Why Should We Care? It's Just An Animal!

As a Christian who works with animals and for tighter animal abuse legislation, I'm often asked 'where is the compassion for people?'  This is a valid question, tho in my mind there is no 'either/or' -- we all have gifts in different areas, and we're to use them to better conditions for all of God's creation.

But the answer is more complex, and multi-faceted. For starters, the issues cannot be separated, and animal rights is very much a human rights issue.  Animal abuse is about people too, for there is a high correlation between violence toward animals and that toward people. The 'triad of sociopathy' includes arson, enuresis and animal cruelty. In lay terms: most sociopaths have in common histories of fire-starting, bed-wetting and animal abuse. Most violent offenders in our max-security prisons started out 'practicing' on animals before graduating to torturing people. Jeffrey Dahmer is a classic example of this: he'd kill neighbors' pets, skin them and hang their skulls on his family's picket fence. (His mother thought he was just interested in biology. Imagine that.)

Also of concern for the welfare of people is that dogs who are neglected and/or abused - especially those who are isolated and chained - can become aggressive toward people. Not only is it cruel to keep a pack animal alone,  tethered and unsocialized, it also creates a hazard for anyone that comes in range of that dog's territory, and the community at large, if the animal escapes. We need look no further than the recent orca tragedy at Sea World to see how dangerous it can be to keep an animal out of its natural habitat. (Killer whales normally swim over 100 miles a day in the wild;  confine one to a pool and you have disaster waiting to happen.)

Another reason that all people should be concerned with animal cruelty is the correlation between animal abuse and domestic violence. Where there is abuse to a household pet, often there is violence at other levels in the home: the spouse, the children, etc. And anyone who thinks a dogfight is 'entertaining'  or 'sport' will likely be desensitized to human suffering as well.  Fortunately there are vet clinics that are willing to board the household pets of abused women and children while they are in a shelter, protected from the abuser.

On a spiritual level, we are entrusted with stewardship of creation, ie taking good care of all that is created - including people, animals and the earth. On a personal level, I take seriously the charge to 'speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, defend those who cannot defend themselves...' (Proverbs 31:8-)  

Or as St. Francis of Assisi (the patron saint of animals) said: 'Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission - to be of service to them wherever they require it.'

And for what its worth, I have given as much to aid human victims of disasters, as I have toward animal causes, as suffering of any of us affects all of us.

Abraham Lincoln once said: 'I care not much for a man's religion whose cats and dogs aren't the better for it.'

 Amen to that!