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Does the Thought of Animals Suffering Bother You?

Does the Thought of Animals Suffering Bother You?

  • Total voters
    65
Lovebug said:
I should make it very clear that I really don't condone violence of any sort, but justice, or call it just punishment, should be discussed by those in authority.
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Those are generally the very people with the least clue, being consumed by self-interest.
 
spud_meister said:
On behalf of my pet scorpion, **** you. :2razz:
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I hope "pet" scorpion means you fight it against other scorpions to the death, thats the type of animal cruelty I can really get behind
 
DiAnna said:
I know it's illogical, because in the wild animals torture and eat each other,
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The way I see it is, we know better - they don't. (I'm not saying I am against eating animals, I am not at all but we should be raising and slaughtering them as humanely as possible)
 
DiAnna said:
Words cannot express how upset I get even reading stories about what people have done to helpless animals. It hits me viscerally. I'm the one who instantly flips the channel when images of tortured animals suddenly appear on the screen. I live in a rural county, and newspaper photos of emaciated horses left to starve and die of thirst make me literally break into tears.

I know it's illogical, because in the wild animals torture and eat each other, but when it comes to domesticated pets being abused for sport, or game animals suffering with multiple arrows just because some idiot wanted target practice, I just get crazy. I simply can't allow myself to dwell on this kind of evil because it eats me up inside. :(
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I don't think it's illogical.

Nature is non-sentient. Wild animals having a rough time is nobody's fault. No one intentionally decided to make that animal suffer. Nature is just unforgiving at times. Bad seasons happen. Body parts fail. Battles are lost. That's life - that's nature.

Those animals that live with and around humans who suffer have come to that fate through intent. A human has decided to torment them, or alternatively they've intentionally decided not to honor their promise to provide for an animal who can't provide for itself.

I think that is why it is so much more horrible. Nature has no intent. People do.
 
NoC_T said:
I agree unreservedly. Especially regarding the dog fighting scum. Were there justice in this world, they'd have their eyes gouged out, before being secured to a concrete floor and having their limbs smashed to pulp with sledge hammers, then left to die from their injuries.
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Don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel. Lol.
 
X Factor said:
Lol, it totally sounds like you'd resent your poor dog for his ear infection or want a medal for actually buying him something he needs.
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No, I'm doing no such thing, just pointing out why you're wrong in your insinuations, and you're getting more and more off-base with them.

I'd easily spend whatever necessary for my dogs without a second thought what someone who believes animal cruelty should be legal thinks.
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You'd spend thousands on a pet "without a second thought?" Yeah, okay.

Well, assuming that was true, it's still your money, so that's your business. Maybe you're one of the aforementioned folks for whom thousands of dollars is peanuts. For most folks, it isn't.
 
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JayDubya said:
No, I'm doing no such thing, just pointing out why you're wrong in your insinuations.
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Ok. Fair enough.

You'd spend thousands on a pet "without a second thought?" Yeah, okay. Well, assuming that was true, it's still your money, so that's your business. Maybe you're one of the aforementioned folks for whom thousands of dollars is peanuts.
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It's true, in fact in the case of one of my dogs that I no longer have, her final bill between the emergency vet and our regular vet was right at about $1000 and I would have paid more if it could have saved her. It's true though, that while a couple thousand is definitely not peanuts to me, I'm not financially strapped either.
 
JayDubya said:
No, I'm doing no such thing, just pointing out why you're wrong in your insinuations, and you're getting more and more off-base with them.



You'd spend thousands on a pet "without a second thought?" Yeah, okay.

Well, assuming that was true, it's still your money, so that's your business. Maybe you're one of the aforementioned folks for whom thousands of dollars is peanuts. For most folks, it isn't.
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Some of us simply care about our pets and recognize their well-being as valid, that's all.

I easily spent thousands on my last cat's care, back when that was a significant little slice of my yearly income. I have many friends who've done similar.

It is not weird to have compassion for other creatures and feel responsible for maximizing their happiness when we have taken them into our homes to join our families. It's common, actually. Hard to fathom, I know.
 
