I was brought up to believe that all life was sacred, and that included the lives of animals.
As
I grew up, I realized that some animals were bred for human
consumption, and although this did not sit well with me I knew it was
the way of the world, and accepted as normal practice. However I do have
a problem with the killing of animals for sport, men and guns and traps
taking the lives of innocent creatures. I have several white- tailed
deer that wander through my garden, and although I often blame them for
the destruction of my plants (and emptying my bird feeders!) I watch
them as they care for their young. How could this beautiful creature be
slaughtered and it's young be an orphan just to satisfy a need for man
to kill?
I work with my local humane society, and I am shocked at
the many cats and dogs that are cruelly treated. One cat had been shot
in the mouth by a group of teenagers and had been lying in pain for
several hours before being found. It had to have a complete jaw
reconstruction, at a great cost to the owner, and suffered many hours of
pain. Another instance where a kitten had been placed in a microwave,
just so that the owner could see how it would re-act.