(SG) When Carmen lost her hair...

[Guest guest]

When Carmen lost her hair...

Voices // Friday, January 18, 2008

Today Online

 

When Carmen lost her hair...

A tale of rejection

 

THIS is Carmen's story: " I was taken away from my mummy as a baby but was

quickly adopted by a new family. Perhaps, I was too trusting but I believed that

if I gave my love, that was enough.

 

" Just after my first birthday, I started getting a rash that the doctor said

might be genetic. I never complained, trusting that my family would help me

through it.

 

" Little did I realise they had already decided that I was too much of a burden.

 

" One day, they bundled me into the car. I thought we were going for a nice walk

but instead they stopped near a deep canal and threw me in. I cried and cried

but they just walked away.

 

" I spent my days in fear and hunger. There was no day or night, only darkness.

My only companions were the rats hovering nearby, waiting for me to die. With no

food and only sewage water to sustain me, I thought it was only a matter of time

… "

 

It makes your blood boil to read it, doesn't it?

 

Now, here's the catch: Carmen is a dog. She was found by an Action for Singapore

Dogs volunteer starving and completely bald. It took five long months of caring

before she could be restored to the beautiful Boxer she once was.

 

If she were human, we would have had communities baying for blood and

authorities scouring the country to bring her adopted family to justice.

 

But seeing as she is " only " an animal, hers would just be yet another sad story

of abuse and neglect.

 

It is not the first and it definitely will not be the last.

 

" Don't be such a bleeding-heart animal-rights activist, " some people say when I

start telling them stories like Carmen's. " They're only animals. Shouldn't you

be more concerned about humans? "

 

Why should I? Humans have lots of people fighting for them already and they can

speak up for themselves; animals cannot.

 

Research has shown that the true mark of civilisation is how we treat lesser

beings.

 

The more gracious a society is, the more it is likely to look after animals.

Carmen was thrown into a drain where many people passed by but did not bother

doing anything.

 

I wonder what that says about us as a society?

 

A few years ago, I went on holiday abroad. The first day was wonderful, with

great service, good food … and friendly stray dogs that were the delight of all

the guests.

 

The next day, four grim men strode towards the dogs. The dogs trustingly came

forward expecting the usual pats.

 

Instead, they had their necks placed in a cruel noose and dragged, whining and

choking, across the lawn, in full sight of all the hotel guests.

 

I burst into tears. The woman beside me lost her appetite. The hotel explained

that they got rid of the dogs " so that you could have a better stay " .

 

We all checked out the next day, appalled that our comfort came at such a cost.

 

Animal abuse has dark repercussions on the human world, too. When the Federal

Bureau of Investigation (FBI) examined the lives of serial and sexual killers,

cruelty to animals regularly appeared in their childhoods.

 

Mr Robert Ressler, who has spent 16 years with the FBI's Behavioural Science

Unit, noted: " The torturing and kill-ing of animals would be a rehearsal for

what was to come later in life. "

 

Mass murderer Jeffrey Dahmer, for instance, used to cut up animals, stick their

heads on sticks and show them to other children.

 

An Australian Institute of Criminology study released last month found that

three out of 11 Australian serial killers abused animals first before moving on

to people.

 

A study by Northeastern University found that 70 per cent of animal abusers had

at least one other criminal record and 40 per cent had committed violent crimes

against people.

 

So should we not be worried there are so many serial cat killers in Singapore?

Every few months, we hear of cats being tortured or killed here. In 2006, more

than 20 cats were found dead in the western part of the island, strangled with

shoelaces, heads smashed in or throats burned.

 

The case is still unsolved. Maybe the killer has reformed or maybe he has just

moved on to other — bigger — things.

 

You see, it is not so bleeding heart to be concerned about animal abuse. We

humans have vested interest in catching and punishing the abusers — unless you

fancy meeting in a dark alley a cat killer who has decided to try humans for a

change?

..

Tabitha Wang would love to adopt Carmen but can't fit her into an HDB flat. If

you can, call Action for Singapore Dogs at 9259 0698 or email

info.

 

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/232808.asp

-----------------------------

Action For Singapore Dogs:

 

Carmen was in the drain for about a month. Her story and photos on this Action

For Singapore Dogs page:

 

http://www.asdsingapore.com/index.php?option=com_content & task=view & id=1650 & Itemi\

d=72

[Guest guest]

Tragically it happen everyday, and the condition is more serious in Asian

coutries with crowd population. Ironically, some societies has banned or even

terrorize the person who works in take caring the stray animals, and make the

works harder.

