Continued Disrepect for Lives of Pets

Posted originally Feb. 13, 2007

This past week, two Georgia teens were sentenced to five years each for animal cruelty. They were found guilty for "taking the puppy and smearing paint on it, trying to set it on fire, hog tying its feet with duct tape and binding its snout before stuffing it into a searing hot gas oven." The incident took place last August in Roswell. Sadly, this isn't the first case like this in Georgia.

Many in the Savannah community were shocked when a similar incident happened here in August 2005. One-year-old rat terrier Zoe fell victim to the whims of a burglar that decided to throw her in the oven on 400 degrees after robbing a local home. Zoe had been adopted from an area rescue, something that usually results in a lifetime of happiness and better outcomes than life before rescue. Sadly, Zoe did not get to know much of that life.

In both of these cases, the maximum penalties allowed by Georgia law were given for felony animal cruelty: five years in prison. We can see the malice that differed in the most recent case. So why then as such acts increase in their horrors do we have a cap set for punishment? If anything, there should be only a minimum.

We are a society that seems to value life less and less as time passes. Just look at the news. When was the last time you were able to watch TV, read the paper, browse the Internet, or listen to news on the radio without seeing something about a human killing another human? It's rare that I even watch the news anymore. I hate to say it, but I believe I have become desensitized, but primarily, disheartened. When such disrespect exists for human life, how could we ever anticipate respect for those even less defenseless?

One of my instructors testified in the sentencing phase of this case (for those that don't know, I'm in my second year of study for a bachelor of science degree in humane leadership through Duquesne University). He said it was one of the worst cases in which he has ever had to testify. Much of his testimony came from documents written in the late 1800s/early 1900s. It was interesting to me that it seemed a greater emphasis was given for care to animals specifically because cruelty to such was believed to lead to an escalation of such acts against humans.

In "Cruelty (Some Thoughts on Education)," John Locke mentions that violence is rewarded through conquests throughout history. "All the entertainment of talk and history is of nothing almost but fighting and killing; and the honour and renown that is bestowed on conquerors..." This is reverberated through the violent video games that so many children are playing today. I have been shocked to see the crimes that are done in these games. At some point, they have to be taught that these are wrong. But whose responsibility is it? An obvious choice would be the parents, but in the schools I visit, I find that many of those aren't around. In one class I visited a couple weeks ago, three students admitted that their parents or older siblings breed pit bulls, one student admits that they sell the puppies regularly, and another admits that his father and older brother take turns beating the dog to "teach" it. How then do we overcome these situations? If they aren't being taught at home, how can they be taught compassion elsewhere and not be punished when they counter their parents/caretakers?

I'm in the third week of an eight-week term studying the links between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence. What I have been able to gather is that instead of getting better, cases are getting worse. Some areas of the country are trying new approaches such as community service, forcing the violators to face what they have done and the impact it has. But will it be enough? Can new actions make good for the past? At what point will enough be enough?