It would be wise to mention, before anyone gets the wrong idea and thinks the country is only filled with Americans who pretend to be English, that there are native English people in England (!) and while we have already learned you can't make generalizations about the entire population, I am prepared to say that on the whole, the people of England are a pretty animal-friendly bunch. The queen loves her Corgies, dogs are allowed in many pubs, trains and on the Tube, pet-friendly hotels and B&Bs are not hard to find, and my adorable dog gets a friendly smile anywhere she goes.
Of course, there are always exceptions. Meet Mary Bale. Last week, Mary, from Coventry, thought it would be "funny" to put a cat in a wheelie bin. She was caught on a security camera petting the cat (who was just minding her own business sitting on a wall), then picking her up by her scruff and quickly dropping her in the bin. The cat was finally found by her owners 15 hours later. Obviously a vile woman, but that is not the point of this post. The point is the surprisingly angry outcry which came from the public when this story made the headlines of almost every news outlet. Take a look at this article from the Telegraph....
Now I'm not condoning the death threats and sincerely hope that no harm comes to Mary Bale, but I honestly am happy to see the reaction (one I am not sure would be mirrored in America), no matter how over-the-top it might be. People who mistreat animals are bullies (the definition of a bully being a person who badgers and intimidates those smaller or weaker than himself) and I don't stand for bullies. I am glad to see I am not the only one.
No comments:
Post a Comment