I think pushing the local government to make the law against giving up the pets

and cruilty in animals is necessary. It is also helpful to arrange the people

who care about this issue to gather together and to find the way out. Spreading

the information about how the stray ones feel is not always enough in weakening

some people's heart.

 

 

aapn: cateanna: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:09:53

+1100 (SG) When Carmen lost her hair...

 

 

 

 

When Carmen lost her hair... Voices // Friday, January 18, 2008Today Online When

Carmen lost her hair...A tale of rejectionTHIS is Carmen's story: " I was taken

away from my mummy as a baby but was quickly adopted by a new family. Perhaps, I

was too trusting but I believed that if I gave my love, that was enough. " Just

after my first birthday, I started getting a rash that the doctor said might be

genetic. I never complained, trusting that my family would help me through

it. " Little did I realise they had already decided that I was too much of a

burden. " One day, they bundled me into the car. I thought we were going for a

nice walk but instead they stopped near a deep canal and threw me in. I cried

and cried but they just walked away. " I spent my days in fear and hunger. There

was no day or night, only darkness. My only companions were the rats hovering

nearby, waiting for me to die. With no food and only sewage water to sustain me,

I thought it was only a matter of time � " It makes your blood boil to read it,

doesn't it?Now, here's the catch: Carmen is a dog. She was found by an Action

for Singapore Dogs volunteer starving and completely bald. It took five long

months of caring before she could be restored to the beautiful Boxer she once

was.If she were human, we would have had communities baying for blood and

authorities scouring the country to bring her adopted family to justice.But

seeing as she is " only " an animal, hers would just be yet another sad story of

abuse and neglect.It is not the first and it definitely will not be the

last. " Don't be such a bleeding-heart animal-rights activist, " some people say

when I start telling them stories like Carmen's. " They're only animals.

Shouldn't you be more concerned about humans? " Why should I? Humans have lots of

people fighting for them already and they can speak up for themselves; animals

cannot.Research has shown that the true mark of civilisation is how we treat

lesser beings.The more gracious a society is, the more it is likely to look

after animals. Carmen was thrown into a drain where many people passed by but

did not bother doing anything.I wonder what that says about us as a society?A

few years ago, I went on holiday abroad. The first day was wonderful, with great

service, good food � and friendly stray dogs that were the delight of all the

guests.The next day, four grim men strode towards the dogs. The dogs trustingly

came forward expecting the usual pats.Instead, they had their necks placed in a

cruel noose and dragged, whining and choking, across the lawn, in full sight of

all the hotel guests.I burst into tears. The woman beside me lost her appetite.

The hotel explained that they got rid of the dogs " so that you could have a

better stay " .We all checked out the next day, appalled that our comfort came at

such a cost.Animal abuse has dark repercussions on the human world, too. When

the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) examined the lives of serial and

sexual killers, cruelty to animals regularly appeared in their childhoods.Mr

Robert Ressler, who has spent 16 years with the FBI's Behavioural Science Unit,

noted: " The torturing and kill-ing of animals would be a rehearsal for what was

to come later in life. " Mass murderer Jeffrey Dahmer, for instance, used to cut

up animals, stick their heads on sticks and show them to other children.An

Australian Institute of Criminology study released last month found that three

out of 11 Australian serial killers abused animals first before moving on to

people.A study by Northeastern University found that 70 per cent of animal

abusers had at least one other criminal record and 40 per cent had committed

violent crimes against people.So should we not be worried there are so many

serial cat killers in Singapore? Every few months, we hear of cats being

tortured or killed here. In 2006, more than 20 cats were found dead in the

western part of the island, strangled with shoelaces, heads smashed in or

throats burned.The case is still unsolved. Maybe the killer has reformed or

maybe he has just moved on to other � bigger � things.You see, it is not so

bleeding heart to be concerned about animal abuse. We humans have vested

interest in catching and punishing the abusers � unless you fancy meeting in a

dark alley a cat killer who has decided to try humans for a change?.Tabitha Wang

would love to adopt Carmen but can't fit her into an HDB flat. If you can, call

Action for Singapore Dogs at 9259 0698 or email

info://www.todayonline.com/articles/232808.asp------------\

-----------------Action For Singapore Dogs:Carmen was in the drain for about a

month. Her story and photos on this Action For Singapore Dogs

page:http://www.asdsingapore.com/index.php?option=com_content & task=view & id=1650 & \

Itemid=72

 

 

 

 

 

 

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