“We exist in the same ecosystem and we can’t pretend like we’ve already harmed them enough. And if we want to sustain a planet or workable planet, we need to make sure we protect our animals because they’re the balance.” – Jessica Psychologist at New York Presbyterian
Animals have had some bad encounters with humans. Most humans think lightly of animals. While there are some people who love and protect animals. These types of bad encounters have happened over the years.
I have been a pet owner for over eighteen years. I adopted a cat on August 24, 2019, she was only a few months old when I took her in. She stole my heart during our first encounter and I felt really bad for her because she had to deal with so much at a very young age. I vowed to her that I will treat her like a princess. She is my first cat, her name is Dolly, but I call her Dappelku and Dark Chocolate Drizzle. Over the past year that I have spent with Dolly, she and I have grown a strong bond with each other. Dolly is now a year old and I am proud of how mature she has become.
My family got Minnie in 2009, Minnie is a Miniature Pinscher, I was 11-years-old at the time. I did not know what it was like to own a pet. As I got older I realized that Minnie was more than just a pet to me, I started taking care of her at an older age. Over the years my bond with Minnie grew stronger, Minnie is now 12-years-old. I also grew close to her because she and I have had a similar past. When I was younger I was mean to Minnie, I did not know better. Now I am giving her a chance, she stole my heart as well. Minnie is my baby, I’ll help her out when she needs my help.
I have grown attached to both Dolly and Minnie, I consider both of them my daughters. Dolly had many hardships when she was a few months old, which broke my heart and that led me into adopting her. I love Dolly because she is adorable and she and I grew a connection over a year since our first encounter. No kitten or puppy should suffer at a very young age. I have had 6Minnie for quite some time, I love Minnie because she is my little grown-up baby. Nothing can replace them, I will always love them no matter what. Through my encounters with my pets, I have learned the importance of catering to their emotions and well-being. I have learned to love animals, this has also led me toward advocating for their health and safety.
Animals are being hunted and held captive, all for barbaric intention. People have formed organizations and have begun advocating to support fighting the odds of animal abuse. These organizations have found much success in taking action against this matter mostly by fighting to enact certain laws that grant protection against animal abuse. The Animal Welfare Act of 1966, the Endangered Species Act of 1977, and the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 are the laws that have been implemented to protect animals. This has been an ongoing issue for centuries and still, presently we find ourselves with a million new reasons to continue the fight. This problem is taking place all over the world. People are getting away with baiting animals and mistreating our environment. This is due to the carelessness and detachment of humans and animals.
According to the Learning to Give site animal cruelty has been around since the 12th century. Animals, especially dogs should not be taught to fight each other, they are a part of nature like us and they do not know any better. Dogs and cats are defenseless animals. Just because they think and act differently than we do does not mean we can take advantage of them. Household pets, such as dogs and cats provide us with unconditional love, affection, attention, and support.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals approximately 3.3 dogs million and 3.2 million cats enter U.S animal shelters every year. Some pet owners abandon their animals. Dogs are more likely to be abused by their owners because some pet owners confuse discipline with abuse. In other words, for those pet owners who cannot distinguish the two are likely to think it is alright to continue to do that. Some cats tend to run away from their owners as well as being abandoned. Both cats and dogs suffer like us, but they cannot express it to us fully as we can to each other. According to American Humane, 56% of dogs and 71% of cats that enter animal shelters are euthanized. The unfortunate animals who are put to eternal sleep are the ones that no one gave homes to, This is likely to happen when shelters become overcrowded when animals have aggression towards shelter staff, and being extremely sick. This is very sad because those poor innocent animals are already going through so much and they have to go through another harsh process. These household animals should not have to suffer this severely. “Education is a big part of it and there needs to be awareness of what’s wrong and education about different ways to manage, different ways to help,” Richard Lopez, a Program Coordinator at the Uptown Hub who works well with youth and animals. Without managing your well-being and letting the negative energy accumulate into one can inflict stress upon the animals and people surrounding you.
Both humans and animals have been created to live in the same ecosystem. Mother Nature did not create animals for us to think that we are superior to them and God created both humans the same way as animals for the purpose of spreading love and kindness. Animals may not have the ability to vocalize what is bothering them and they also think like us. Animals also feel pain like we do, they suffer just like us, but the difference is they do not have many resources, whereas we have options. It is completely in our hands to receive help for ourselves or not. Yeah, there are imbalances to the human side of things as well, but we think and act differently than they do. Household pets cannot decide when they get help, we decide for them, but that does not mean that they are incapable of doing so. Some of us do not realize this, but cats and dogs sense our emotions and they react to our actions. Not just cats and dogs, but the other animals out there as well.
There are causes that lead people into harming our furry friends. “People are potentially suffering themselves and they don’t have healthy coping mechanisms and it comes out in a negative way. They grew up around it and they don’t know the right way to treat animals,” Willa Kendrick, a Program Coordinator at the Uptown Hub who loves animals and has strong feelings for them. She loves animals because she is an aunt of her family’s four cats and she had a dog before. Her dedication to working with youth is rivaled by her love of animals. It is true, some people have bad times growing up and without having the proper resources available, build up strong negative feelings inside them. Without the appropriate knowledge of mindfulness, it is difficult to pinpoint what calms you down and construct coping mechanisms, having those tools is a healthier way to manage anger or any emotion. Experiencing and witnessing abuse may conduct them into delivering the same treatment towards household pets.
During the course of my research, I was able to interview Jessica a Psychologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital who is knowledgeable in animal cruelty and rescue. She said, “This cause is important because our sustainability as a planet depends on that balance and can’t maintain balance if we don’t respect animals and their habitats. I think it’s imperative not only for their survival but for our survival as well.” Wild animals each serve a very unique purpose in our environmental cycle. Unfortunately, they are also baited and because of this, they are on the verge of extinction.
Tigers are approaching extinction due to poachers playing an absurd game. Tigers are endangered due to them diminishing from the world one after the other. This is very heart-breaking and some people conceal the reality side of this world and brush it off as normal. Some people get hunted by other people due to issues between those people. The person who pulls the trigger suffers the consequence and those who are shot suffer even greater than those who wield the gun. Tigers and other animals only have their claws and teeth for weapons, while we have firearms and concealed weapons. In other words, animals close in on us while we harm them from afar, most people have guns. Those who are utilizing guns are at a safer distance from harm than the animals who have no choice, but to come near them.
You don’t have to be a pet owner to understand and support animal abuse. Animals feel the way we feel, animals express themselves the way that we do, but they communicate it differently. Sometimes helping a cause is as simple as a signature. Together, anything is possible and we have the power to change the world, not only for ourselves but for our animals too.
Here are two videos to sooth your mind (I know I felt the same way writing this)
Untold Uptown 