Only two or three times? You didn’t think that would harm him? And what exactly DID you intend to do when you kicked him, if not hurt him?
When you continued to kick him in front of your children, what exactly did you anticipate would happen next. the kids would shrug it off and go play video games?
Please sentence this man to the maximum possible, which I am delighted to report is 9 years. He deserves it for the dog, and he deserves it for the children, and he deserves it because it’s very clear that someone who is able and willing to unleash their anger on an animal to such a severe extent that the animal dies, is a very violent, out of control person.
And while I’m asking the powers that be to rain some serious punishment down on the sick, disengaged, foul beings who have no problem causing the pain and suffering of dogs, please do the maximum possible to Kisha Curtis, the piece of shit who tossed her sweet, starved dog in the garbage when she evidently believed he had finally died from the torture she had inflicted on him. Understandable, since he certainly looked like a corpse. Oh wait, she keeps denying she tossed him the garbage, as though that’s the issue. No, Kisha, the real issue is that you starved and tortured this sweet dog for so long that he was hours from death when someone tossed him the garbage.
Fortunately, he did not die having lived a life that was nothing but pain and confused suffering. He’s alive, he’s receiving 24/medical care and being showered with love and kindness and proving to be a completely darling dog.
It drives me crazy. How sick and broken are these people?
People who do this stuff to animals usually also do it to people. The vast majority of people know that you’re not supposed to beat animals to death. The people who don’t obviously have something very wrong with them and probably shouldn’t be living among other people; the risk is too great that they will repeat the behavior on their fellow humans. For this reason alone (to say nothing of the cruelty to the animals themselves) I have always believed there should be far, far more severe penalties for animal abuse.
I think the mentality behind beating a dog to death is the exact same mentality behind beating a human to death; in terms of intent, it is the same crime. People just think they can get away with abusing an animal more easily. But the violent rage is still there.
He’s doing great, and he’s amazingly sweet and well-behaved. He is reportedly perfectly housebroken, and there’s lots of videos being uploaded by the staff at the hospital showing him being so good, sitting pretty waiting for food. Just the sweetest thing ever.
This is my favorite, from today. A meal was coming and he barked for the first time! Tail wagging, he’s on his way back!
This always bothers me, for much the same reason as Argent suggests.
Anyone who can suspend their empathy enough to kick a sentient creature to death is on a slippery slope. If they can do that for a dog then it is no stretch to extend that to a human.
The links between psychopathic behaviour and animal cruelty are too strong to ignore.
Though it takes us into deeper water than I’d care to explore, It is almost more upsetting to do it to a dog than to a functioning, reasoning adult. At least they can rationalise and understand what is happening to them, A dog cannot. Perhaps that is part of our revulsion and our increased upset regarding child abuse as well, the child cannot comprehend “why” and that must just compound the terror.
I realise that sets up a whole load of complicated equivalences but I hope my general point is clear.
So I’d see them as a dangerous individual and worthy of hefty sentencing.
Edited to add:
And this is coming from someone who doesn’t like dogs, doesn’t like to be around them but recognises that all sentient creatures deserve respect and freedom from cruelty and torture. That is the bit missing from sick individuals as in the OP
I know this isn’t going to be popular, but here goes anyway:
It’s a dog. Not a person. Kicking it to death in front of children is an incredibly fucked up thing to do, but I don’t think it deserves a prison sentence. Not the first time, at least; if someone makes a habit of it that’s an entirely different kettle of fish, of course.
You have a number in mind? How many would make it a habit? And I guess I’d like to know if you think prison is too much, what punishment would you think most appropriate? Or does the person have no penalty of the first couple of animals?
I’m trying hard not to be an asshole, but rereading I can see I still come across that way. Sorry.
I agree with Martini that there shouldn’t be a prison sentence for animal abuse.
The whole problem I have with animal rights activists is that while they leap up in horror at a dog, cat or bunny being given a kick, most of them are perfectly happy to put mouse poison down in their home, or swat a fly flying round their kitchen, or eat meat that has been “humanely” killed. (as if the animal gives a fuck)
While flies are most likely not sentient, we don’t know that dogs or cats are either. And if they are, why not mice? As far as I understand, the only animals we know are sentient are dolphins, elephants and some apes (although I could be completely wrong on this point, and welcome correction if I am)
There are too many contradictions involved (when you include the slaughter of animals for food/materials) to put people in prison for cruelty to animals. Unless you’re going to lock up about half the population.
That said, I abhor cruelty to animals. However, I don’t put it on a par with cruelty to humans, or even close. There’s no doubt that it’s a negative thing though, I’m not defending animal abusers. They’re pricks, but not necessarily deserving of jail. And to the person above who said being violent to animals led to being violent to humans, I’d be pretty skeptical about that, and would need a cite.
Flame away. . .
The bottom line is that civilized behavior is maintained by one of two restraints: 1)internal (i.e. self-control and conscience) or 2)external (i.e. fear of punishment).
Animal abuse, particularly when done in a manner calculated to constitute deliberate psychological abuse of other people, in a reliable indicator that the internal restraints simply aren’t there. That leaves two options: 1)crank the fear-of-punishment restraint up to eleven by severe penalties for such behavior, or 2)permanently remove the perpetrator from the company of civilized human beings. (The latter needs to be maintained as an option for cases where the former clearly isn’t working.)
Deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it. It’s a matter of protecting society and keeping the peace. See previous message.
The bottom line is that someone capable of such an act is clearly not restrained by any sort of “conscience”, and therefore must either be restrained by putting the fear into him or else put out of our misery. Either one will do, as far as I’m concerned.
He used the word “discipline.” This used to mean teaching, but that meaning has largely degenerated to simple punishment - way past thoughts of prevention. More like you-do-this, you-get-that, and the rest is up to you.
I imagine a lot of that is human nature, but a lot is also a kind of backlash against decades of educated experts advising against physical punishments (for animals, kids or anybody). In the minds of people who resent education, this only hardens them against being kind.
I’m sure he didn’t give that a moment’s thought. The point of physical punishment has too much to do with the ego of the punisher for it to be reliable as punishment - never mind as “discipline.”
I’ve heard about the three warning signs before - some huge % of serial killers tick all three boxes, or did when they were kids.
However, of the people that are cruel to animals, how many grow up to be serial killers? Obviously a pretty negligible amount. Some people are just violent by nature, and will be violent to animals, people, or whoever or whatever they come across. Naturally these people will have the opportunity to hurt animals and get away with it before they can hurt humans and get away with it.
I plan on getting a dog at some stage. If anyone mistreats that dog, I will come down on them like a ton of bricks. However, if someone is mistreating their dog, I don’t feel I have enough of a moral high ground to intervene, not when I wil happily kill pests such as rats, mice; and will also eat meat with no guilt whatsoever.
OTOH, yes, the guy in the OP makes me sick. So do a lot of other people. We can’t put them all in jail.
I get the feeling you’d rather we didn’t do anything with them.
Furthermore, if the other guy has the right to maltreat his dog but not yours, then the principle at work is close to property: your dog is just a cuddly furry version of your lawnmower or your dishwasher or your hot water heater. Something more is needed to be a good dog owner.
I am very fond of animals, I have three shelter cats and a rescue dog. That being said, why didn’t they just put that dog down? I am so tired of people spending thousands of dollars to rehab a dog like this when those dollars could be far better spent on neutering pets and keeping the population down, or re homing animals that have a far better chance at a happy life. Same with Michael Vick’s dogs, or animals born without legs, etc. They aren’t people, just put them down and concentrate on animals that have a better chance.