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JayDubya said:
No, I'm doing no such thing, just pointing out why you're wrong in your insinuations, and you're getting more and more off-base with them.



You'd spend thousands on a pet "without a second thought?" Yeah, okay.

Well, assuming that was true, it's still your money, so that's your business. Maybe you're one of the aforementioned folks for whom thousands of dollars is peanuts. For most folks, it isn't.
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X Factor said:
Ok. Fair enough.



It's true, in fact in the case of one of my dogs that I no longer have, her final bill between the emergency vet and our regular vet was right at about $1000 and I would have paid more if it could have saved her. It's true though, that while a couple thousand is definitely not peanuts to me, I'm not financially strapped either.
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SmokeAndMirrors said:
Some of us simply care about our pets and recognize their well-being as valid, that's all.

I easily spent thousands on my last cat's care, back when that was a significant little slice of my yearly income. I have many friends who've done similar.

It is not weird to have compassion for other creatures and feel responsible for maximizing their happiness when we have taken them into our homes to join our families. It's common, actually. Hard to fathom, I know.
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Yeesh. And this is why I don't have pets.

It sounds like having kids, but with less pay off in the end. :lol:
 
Gathomas88 said:
Yeesh. And this is why I don't have pets.

It sounds like having kids, but with less pay off in the end. :lol:
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Hey, my cat can entertain herself for 12 hours and she'll never try to get me to buy her a car. I get lots of pay-off. Pets are just pure enjoyment, except when they're sick. They don't have any drama. They just exist, and adore you existing with them.

I'd say more like a kinda dim friend than a kid. :lol: And who doesn't like more friends?

And like my pets, I have spent quite a fair bit of money on my human friends and loved ones as well. That's what it's for, far as I'm concerned.
 
Gathomas88 said:
Yeesh. And this is why I don't have pets.

It sounds like having kids, but with less pay off in the end. :lol:
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It's all good, Gath. I used to volunteer at an animal shelter and I was kind of, well, terrible at the adoption aspect of it because I didn't try to press a dog or cat onto someone who didn't want them. I figured reluctance was not the best way to be receptive to a new pet. Animals are a pretty long term financial commitment (if they're to be cared for properly) and I can totally respect someone recognizing that it's not for them.
 
SmokeAndMirrors said:
Hey, my cat can entertain herself for 12 hours and she'll never try to get me to buy her a car. I get lots of pay-off. Pets are just pure enjoyment, except when they're sick. They don't have any drama. They just exist, and adore you existing with them.

I'd say more like a kinda dim friend than a kid. :lol: And who doesn't like more friends?

And like my pets, I have spent quite a fair bit of money on my human friends and loved ones as well. That's what it's for, far as I'm concerned.
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To each their own, of course. I guess it'd be kind of interesting to have some miniature creature running around the house, doing its own quirky little things. I doubt I'd really know what to do with it, however.

I'd be more liable to go for a pet that doubles as a project, myself - like a reptile, or an aquarium full of tropical fish. The latter is basically like your own little world, painted in shades of neon purple, orange, blue, and yellow.

But, yea... You want to talk about expensive hobbies, that'd pretty much break the bank. :lol:

X Factor said:
It's all good, Gath. I used to volunteer at an animal shelter and I was kind of, well, terrible at the adoption aspect of it because I didn't try to press a dog or cat onto someone who didn't want them. I figured reluctance was not the best way to be receptive to a new pet. Animals are a pretty long term financial commitment (if they're to be cared for properly) and I can totally respect someone recognizing that it's not for them.
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Don't get me wrong. I can understand why some might be inclined to dote on their pets.

I do see J's point as well, however. I'd be reluctant to sink that kind of money on something with little utilitarian use.

Then again, though, as I already said, that's why I don't own pets right now. :shrug:
 
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Gathomas88 said:
To each their own, of course. I guess it'd be kind of interesting to have some miniature creature running around the house, doing its own quirky little things. I doubt I'd really know what to do with it, however.

I'd be more liable to go for a pet that doubles as a project, myself - like a reptile, or tropical fish. The latter is basically like your own little world, painted in shades of neon purple, orange, blue, and yellow.

