Wanton Animal Cruelty - Where's the Deterrent?

[developer]

From an RSPCA report.

So the two guys dig out a fox from it's hole, and from what I could gather, suspended it by the tail over three terrier type dogs.

Children are present, as the fox meets a horrific end.

What did they get?

18 weeks suspended .

So basically nothing to discourage others.

Shameful.

 

[John]

Just like all crimes in this country - there is no deterrant.

 

[brucemillar]

From an RSPCA report.

So the two guys dig out a fox from it's hole, and from what I could gather, suspended it by the tail over three terrier type dogs.

Children are present, as the fox meets a horrific end.

What did they get?

18 weeks suspended .

So basically nothing to discourage others.

Shameful.

Some of them even get on horses and chase foxes before allowing the dogs to tear them up. But we call that sport, which makes it ok.

Running for cover as I hit send.

 

[camerafodder]

Some of them even get on horses and chase foxes before allowing the dogs to tear them up. But we call that sport, which makes it ok.

Running for cover as I hit send.

No need to run for cover Bruce, that practice has been illegal here since 2005 thankfully.

 

[Ted]

There is no sport in killing or hurting animals.
If an animal has to be dispatched for whatever reason -whether you agree or disagree with that reason, it should be done humanely.

Scum like this deserve to go to prison.

 

[developer]

Rather foolishly, they filmed it, leading to somebody shopping them.

I'm always amazed how people make a conscious decision to do these things - are they wired differently perhaps?

How that poor fox must have suffered.

 

[Scott_F]

There is no sport in killing or hurting animals.
If an animal has to be dispatched for whatever reason -whether you agree or disagree with that reason, it should be done humanely.

There can be an element of sport in killing animals for food. Although I haven't done it myself, shooting a game bird or other quarry with the correct type of firearm and then using it to feed yourself and your family must be quite satisfying.

Of course this is a million miles away from the actions described in the opening post.

 

[finisterre]

the same people often and frequently graduate to humans. I would save the human victims the bother by treating animal cruelty exactly as you would with a human victim. So it would be eighteen years. And tough.

 

[swannymere]

the same people often and frequently graduate to humans.

Not looking to troll anyone but do you have any evidence to back that up or is it just a belief?

 

[Paul/]

Not looking to troll anyone but do you have any evidence to back that up or is it just a belief?

sample result from a google search "animal cruelty agaisnt humans"-

Why we should all worry about cruelty to animals ? Telegraph Blogs

...a key point is that if a person is cruel to animals, their lack of morals leaves them at significant risk of being cruel to humans too.

 

[developer]

sample result from a google search "animal cruelty agaisnt humans"-

Why we should all worry about cruelty to animals ? Telegraph Blogs

...a key point is that if a person is cruel to animals, their lack of morals leaves them at significant risk of being cruel to humans too.

It's my belief that a lack of compassion is a lack of compassion and will show itself in many life situations.

As per the OP, with 18 weeks suspended, there's little or no risk to those who do these vile acts.

 

[finisterre]

It is actually worse than I thought.

Evidence of animal cruelty was found in 90% of households where child abuse was taking place. I haven't found any opposite direction stats yet though american law enforcement is trained to look for domestic abuse when animal cruelty cases arise.

 

[MD5]

It's my belief that a lack of compassion is a lack of compassion and will show itself in many life situations.

As per the OP, with 18 weeks suspended, there's little or no risk to those who do these vile acts.

As per the OP, this is outright sadistic cruelty, nothing to do with lacking compassion.

Surely, people who gratuitously inflict pain must understand it, and should therefore be similarly treated to get the "full" effects and experience? If only!

 

[pipmk]

There have always been people who get pleasure from being cruel, to other people or to other animals. It is a mind set and little or nothing will alter it, almost by definition these people do not learn from experience and do not think about possible consequences,either of their actions or the possibility of being caught and punished. Heavy sentences for any class of crime has never resulted in reduction of offending, some times it has had the opposite effect.

Shooting or fishing for the pot is in essence just like growing animals to eat. Chasing an inedible animal across fields with hounds in order to tear it to pieces is in a different class altogether, merely bear baiting with built in exercise.

 

[grober]

Nature is extremely cruel when viewed in the light of day . The dogs that tore that fox to bits were simply following instinct. What I find makes uneasy viewing nowadays is the anthropomorphism that appears to be creeping into wild life commentary in an attempt to make it more commercial . ----Follow the plucky struggle for survival of the cute Marsh lion pride cubs------ [as they disembowel a zebra while its still alive ] - they miss that bit out of course- can't put the little viewers off their tea after all.

 

[finisterre]

pip.
I wouldn't expect the threat of the sentence to act as a deterrent.
a heavy sentence for animal cruelty keeps a brute off the street.
And brutes have a tendency to end up imprisoned.
To my mind that works out as one less victim.

Plus cruelty is wrong whatever the nature of the victim. (win win)

 

[Paul/]

It's my belief that a lack of compassion is a lack of compassion and will show itself in many life situations.

I think that Compassion is the key distinction between human cruelty and the cruelty of nature, both of which are covered by the definition (Oxford Dictionaries) cruelty = "wilfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern about it". (accepting for the sake of argument that even nature causes wilful suffering through certain competitive behaviours).

Nature is indifferent to suffering, it's part of the process of natural selection. Humans however (even those that lack compassion), are conscious of suffering.

And yet, some animal behaviours appear to demonstrate more compassion than some humans...