I don't know why I bother listening to the news at all. I really don't. For every one "feel good" humanitarian interest blurb in the news there are 25 hate crimes, sex crimes, and other militaristic injustices committed around the world. The one type of crime that always manages to draw my ire immediately are animal welfare "violations" like this dandy out of Wisconsin's own Fox Valley.
To summarize this pathetic display of humans behaving inhumanely, a 34-year old Appleton man hung his dog from his garage's rafters after the dog refused to drink antifreeze-infused water from a bowl. The man also kicked his dog inside the house before taking it to the garage to kill it. Why would he commit such a crime? The damn dog nipped at him! Clearly, pets are for OUR amusement and whims of fancy. If the creature nips (not snaps, bites, lacerates, or otherwise causes harm) at what is no doubt an abusive owner, the owner has the god-given right to kill it.
The man admitted that he had to leave the garage because he didn't want to see the animal suffer, according to the news story. The deceased dog was found in the garage in a garbage bag with its choke collar nearby. Eric Shattuck is being charged with one felony count of animal mistreatment causing death and faces up to a $10,000 fine and a combined 3 and a half years of prison and extended supervision.
This may be the hippie in me surging to the keyboard here, but how ridiculous would it be if this prick hung his wife or child from the garage rafters and then tried disposing of the body in a garbage bag? The story would be all over the national news and he'd be facing a hell of a lot stiffer penalties than a bit of cash and a light prison/probation sentence (no doubt shortened for "good behavior" too).
Until we as a society begin to value an animal's life on the same level as a human life in cases of murder, these pathetic excuses for humans will continue taking out any and all stress or other problems on "man's best friend". Ask anyone who has ever spent five minutes with a family pet; they live to please you and nothing makes them happier. It's wonderful that people like Eric Shattuck are incapable of sharing such a bond and will be out in a year or two to do the same to another of his dogs that dares look at him sideways. He'll learn it good, dadgum!
Some people have the nerve to ask us why we have such little faith in the essential decency of humanity. I guess they don't follow the news.
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