The Mistreatment is of Animals - Essay Example

 The Mistreatment is of Animals While at the re-homing unit, I witnessed the consequences of animal cruelty first hand. As I looked through the rows of cages I saw a variety of dogs of all ages, colours and breeds. While some remained decidedly normal, the ones that were deemed ferocious enough to be kept in a separate section of the re-homing unit sent chills down my spine. My first impressions were reserved, as I attributed such differences in behavior to their nature as animals. However, reason quickly turned into apprehension when I realized why they were located discreetly; they were separated in order to avoid possible skirmishes with other dogs. We were told that these dogs were so badly treated by their previous owners that they could not be reintegrated into a normal family home due to their antisocial behaviours. At that point the whimpering of a small brown dog caught my attention. Witnessing it cower in the corner in its malnourished state immediately aroused a sense of compassion within me. When we were told that the scars on its back were caused by the previous owners extinguishing their cigarettes on its back, a sense of helpless rage momentarily filled me up inside. It only heightened my degree of compassion for the animals. We moved on, taking notes as to which dogs might make for suitable pets. I had a particular interest in a black and white cross breed that appeared visibly sad in its caged state. I was subsequently told by the RSPCA advisors that this dog was not suitable to go into a home environment that had children as a result of mistreatment by the previous owner. The news sent a wave of shame and disgust up my spine for the cruelty of those responsible. I embarrassingly moved on to my next choice, which was a small white dog with black flashes. This dog was deemed suitable and was brought by a handler to the walk area. It was noticeably unhappy in the environment, barking at every dog it passed; this dog clearly had spirit but, having heard the severity of mistreatments, I had reservations regarding its aggression. When brought into the large meeting area, the dog proceeded to sprint two laps of the area and only then came to meet us. In a way, I was drawn towards its aggression, and my nervousness quickly turned into elation when I met this friendly, inspiring cross breed named Keira. It became certain to me that this was the dog I wanted, although my heart truly went out to all the others there. At home, Keira developed her own little personality. She refused to go upstairs and constantly followed me around the house so much so that we considered changing her name to shadow. I was quick to attribute this to her inherent friendliness, but soon it became apparent that she had a dark side. Any raised voices, even on TV, would make her cower in apprehension. I realized that my pet had some way to go before it could fully adjust to a normal household. After a few months of training and reassurance, Keira was less reactive, but still displayed errors in judgement especially around adult males. It dawned on me that her past distress had caused this permanent change in her behaviour. My emotions were subsequently shrouded by the reality of owning a pet dog. After all, Keira was only a three month old puppy which needed constant discipline, training and attention, a task that often came at the expense of my usual routine with friends and school work etc. I also realized that she did not just need a walk on the lovely warm days but in the rain, wind and snow as well, homework or no homework. It was a tedious process domesticating her, which sometimes involved standing out in the snow or wind waiting for her to answer the call of nature. In those conditions, my love for Keira would be subsided by impatience. The irritations were minor and slow to grow, and most often than not went unnoticed by me up until the time a family member pointed them out. It immediately caused me to hark back to the black and white pup in the re-homing unit, and how embarrassed and ashamed I had felt at the time. Was I turning into someone I had initially scorned upon? Before I had time to mend my ways, my father made a very paternal decision. Since he believed Keira was not being adequately looked after, he found another family for her who had the time and experience to train and give her a good home. Keira left on a Wednesday morning in March. That day sent waves of sadness and regret up my spine, knowing that now, I had only her memories to live with. The absence of Keira’s enthusiasm was immediately apparent. I would come home from school with no one to chase me around and bump into my feet. It felt empty, as if something crucial was missing. At night I would lay sleepless and wonder how the new family was treating her. Was she happy? Did she miss me? What was the new family like? How could I know that they would not hurt her and make the same mistake I did. The guilt quickly became unbearable, and I begged my father to get her back, promising to be a better mom to her. To my amazement, Keira was returned the next day. Although it did seem a little like a ploy by my dad to make me realise the importance of cruelty to animals and in particular, the significance of Keira, I was too happy to care. The experience surely heightened my awareness towards the cruelty of animals. After Keira, the drive against cruelty on TV and elsewhere made more sense. The advertisements in particular made me realize how important a role I played in the middle. Would Keira still be alive if I had not re-homed her? And what of the people who inflict harm on such innocent creatures? If they are capable of this, what is stopping them from doing the same to their children or partners? Statistics show that nearly two-thirds of female-abuse victims reported having their abusive partner threaten, harm or murder their pets. In effect, those who are cruel to animals are more likely to physically and emotionally abuse other people. There is also a strong correlation between childhood abuse of animals and violent crime in adulthood. I realise now that the responsibility of a helpless animal has made me think more about people. It has caused me to empathize with my elderly neighbour, to offer her company from time to time, to assist her around the house and help her shop. I know that my aunt appreciates some help looking after her child as well since, as my experience with Keira taught me, nurturing a baby requires a great degree of attention and effort. Most of all, it has greatly increased my respect for mothers, including my own, who spend commendable time and exertion with limitless love turning us into who we are today. Through my relationship with Keira, my understanding of people has greatly increased, while at the same time it has taught me a few lessons about patience and observance and how it aids the need of animals. Serving them is very much part of being human. Read More