cruelty to which he pled

guilty.   DaVinci rallied after months of physical therapy involving "leg bicycles"

and now has found a loving forever home with one of the ASPCA team who fell

in love with him.  

STAR. The account of Star happened in Malta, but it has been weeks since I read it.  

I do remember most of her terribly sad story.   Because she was "old," her male owner

peppered her with buck shot - then trussed her up and buried her while still alive in a

shallow grave.   There was a picture at the Care 2 site which showed that she had

obviously managed to poke her nose and face out of the dirt to breathe as well as

to whimper.   Someone came to her rescue and removed her from the grave, but sadly

I believe she died later on.   Another horrible person who had not an ounce of compassion

in him.  

There are so many other examples of animal cruelty.   Even now -two more names

have come to mind - Phoenix and Sparticus.   I believe both were set on fire by different

people and in different places.    I know that Phoenix was abused by twin teens who

naturally pleaded not guilty.   I'm not sure about Sparticus, but I'll probably find him and

Phoenix on the interenet to refresh my memory.  

I'm always happy and relieved to find that finally most of them are getting justice -

something in times past was denied them and other suffering and abused animals.