Gayle M Irwin

Headlines shout. Communities, states, nations, the world rage. Climate, forests, oceans, creatures – all under attack.
 

Twelve pronghorn in Wyoming shot – no meat taken, animals left injured and suffering. Puppy mills via for money at the expense of dogs. Dog fighting rings continue despite the 2007 high-profile case involving football star Michael Vick. Wyoming man runs over wolf and tortures it before killing it. Federal agencies plan to remove entire herds of wild horses from western public lands, places where the horses, pronghorn, mule deer, sheep and cattle have roamed together for hundreds of years. Hoarder in Montana charged with animal cruelty, a situation that happens around the United States. Animals, from rats and monkeys, to dogs and cats, are used daily in research projects, enduring pain on a continuous basis.

Case after case after case, story after story after story. Animal abuse and cruelty run rampant.

What is being done?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in charge of inspecting dog breeders to ensure animals are cared for with food, water, shelter, and veterinary care. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) documented cases from the USDA and found inspectors lax in their duties. Federal law requires humane care, however, two cases in Missouri showed no action taken by USDA representatives despite finding dogs living in squalor conditions, like feces, urine, and dirt, and lacking food, while another kennel housed dogs with severe, painful mats in their fur and gum and dental disease that had not been treated.

And while an investigation is underway in the pronghorn shooting case, other excessive wildlife poaching cases show little punishment or accountability by game wardens and courts, including that of the Wyoming tortured wolf.

Throughout the western U.S. wild horses are chased and captured, depriving them of the freedom generations have enjoyed, and though populations should be controlled so all wildlife have access to grass and water, the elimination of entire herds is planned for this year by the federal agency supposedly in charge of their welfare – the Bureau of Land Management.

 

And this is just in the United States.

If those who are to ensure the health and well-being of animals throughout the United States are not doing so, who will stand up for the animals who cannot stand or speak for themselves?

Animals suffering – what can be done?

Throughout the world, animals are suffering. The number of beached whales and dolphins are rising. Dog and cat meat operations in Asia continue. Elephant and rhino deaths due to poachers and sellers of ivory, horns, and tusks also continue, and experimentation on animals is a global issue.

I believe each of us who say we care about animals and nature can do something. Help care for community cats. Volunteer for such a program in our community. Volunteer at our local animal shelter or rescue organization. Pick up litter in our town. Plant flowers and shrubs for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Provide feeders and houses for birds. Educate our children and neighbors about signs of cruelty. And report such actions if seen.

Be Kind to Animals Week takes place May 4 – 10, 2025. This specially-designated awareness began in 1915 It was started by the American Humane Association, now known as the American Humane Society (and once called simply American Humane). It’s a good time to do a heart-check – am I kind? Am I compassionate? Do I want to be?

Showing kindness is not a new concept – most of us have heard of  ‘The Golden Rule.’  How often do we practice it? And do we apply the same concept to animals?

Only each individual or family can answer those questions. I hope we look deep in our hearts during this Be Kind to Animals Week and choose compassion and kindness, not cruelty.

Find resources for families and children from American Humane Society here:
https://www.americanhumane.org/education/be-kind-to-animals-week/
 

Partly taken from my Substack post:

https://wyowriter82601.substack.com/p/defending-gods-creation

You are welcome to subscribe for FREE using the same link.