But, yea... You want to talk about expensive hobbies, that'd pretty much break the bank. :lol:
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Yup. It is of course better not to have pets if you don't think you can commit to them.

It is interesting. I've been teaching my friend how to understand my kitty (she's had much more experience with dogs). You really have to treat it like you have a tame and amicable, yet wild creature in your house. That's what cats really are, and that has to be your mindset if you actually want to be their friend. They aren't fully domestic. You have to meet them half-way.

They come to you, and they dictate how much contact is too much -- something that's hard for dog people to get, initially. They like humans, and they like affection, and some humans they even love (like territorial breeds of dogs, they tend to be one-human critters). But it must be on their terms or they will simply regard you as a lunatic that they should avoid.

But they're great to watch even when they don't want to snuggle. That's when the crazy comes out. They're wild-eyed daredevils when the mood takes them.

I've always thought reptiles and fish were fascinating, but I have always found myself gravitating towards the more interactive mammals who can free-roam in the house. Weird as it sounds, I've always found the maintenance to be daunting. I might still have a small fish tank someday. They are indeed beautiful.
 
Gathomas88 said:
To each their own, of course. I guess it'd be kind of interesting to have some miniature creature running around the house, doing its own quirky little things. I doubt I'd really know what to do with it, however.

I'd be more liable to go for a pet that doubles as a project, myself - like a reptile, or an aquarium full of tropical fish. The latter is basically like your own little world, painted in shades of neon purple, orange, blue, and yellow.

But, yea... You want to talk about expensive hobbies, that'd pretty much break the bank. :lol:



Don't get me wrong. I can understand why some might be inclined to dote on their pets.

I do see J's point as well, however. I'd be reluctant to sink that kind of money on something with little utilitarian use.

Then again, though, as I already said, that's why I don't own pets right now. :shrug:
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Well and don't get me wrong. When I saw that you had posted in this thread, I knew it wasn't going to be to express profound appreciation for animals or a belief that they're worth the money necessary to keep them well and healthy. Lol. If anything, your post was milder than I thought it would be.
 
X Factor said:
Well and don't get me wrong. When I saw that you had posted in this thread, I knew it wasn't going to be to express profound appreciation for animals or a belief that they're worth the money necessary to keep them well and healthy. Lol. If anything, your post was milder than I thought it would be.
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Well... Gee, man. Thanks for the vote of confidence. :lol:

For the record, I don't have anything against animals. I do think, however, that one should keep their affections for them in perspective.

The kind of person prone to say things along the lines of "I'd save my dog before a person in distress" annoys me to no end.
 
SmokeAndMirrors said:
Yup. It is of course better not to have pets if you don't think you can commit to them.

It is interesting. I've been teaching my friend how to understand my kitty (she's had much more experience with dogs). You really have to treat it like you have a tame and amicable, yet wild creature in your house. That's what cats really are, and that has to be your mindset if you actually want to be their friend. They aren't fully domestic. You have to meet them half-way.

They come to you, and they dictate how much contact is too much -- something that's hard for dog people to get, initially. They like humans, and they like affection, and some humans they even love (like territorial breeds of dogs, they tend to be one-human critters). But it must be on their terms or they will simply regard you as a lunatic that they should avoid.

But they're great to watch even when they don't want to snuggle. That's when the crazy comes out. They're wild-eyed daredevils when the mood takes them.

I've always thought reptiles and fish were fascinating, but I have always found myself gravitating towards the more interactive mammals who can free-roam in the house. Weird as it sounds, I've always found the maintenance to be daunting. I might still have a small fish tank someday. They are indeed beautiful.
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I'll certainly admit to being a bit intrigued by some of the videos relating to cats I've seen around the web. I've never really experienced that sort of thing first hand, however, at least not for an extended period of time.

My mother had rather nasty allergies while I was growing up, so we were limited to pets that could be contained in one area, like hamsters, or gerbils. Frankly, even then, we tended not to keep them for very long.

