When Silence is Not Golden

 

When your neighbour is beating the crap out of his dog, silence is not golden.

When your boyfriend is playing inappropriate “games” with your daughter, silence is not golden.

When you have information or suspicions that could save a life and you choose to look the other way, silence is not golden.

While you may not have been the one to withhold food from the dog that slowly starved to death, or raised your hand to beat the child, not doing anything to try and stop these horrors, makes you complicit in the abuse. Perhaps not from a legal standpoint, but certainly from a moral one.

Take a moment to think about the horrific cases of cruelty you read about. If someone had stepped in, called the authorities, how many of these stories would have had a different ending?

Am I suggesting spying on friends and neighbors? Sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong? Putting yourself, or your family, in harm’s way? Of course not. What I am suggesting is keeping your eyes open, being aware of what’s going on around you.

Every time I turn around, there’s another animal cruelty story. Someone cutting a cat in half; a half starved dog thrown down a garbage chute; hoarders accumulating animals, then leaving them to wither away from lack of food and veterinary care; bleach sprayed in the eyes of a dog tied to a tree, to name just a few.

It goes without saying, I’m heartsick by the cruelty that seems to know no bounds.

What makes me even sicker, is knowing many could have been spared, if only someone cared enough to come forward.

I find myself asking the same questions, time and time again: Did no one know, or have an inkling of what was going on? Where were the neighbors? Friends? Family?

Is it really possible that a dog can be left to die in a backyard, and no one notices?

It’s reprehensible that the average kind and caring person can lock their doors, pull the shades down lower, and turn the television on louder so they can drown out the sounds of suffering.

The sadistic, sociopathic and evil among us, will always torture the defenceless. They should not be excused, nor exempt from punishment, but instead should be made to experience consequences for their actions.

How will that happen without compassionate people standing up, and calling attention to their crimes?

Will reporting cruelty guarantee it will end? Of course not! That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying.

Call your local police station, or animal control facility and ask them how to report an abuse case. In my experience, calls have remained anonymous, but please check to make sure.

Do I sound angry? Frustrated? You bet I am!  

In a civilised society, each person that harms an animal must be punished. Every single case must carry with it a penalty; the more serious the crime, the more severe the punishment.  

A loud message must be sent, once and for all, that we will no longer stand by and allow animals to be tortured for peoples’ amusement. We will not be afraid to report them, and they will pay for their crimes.

Animals are beaten, tortured, and starved every single day across this country, and around the world. Each one of you is responsible for stepping up, and helping these defenceless creatures.

It takes one simple phone call. Believe me, once you do it, it will be a whole lot easier to look in the mirror.