On a rural road, a dog walks with pain after being hit by a scooter. A kitten crouches and cynically twitches its tail because someone threw a rock just to laugh. Image of a parrot in an old cage with old rusty furniture in it, talking about something that it does not understand. A fleet horse draws a cart, and knees shaking overran the scorching heat with eyes that dulled:
None of them spoke.
They all experienced it, however.
Animal cruelty does not happen in the middle of major scandals or uncommon news stories. It is found everywhere: in the backyards, in the markets, in the households. Other times it hurts, it yells and screams, and it is impossible to leave it. And on other occasions, it is silent. Normalized. Behind the scenes of “tradition,” or “business,” or “just the way it is.”
It is true. And it pains us.
It should be clarified.
Animal cruelty is not just when one kicks a dog or stuffs a cat in the fire.
It’s also:
It is not only physical injuries. Emotional abandonment, isolation, terror - these are the extremes as well. Animals perceive them, Disappoint Welsh with Welsh, sometimes much more severely than we would do
We all have socially accepted cruelty to the point where we do not see it in this way anymore. A child who throws rocks at dogs on the streets. A man is abandoning his old cat because the man is moving to a new city. A goat is being kept out in the sun, days before Eid. A fish in a plastic bag is gasping, as one is going to take him home as a present.
We look. We walk funny. Then again, we do not always care.
But when we were on the receiving end, when we were being caged, beaten, or dumped, we would shriek. We would demand justice.
They don’t. They cannot do so.
The thing is, it is not necessarily evil. In some cases, it is mere ignorance. It has never been instilled in us to treat animals as individuals. They are said to be beneath us. They are not very much in touch with their feelings. They are either food, a job, or entertainment. In other cases, it is power. Kicking something less than you feels good to some people, which gives the feeling of being big. It is what it is.
And to earn money.
Businesses that raise, experiment on, slaughter, show, or even torture animals do so to get money. Cash. Animals are regarded as property, not lives. In some instances, they just do not want to do it. The individuals would not care because it is not their dog, or not their problem.
Science confirms what so many of the pet people knew all along. Animals do not feel pain or Stress. Depression. They grieve. He or she recalls beatings. Elephants grieve over their dead. Cows call out to their calves. Dogs develop PTSD Parrots fall into depression in cages. Even rats smile when you tickle them, and cry when you wound them.
So, no. It is not a reason or an excuse that it is just animals. No, it was never that way.
Enhancement also lies in Cultural Understanding of Abuse, Too.
So, let us discuss the things that are not pleasant.
Not all that is old-fashioned is nice.
Other things do need to change, especially when human lives are being negatively impacted through our amusement.
Culture must not be a killer.
Do you like animals? Great. The not-so-great thing about pet culture is its problems. Puppy mills are powered by buying rather than adopting. Some owners completely forget to give their pets some love by leaving them on balconies throughout the day. Others even give them away when they (the others) cannot handle the responsibility. The criminality of some occurs when they overbreed their dogs or cats to make money. It is not a fad to have a pet. It is life. And that life is not just to make itself pretty or make you feel less lonely. They are worth not only your Instagram story.
The laws against animal cruelty are poorly enforced in countries such as India. Fines are ridiculous. There are a few cases about jail terms. Human beings beat up animals, burn them, or even kill them and walk away freely.
Why? Animals are not able to vote. They do not riot. They do not have a voice.
We are also supposed to be that voice. There are also Good People. Fortunately, not all people are inhumane.
There is the old aunt who takes care of stray dogs and feeds them at night, daily. The school child who weeps on seeing a kitten who is limping around, the veterinarian who spends the whole night rescuing a puppy, and takes it home. A car driver who has a water bowl close to his spot so that animals may quench their thirst. The youth who uses his pocket money to buy biscuits to feed the street dogs.
They exist. Quietly. Without rewards. Without hashtags.
And it is because of them that some animals still wag their tails, still trust humans, and sometimes survive.
You do not have to be a rich person or a famous person to help. Just be a human being
Here’s how:
And best of all, see them. Not as pests or a microscope, and not as decoration. Think of them as lives.
You may kick a dog, and the next day, the dog may come near. You may take no notice of a meowing kitten, and still, she will be hopeful that she will get fed. You may put a bird in a cage, and it will sing to you. They forgive. They trust. Even when they are not supposed to.
And perhaps that is the worst thing of all. Though we have fallen for them time and again, they still believe in our goodness.
Perhaps it is time we met their expectations. Perhaps we should get out of being cruel just because we dare to. Being kind should start happening because they can not ask to.
They do not require a lot. A sprig of love, A space of little distance, A small amount of protection And, perhaps, a world in which they do not live as an afterthought.
Well, we will grant that to them. The voiceless also have a say. You only need to care enough to listen to them.