Over the years, I’ve developed a deeply personal understanding of compassion. To me, compassion is a deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with a strong desire to relieve it.
Compassion is more vigorous than sympathy or empathy. Compassion gives rise to a forceful desire to alleviate another’s suffering. Compassion is that essential component in what manifests in our social context as altruism. (more…)
A seemingly simple solution to a problem can have traumatic, unintended consequences. Consider tethering. A tether is a rope, leash, or chain used to restrict the movement of a dog. Some people believe it controls and tames a misbehaving pet.
In 2005, the Los Angeles City Council disputed that notion by passing a tethering ban. Tethering your dog in Los Angeles can result in a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both! (more…)
WASHINGTON – Congressmen Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Ted Deutch (D-FL) today introduced the “Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act” to outlaw and make it easier to prosecute those involved in the gruesome killing of animals.
Disturbingly, in so-called “animal crush videos,” individuals brutally kill, mutilate and torture small and defenseless animals as a perverse form of entertainment to be shared over the internet. And while Congress passed legislation in 2010 to prohibit the creation and distribution of these horrific videos, the underlying acts themselves are still legal under federal law. (more…)
Imagine a person chasing a terrified puppy across an open field. The puppy is suddenly and brutally clothes-lined by a rope thrown around her neck from behind. Her legs fly out from under her and she falls on her back with a thud. Her attacker grabs her, lifts her up off the ground and body slams her. She would cry out, but she can’t breathe. In shock, the puppy’s legs are quickly tied together so she can’t run from her tormenter; and she is dragged by the neck with the rope.
Now imagine this scene occurs not in an open field, but in an arena filled with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of cheering fans; and the puppy is not a dog, but an animal sometimes referred to as a “doggie” – a baby calf. (more…)
In Judeo/Christian literature the word “sin” originates from the idea of “missing the mark”. Our understanding of missing the mark has been explained by theologians through the ages as resulting from sins of commission and sins of omission.
While pondering this idea, I wondered how the concept of sin, or “missing the mark”, might apply to our responsibility for the environment and the animals who inhabit it. It occurred to me that there are three deadly sins we commit when we fail in our responsibility for animals: cruelty, neglect, and hoarding. (more…)
Kapparot or kaparos, meaning “atonements,” is a custom in which a chicken or money may be used. Kapparot using chickens is practiced by some Jews shortly before Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement.
The ritual begins with selections from Isaiah 11:9, Psalms 107:10, 14, and 17-21, and Job 33:23-24 being recited. Then a rooster (for a man) or a hen (for a woman) is held above the person’s head and swung in a circle three times, while the following is spoken: “This is my exchange, my substitute, my atonement; this rooster (or hen) shall go to its death, but I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace.” The chicken is then slaughtered and may or may not be given to the poor for food. (more…)
It’s that time of year when animal shelters have to combat a lot of misinformation regarding black cats. Some shelters stop adopting black cats in October for fear they will be tortured. However, in the history of humane work, no one has ever documented any relationship between adopting black cats, and cats being killed or injured. The belief that adopting black cats will result in ill consequences can be traced to three sources:
1) Ignorance:
Some suggest “witches” adopt black cats for use in ritualistic sacrifices. Actually, witches do not harm their “familiars,” who are supposed to be their eyes and ears in the spirit world. To harm a familiar would be to blind and deafen oneself. (more…)
September 27th is World Tourism Day. That makes this a good day to consider the impact this trillion-dollar industry has on wildlife.
A recent poll suggests young travelers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact tourism has on animals. This awareness is influencing their travel choices for the better. (more…)
A great deal is known regarding the link between animal abuse and violence against humans. In fact, law enforcement now tracks animal abuse alongside felonies like arson, burglary, assault, and homicide because it is thought that animal abuse may be a precursor to greater crimes including murder and serial killing.
A new study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood may help pull back the curtain even further into helping us understand where the inclination for cruelty originates in the first place. (more…)
Imagine a person chasing a scared puppy across an open field. The frightened puppy is brutally clothes-lined by a rope thrown around her neck; her legs fly out from under her. Her attacker grabs her, lifts her waist high and body slams her to the ground. Terrified, the puppy’s legs are tied together so she can’t escape her tormenter; and she is dragged by the neck with the rope. (more…)