Apart from that, the nearest comparable things to pets we had would probably be my younger siblings. :lol:
 
Gathomas88 said:
Well... Gee, man. Thanks for the vote of confidence. :lol:
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Sometimes you like to post like a douche (not saying you are one) just to piss people off. I figured this thread would look awfully ripe to you. :D

For the record, I don't have anything against animals. I do think, however, that one should keep their affections for them in perspective.
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No offense intended but I'm not at all sure why you think you really have any say in what the proper "perspective" should be regarding their pets. If you don't have any affinity for animals, good for you. I really mean that. It probably makes your life easier to not give a ****. Sometimes I would prefer it if this wasn't a point of such strong sensitivity for me. At the same time, if you don't understand it you also don't get to credibly argue that everyone should be as indifferent as you or that that's the "right" way to be.

The kind of person prone to say things along the lines of "I'd save my dog before a person" annoys me to no end.
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Mmmmm ok (I probably would though).
 
X Factor said:
Sometimes you like to post like a douche (not saying you are one) just to piss people off. I figured this thread would look awfully ripe to you. :D
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Admittedly, I do occasionally grow tired of pleasantries and opt to cut straight to the point instead.

If I'm going to deliberately "post like a douche," however, it's probably because someone's pissed me off. :lol:

No offense intended but I'm not at all sure why you think you really have any say in what the proper "perspective" should be regarding their pets. If you don't have any affinity for animals, good for you. I really mean that. It probably makes your life easier to not give a ****. Sometimes I would prefer it if this wasn't a point of such strong sensitivity for me. At the same time, if you don't understand it you also don't get to credibly argue that everyone should be as indifferent as you or that that's the "right" way to be.

Mmmmm ok (I probably would though).
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Well... Again, to each their own.

Suffice to say, however, my reaction to someone who actually were to, say, allow my child (or, really, anyone's child, or even an adult, for that matter) to drown or burn to death in a fire because they were more concerned with their dog than a fellow human being would probably be rather negative. It would probably be severely negative, in point of fact, if not outright violent, depending on the circumstances.

I mean... Yea. I understand the affection. However, there's a difference between having an "affinity for animals," as you put it, and basically acting like that one spazzy stereotypically useless ultra-prissy, hysterical, or irrational guy/gal in most action, horror, or adventure movies that basically everyone in the audience desperately wants to see get shot.

The kind of behavior described above would rather squarely put a person in that latter category, IMO.

Then again, however, I'm not the most sensitive type anyway, and that part of my personality has probably only been exacerbated by my choice of career. As such, you can feel free to pay the grouchy guy in the corner no mind in this regard, if you so choose. :lol:
 
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Truthfully, it depends on the animal for me. I'm usually greatly disturbed by animals suffering though and I have a hard time killing bugs, unless they are those things with a thousand legs that live in the shower.
 
X Factor said:
He's saying he can do anything with his dogs he wants to. Someone where I live left a dog in a garage when they moved away. The dog, of course, starved to death. That makes me angry and sad for the dog. Jay thinks that's perfectly fine and would do nothing to intervene even if he could. I honestly don't know why people like him even have dogs.
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So they can treat a living creature that is dependent on them the way they wish they could treat, say, women, or their boss, or other ppl?

Why do ppl have kids and then abuse them? It's easy (for the male at least) to have kids, or take in some animal they found on the road, then take out their anger/psychotic aggression on them.

My dad did this with a pet, though i was too young to remember. He took in two cats he found, decided one of them was 'annoying', then deliberately ran it over with his car. He would later tell this story in a "this is what happens when someone messes with me" kind of way
 
All animals -- including pets and those we eat as food -- should be treated with care, dignity and compassion. Every single one of them. When I think of factory farming, fur farming and all other indignities we commit against animals, I feel shame for my species. Animals are our greatest asset and should be treated as so. There are few things I feel strong about... this is one of them.
 
Maybe as a child but nowadays no not really. If an animal dies my life goes on. I don't like when animals that are essential to the ecosystem are tampered with because it directly effects the way I live and eat but other than that, it doesn't really bother me.
 
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