The other dog is also lucky she found a home with two beautiful humans who adore her as their only pet, a home we wished Jayla could have had, but the lines of people willing to have no other pets are fairly short and so we make it work. The dog I met today - with a homemade ear crop job, literally looking as if it had been done with kitchen scissors by her previous abuser - had that same look on her face, a sort of resignation, that I recognized from our girl's face last August when we met her at the shelter, This photo of Jayla taken three days after she arrived here, shows how swollen her underside was at the time, and her eyes are wary, watching us constantly, waiting to be hit apparently. She was heartbreaking in her sadness, and yet beautiful in the days following her arrival here, as she began to relax and turn into a dog rather than a money maker. What animals go through at the hands of cruel, evil humans is uncomfortable to talk about, devastating to see, and unless you're involved in animal welfare you probably don't know half of what goes on.
Why am I bringing all this up? Because I want you to know part of what goes on, so that you will speak up when you see signs of abuse, or clues of rage or violence towards creatures, because what begins as animal abuse often hints at a dark side of humankind, and if you open your eyes and see it, maybe, just maybe, you can speak up and say something. Today in Somerset County, a dog was found suffocated and discarded like nothing more than a piece of garbage, a shocking truth to read, I know, but one which must be put out to the public in an effort to hold evil people accountable. No, the punishment for hurting or killing a dog isn't much, it's not what it should be, nor is appropriate sentencing even given these days, but still..... when we turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to these things that happen, we fail the creatures who depend on us the most.
What's worse, this isn't an isolated incident; each week starved, almost skeleton-like animals are showing up in shelters because of people who have no moral compass or even the slightest shred of compassion; some of these animals don't make it, others are humanely helped to end their misery.....all because humans remain the only species of living, breathing creatures capable of hurting another living thing simply for the joy of watching it suffer. If that doesn't turn your stomach I don't know what would, but please keep this in mind; what was done to a dog this week may have been an isolated incident, or it may be the warning sign of what could be a human victim next time. Cruelty towards animals can forewarn of things to come, and looking the other way does no one any favors. We have got to open our eyes, see what is happening and be willing to speak up. It's that simple.
Thanks for stopping by my blog ~
community first • marketing consultant • advocate for small business • lover
of classic cars • beach girl • believer that "together we accomplish more"
