Flames of Cruelty :: Mercy

Some things are painful to see, just because of how horrifying and repulsive they are. This story was about a young, 10-month old pitbull-mix puppy, who was stabbed and mutilated for no apparent reason, then doused in gasoline and set on fire by 21 year-old Deshawn Quatrail Brown. The result, burn scars covering 60% of her body, and a weakened heart. Fortunately, a passerby noticed her plight and immediately brought her to Operation Kindness, a veterinarian office for mistreated or abused animals. However, even with all the care given to her, Mercy's heart gave out on April 23, 2006, leaving this world forever, to be in a better, less hate-filled, place.

In my mind, the human behavior is now the #1 m. To even think that someone could be that cruel to an innocent animal just enrages me beyond thought. This is a real story, a real event, and Mercy the pitbull was a real person too. How can we stand aside and let these things happen? These are the injustices that we are required, as citizens of America to stop and remedy. Poor Mercy was just 1 story that got publicized, 1 out of the millions that are out there. Ask yourself, "Does this matter to me? Does this story make my heart ache? Does this story make me want to do something?", and if the answer to any of those questions is "No", then there is something wrong with your heart.

Evidence:

• Every year, 6 to 8 million dogs and cats enter shelters, and 3 to 4 million shelter dogs and cats are killed.
• More than 25 million vertebrate animals are used in testing in the United States each year—this means monkeys, dogs, cats, rabbits, mice, birds, farm animals, and still other sentient beings. After the experiments conclude, 97% of the animals who have survived the research are killed.
• Close to 14,000 cases of animal cruelty were documented in 2009, this doesn't include the illegal tests, nor does it include the animals mass produced and slaughtered for food.
• Many abusers kill, harm, or threaten children’s pets to coerce them into sexual abuse or to force them to remain silent about abuse.
• Disturbed children kill or harm animals to emulate their parents’ conduct, to prevent the abuser from killing the pet, or to take out their aggressions on another victim.

Questions:

• Was Deshawn Quatrail Brown harboring hatred against animals?
• How many cases are there that weren't documented?
• To say nothing, to do nothing, stops nothing... So what will people do when they hear about these statistics?

Source:
Daines, Maria. "Mercy, the Innocent Victim." Operation Kindness. 12 December, 2006
"Facts About Animal Abuse & Domestic Violence." The Newsroom. 19 July, 2006