Windy Sydney

It will come as no surprise to many of my *ahem* followers that I support animal rights. I recently became a vegetarian after learning how animals are raised for slaughter, and killed in an inhumane way. It broke my heart. I will only buy eggs from cage-free animals, because they shouldn't be stuffed 6 in a small box, crammed together their entire lives unable to even flap their wings ONCE in their lifetime. It's wrong.

I have always loved animals. When I was a little kid, I would be able to go up and pet the dogs that would snarl and growl at everyone else. We just understood each other, they were not afraid of me and I wasn't afraid of them...

Yesterday afternoon a co-worker and fellow animal lover gave me a newspaper article to read. She warned me that it would upset me, and that I should try to not get too sad. I tried, but didn't succeed.

A little background... I was born and raised in Tooele County, Utah, so I feel personally tied to this problem.

In the early hours of October 31, 2008, someone broke into a family's backyard in Tooele, Utah and took their two pygmy goats from their pen. The goats, Daisy and Duke, were beloved pets of the family that owned them.

A short time later, a man heard what he thought was the sound of children crying in the field behind his house. Concerned, he called police and then drove to the field between his home and North Lake Elementary School to see if anyone needed help before police arrived. When he drove up to the scene, he saw three juveniles attacking the animals. The kids fled as the cops arrived and the police officers walked up to a very bloody scene. Daisy and Duke were both brutally beheaded. They were traced back to their owners because they had collars and tags that you would normally find on dogs and cats.

The police officers and the gentleman who called 911 cleaned up the scene long before school kids would have arrived in the area. They assume that those responsible for the cruelty wanted small kids to find the carnage they left behind.

I am thankful that the slain animals were found long before children made their way to school, or kids arrived to play on the school's playground, but the people involved in this crime need to be found and brought to justice.

The family that owned Daisy and Duke as pets have a toddler who still goes to their fridge for carrots so he can go in the backyard and feed his friends. He waddles in the backyard saying, "Bahhh!" looking for his goat pals. The family claims that they don't want the people responsible for this to be punished, they want them to get help. They are nicer than I would be if I was in their position.

Tooele County, Utah seems to have an animal cruelty problem. This isn't the only case that has made animal rights activists angry and frightened.

Back in April, nine cows were found shot to death as they were out to pasture in Skull Valley (very close to my home town). Skull Valley is literally in the middle of nowhere, and the cows were not on someone else's property... they were just existing until some jackass with a gun and too much time on his hands used them as target practice.

A week before the pygmy goat incident, a dog was shot in the head. There are no leads in that case.

Yet another dog was stabbed in the chest while momentarily out of sight from it's owner on a busy street in July.

I can't understand the complete lack of empathy towards other living creatures. I am not claiming that everyone should become vegetarians (although it would certainly change how animals are treated). I just think that as a society we shouldn't have to hear stories like this. This shouldn't happen! Ever!

Animals love, they feel pain, and they deserve better.

Andee