Hello, my friends.
I'm not here today to participate in any initiative, but rather to discuss something I've discussed with my wife and that some friends also repeat: you can't be a good person if you mistreat an animal.
This isn't a law of life, although it could be. Just as you may or may not agree with me. Allow me to present my arguments, and in the end, you'll tell me.
There are several forms of abuse, as everyone should know. The most well-known, the one that comes to mind when we hear the word, is physical violence and beatings. What can we expect from those people who, simply because they can, hit an animal? They aren't always lethal beatings; sometimes it's an abuse of power, a short burst of blows.
I've witnessed people who hate cats, for example, and who throw hot water on them or tie things to their tails so they run away in terror until they fall to their death from fear or are hit by a car.
I've also seen those who mistreat their dogs simply to demonstrate their power or authority.
In the end, behind all this is a profound lack of affection, a personality disorder, and a profound inferiority complex.
But there are other types of violence, less visible, but no less lethal or harmful. Leaving an animal without food is violence. Neglecting or ignoring the animal's living conditions, hygiene, or health is violence.
Leaving an animal locked in a small space, with its movements restricted, is violence.
Tying up a dog or any animal and leaving it outdoors, exposed to the elements, is violence. Any type of negligence or irresponsibility that threatens the animal's physical or emotional integrity is violence.
My point is, those who commit any kind of violence toward an animal who, no matter how much they claim to be or were wild, is defenseless鈥攚hat couldn't they do to a human being?
If a defenseless being is mistreated in this way and we don't defend or protect it, what will happen when it escalates to a child, an elderly person, or a woman? Because that's the next step, life has unfortunately proven it, amply and almost daily. Don't those types of violence sound familiar to you?
And, on the contrary, it's very difficult to find people who love animals who are capable of such acts of violence toward people. Quite the opposite.
Do you agree with me?
(P.S.: I'd like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to my dog, Lara, who didn't leave my side for a minute during the past two days when I had a fever. She didn't move from my pillow while I was sleeping off the fever, not even to eat. And by the way, I'd also like to show you how cute and affectionate my cats are 馃榿.)
Versi贸n en espa帽ol
Hola, amigas m铆as.
Hoy no vengo a participar en ninguna iniciativa, sino a conversar sobre algo que he conversado con mi esposa y que tambi茅n repiten algunas amistades: no puedes ser buena persona si maltratas a un animal.
Esta no es una ley de la vida, aunque podr铆a serlo. Del mismo modo que podr铆an estar o no de acuerdo conmigo. Pem铆tanme exponer mis argumentos y al final, me dir谩n.
Hay varias formas de maltrato, como todos deben saber. La m谩s conocida, la que nos viene a la cabeza cuando escuchamos la palabra, es la violencia f铆sica y las palizas. 驴Qu茅 podemos esperar de esas personas que, por el simple hecho de poder hacerlo, golpeen a un animal? No siempre son golpizas letales, a veces es abuso de poder, peque帽as tandas de golpes.
He sido testigo de personas que odian a los gatos, por ejemplo y les echan agua caliente o les amarran cosas en las colas para que salgan corriendo despavoridos hasta caer muertos por el miedo o los arrolle un auto.
Tambi茅n he visto a los que maltratan a sus perros por el mero hecho de demostrar su poder o autoridad.
Al final, detr谩s de todo esto lo que hay es una gran carencia afectiva, trastorno de la personalidad y un gran complejo de inferioridad.
Pero existen otros tipos de violencias, menos visibles, pero no por eso, menos letales o da帽inas. Dejar a un animal sin comer, es violencia. Descuidar o ignorar las condiciones de vida, higiene o salud del animal, es violencia.
Dejarlo encerrado en un lugar peque帽o, con una restricci贸n de sus movimientos, es violencia.
Amarrar a un perro o a cualquier animal y dejarlo en la intemperie, expuesto a las inclemencias del tiempo, es violencia. Todo tipo de negligencia o irresponsabilidad que atente contra la integridad f铆sica o emocional del animal, es violencia.
Mi punto es que, aquellos que proporcionen cualquier tipo de violencia hacia un animal que, por m谩s que se digan que son o fueron salvajes, son indefensos, 驴qu茅 no podr铆an hacerle a un ser humano?
Si a un ser indefenso se le maltrata de esa manera y no lo defendemos o protegemos, 驴qu茅 suceder谩 cuando escalen hacia un ni帽o o un anciano, hacia una mujer? Porque ese es el siguiente paso, la vida lo ha demostrado, lamentablemente, con creces y casi que a diario. 驴No les suenan familiares aquellos tipos de violencia?
Y, por el contrario, es muy dif铆cil encontrar a personas que amen a los animales que sean capaces de tales actos de violencia hacia las personas. Todo lo contrario.
驴Est谩n de acuerdo conmigo?
(PD: Aprovecho para hacerle un homenaje a mi perra, Lara, quien no se separ贸 un minuto de mi lado en estos dos d铆as anteriores en que estuve con fiebre. No se movi贸 de al lado de mi almohada mientras dorm铆a la fiebre, ni para comer. Y de paso, tambi茅n, mostrarles lo lindas y cari帽osas que son mis gatas 馃榿.)