(HK) SCMP Editorial - Animal cruelty has no place in civilised society

[Guest guest]

South China Morning Post

Editorial 2008-05-15

 

Animal cruelty has no place in civilised society

 

 

The courts occasionally impose penalties that arouse public debate as to

whether they fit the crime. Judges and magistrates are usually in the

best position, however, to weigh deterrence against rehabilitation and

the community interest.

 

Such debate is nonetheless a healthy sounding board for current

community opinion. A case in point is the jailing of two men yesterday

for three and four months for animal cruelty. A magistrate heard that

the pair was among a group that went looking for stray cats in Siu Sai

Wan and that they beat one to death with a pole.

 

Jail is a harsh penalty. The offence in this case was neither a crime

against the person nor against property. Nonetheless, it was a callous

breach of the law protecting the welfare of animals. As such, it was an

affront to the sensibilities of a civilised society. The magistrate

rightly described the case as serious and disturbing, and observed the

absence of any hint of sympathy from the pair.

 

Sadly, animal cruelty remains an issue. Despite this city's love affair

with dogs, thousands are put to death in pounds each month because they

have been abandoned. Many are strays that have been adopted to guard

construction sites and then left to fend for themselves. Just as many

are pets that fall victim to the city's fast-paced lifestyle. Their

owners find them either too difficult to care for or too expensive, and

put them on the streets. Animal rights groups try to find homes for

them, but there is only so much they can do.

 

Life can indeed be difficult for pet owners, particularly those with

dogs and who live in high-rises. With a few exceptions, they are denied

even controlled access to public parks for exercise. There are few parks

and restaurants in Hong Kong with provisions for dogs and other pets.

 

However, just as a society is judged by the way it cares for its

elderly, sick, disadvantaged and underprivileged, the depth of its

compassion can be measured by its respect for all living things. The

killing of the cat was a bad case of cruelty to animals. While the

sentences may seem harsh, the magistrate was right to send a clear

message that the law will not tolerate gratuitous violence to animals.