My husband has tried to ban me from watching Animal Planet, mainly because of the 'Animal Cops' episodes that tend to not only send me into verbal tirades, but also upset to the point of tears because I just don't understand how any person can treat any living hing in such a way. Recently I snuck one in on him. He was playing some online game and I watched an 'Animal Cops' filmed in Florida. It centered on a man running a farm where the animals were so neglected that they were fed garbage scavenged from dumpsters, their only water was puddles left over from recent rain, and dead animals were left to rot where they fell. The animals left alive were diseased, injured with no veterinary care, and emaciated. Of course I was upset by this episode. My husband was upset with me for watching it. He wonders why I watch things like this, read any story about animal abuse, or even volunteer at out local shelter when I get so upset by the abuse I see.
I think anyone who is concerned in any way with Animal Rights is upset by actually seeing the abuses animals suffer every single day. It can be overwhelming. The problem is it doesn't just go away because we turn the channel or don't read the story. Is this entry a statement advocating total immersion in the world of Animal Rights? It most certainly is not. We can all be involved and help in a multitude of different ways. The stalemate happens when we decide the problem is to big and ugly to face, and we turn the other way. You don't have to read the story, you don't have to watch the show, and you don't have work at the shelter. Find an Animal Rights organization you feel comfortable with, and do what you can-just do something.
