In cases of animal abuse, most people act with repulsion. Depending on the culture, this percentage varies.

Recently, there was a video on social media that showed two soldiers in Greece throwing a dog over a cliff.

People, a lot of people,started reacting intensely and aggressively through the social media, demanding the punishment of the two men.

Nobody can justify their act, even people who are not animal lovers.

It is indeed a horrible act of violence towards a defenceless creature.

 

How dangerous can that be?

According to psychological and criminal research, as well as FBI reports, animal abuse is linked with abusive and criminal behaviour towards humans and deep mental disturbance.

A number of examples, such as Kip Kinkel, the high school killer in Oregon USA, Luke Woodham in Mississippi and the two students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold who shot 12 students in Columbine High School, all have tortured and killed animals before they turned their aggression towards humans.

I could go on and on with examples and links between humans abuse animal abuse but what I am wondering is, what do we, as a society, animal lovers, nature defenders define as animal abuse?

Searching on Google (wikipedia) the definition goes as follows: ¨ Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty is the infliction by omission (animal neglect) or by commision by humans of suffering or harm upon ANY non-human animal, regardless of weather the act is against the law. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suffering for specific achievement , such as killing animals for food or for their fur or skin (leather); opinions differ about the extend of cruelty associated with a given method of slaughter.

Cruelty to animals sometimes encopasses inflicting harm or suffering as an end in itself, defined as zoosadism.

 

So by definition aren´t most people animal abusers? Animals are not only cats and dogs and abuse is not only zoosadism. Aren´t most people wearing leather shoes or carry leather bags? Eating at a daily basis animals or products of animals who suffer and being brutally killed? Why do we close our eyes to this side of abuse?

 

My intention is not to justify zoosadism of any kind, nor to point any fingers. My intention is to raise awareness.

It has been a pleasant surprise for me to see so many people being so sensitive and so united against this horrible act and of course many other similar acts and made me think that by no means these people would have justified this act of the two soldiers had it been a baby lamb or a piglet instead of a dog in their hands.

These people who raised their voices against this abuse have certain values; and for these values I would like to raise awareness of.

 

You should not close your eyes to the suffering of animals no matter the purpose. If you knew that you could actually save an animals´ life by eating and living healthier, wouldn’t you make that choice?

And how would you feel being aligned with your own values?

How peaceful would your life be knowing that you chose co existence with  all living beings instead of dominating on them?

It is a choice, now, it is a conscious choice!

You can either make excuses not to change or you can choose to make a difference and contribute to a world of peaceful co existence with respect for life!