STX: Animal Abuse...a sad irony

May 24, 2004 - After seeing off the last of last week's Animal Welfare Conference delegates, Paul Chakroff paused a moment before saying what he found most satisfying about the event.

"It went so well, it's hard to say, but I think it's the opportunity for so many people from the Caribbean to be able to come together to talk about common issues," Chakroff, executive director of the sponsoring St. Croix Animal Shelter, said. "They knew they were among friends with similar situations where they could find the emotional support they need." (See "Link Between Animal Abuse, Human Violence Explored".)

Participants from Puerto Rico and smaller Caribbean islands shared frustrations and concerns in a lively interchange of information over the three-day conference which ended on Sunday. The theme was "The Connection between Animal Abuse and Interpersonal Violence," and one of the most forceful speakers was a diminutive police officer, Lt. Sherry Schlueter from Florida, where animal abuse is a felony.

"Dog fighting and cock fighting are barbarous," Schlueter told the gathering of more than a hundred persons at the Buccaneer Hotel on St. Croix. "Come forward and speak. Don't accept this any more. Tell people it's not okay to abuse animals. Embarrass people out of it."

«Read the whole article at The St. Croix Source»

Today I learned of a horse that was apparently burned over 40% of its body by some vendetta-seeking psychos who had the bright idea of getting back at the owner of the horse by pouring gasoline on it and setting it alight.

Fortunately there are several local volunteers who are donating their time and expertise to work for the survival of the poor animal.

The result was apparently so bad that hardened criminals on an outside prison work detail who saw the horse at the Department of Agriculture reportedly teared up and turned their heads away at the sight.

I hope the people heartless punks responsible for this come to realize that in being capable of such an act, they have sentenced themselves to an unenviable life of steaming crap - even if the police don't catch them...And there is NO excuse for not catching these little monsters!

Hopefully the sad irony of the timing of this crime, so soon after an intra-regional conference on animal cruelty was held here, will cause our politicians who have been sitting on a local felony animal cruelty bill for years to be embarrassed enough to get off their sorry collective duffs and fast-track the bill into law.

The favored political excuse of such barbarities as dog and cock-fighting - much less horse burning - being some pathetic cultural tradition just doesn't hold water in this century - nor should it in this community.

Enough is enough.

Glass half full thought of the day: A shaving cream suit is apparently somewhat effective - in a pinch - at preventing infection from setting in with massive burns...At least for highly-medicated horses.