To wonder why some parents let their children torment animals

[lastqueenofscotland]

You know, chasing pigeons, killing ants, clambering all over dogs... etc

I was at a big agricultural show today, and there were groups of children everywhere you went screaming at sheep (flight animals) in small pens, rattling the barriers in show rings with horses in them (again... flight animals who's owners would have paid a small fortune to enter them to be there), running after strangers dogs etc etc etc. I must have seen dozens of incidents like this and not once did the parents step in, one person told a child quite nicely that he was upsetting the sheep to which his mother snapped that he was just having fun.]

Is this normal?! And how do people think this is acceptable

Morons. I always tell off children for chasing pigeons or stamping on insects, dropping litter, damaging plants or throwing stones.

Totally agree with all of the above posters....what is WRONG with some parents. It is not normal for a child to hurt an animal on purpose.

I used to ride and once, about to enter a showjumping ring from the collecting ring, a stupid woman held her small toddler up to my lively horses face to Wave..! When l told her to put her child down and keep him away from the ring for his safety she was spectacularly rude.

I felt the same fury as when l cought a child systematically twisting my gentle Weimaraners long soft ears...she was cowering, as this child in my house deliberately hurt her.....if that was my child they would heve been smacked and l have never smacked either of mine

we were having a pub lunch on Sunday. There was a family with a large dog which was constantly being pulled around by the 2 small children. They clearly saw it as a toy, and had no appreciation of it needing to be left alone.

There's a big problem with a lack of empathy. One example is of the many "cute" animal videos around that aren't as cute as they first appear if you know a little about animals, engage your brain and think. Yet anyone who dares to say anything negative about these "cute" videos is absolutely thrashed, called all the names under the sun for "spoiling" it. I hate how it's seen as sweet for toddlers to grab and generally harrass dogs because you damn well know, with idiot owners like that, as soon as the dog gets fed up and growls it'll be labelled "dangerous"

They are the same poor excuses for parents as let their children drop litter and damage plants. The world would be a better place without them in it.
I often think strategically placed snipers would cure a multitude of sins, including animal harrassment

Whata, on a similar note I came across an Instagram account of a horrendously obese cat once, anyone who dared to comment about its weight was pounced on with "he's fine, the vet said he's healthy" etc but the poor cat looked awful and could barely walk :( all for the "cute" factor.
People like that should be banned from keeping animals.

Another thing I hate is the cherry-picking of species we like and allow to live. So anything labelled "vermin" is considered worse than trash by the same people who worship other usually "cute or "useful" animals. Vermin are just species that us humans find difficult to live with, yet of all the "difficult" species in earth humans are right up there on the list. Take for example the hysteria surrounding wasps. I've been stung once (when I picked up a bunch of keys with a wasp in it) yet have rescued loads from the house over the years and even lived with a nest right by my back door. I can understand they aren't popular but I'm saddened by the "kill it!" mentality to anything we don't like. We aren't born with that mentality, it's taught

I honestly think that "learning to interact with dogs and other animals" should be on the school curriculum.

Primary schools do such fabulous projects on the environment nowadays -and yet so many children do not know the correct way to interact with a dog, a cat, a horse or a sheep - all animals that live around us - surely inculcating a respect for animals is fundamental to protecting the planet and its living creatures?

And there are so many practical things that can be taught. To take dogs for example: always ask the owner politely if you may approach or not, when approaching do so slowly from the side (not straight on), do not look straight in to a dog's eyes, do not make sudden movements or loud sounds, do not flap your arms about, do not try and hug a dog or pat on the head from a standing position, do not lean over them, stroke it low down on the chest with your arm approaching from the side, use gentle, slow and deliberate movements, do not pull its tail, remember that it is a living creature with fears and anxieties just like you etc etc. In fact, a lot of that info would apply to horses too. It's not rocket science. It could be easily learnt in a day with someone bringing a trained dog in to school.

Fully agree with everything you say WhatALoadOfOldBollocks

honestly think that "learning to interact with dogs and other animals" should be on the school curriculum

Yes, I agree with you. There are a great many people who really object to sharing this planet with other animals. Just look at the dog threads!

I honestly think that "learning to interact with dogs and other animals" should be on the school curriculum

Absolutely. I think we need to get children used to animals and how to interact with them from an early age, especially when they have parents who aren't animal lovers.

You just know that when the child is bitten/kicked/scratched as the tormented animal tries to defend itself, it will be everyone else's fault and never the brainless parents'.

Thebewilderbeest I think we have the same nephew/SIL. My cat is really placid and friendly, my nephew (nearly 5yrs old) will stroke her nicely when he knows I'm watching but as soon as he thinks he's out of eyeline he tries to hurt her - last time he was with her he ushered her into a different room and kept trying to shut the door so he could be alone with her to poke her with pencils. I told him off, only for his mum to say 'he was only playing' - funnily enough they actually have a cat of their own which avoids him like the plague. I now shut her in a different room where he can't get to her despite the fact that she loves visitors

I forgot to say DN is 'spirited' not disciplined so SIL will let him do what he wants as long as it doesn't involve her. She admits she takes him to visit friends/relatives because he trashes her house otherwise - but ok to trash everyone else's homes

Totally agree with you.

I have to say, if any child purposely hurt one of my animals my instinct would be to smack. I'd end up in prison, I know, but I honestly don't think I could help myself. Luckily, the only children who have ever met them are quiet are quiet and well-behaved, though tbh if I thought they'd be otherwise they wouldn't get an invite to the house. As far as I'm concerned this is my animals' house and they have every right not to be tormented and scared here.

As for wild animals, I'm forever saving bugs that the children find at the nursery I work at. Not that the children harm them, but I do put them out of the way just in case.

Sainsburys here used to feed a stray cat,it had been hanging around for a long time, and attempts to find an owner failed, so the staff bought it food,and left water out for it
One day a little boy was scratched by it, the parents complained and the cat had to go, there were several witnesses who saw the child teasing itso the parents should have been watching him, and seen that the cat had no choice,
Another time i saw a boy about 4 years old,kick a dog in its face,i pointed this out who i assumed was the mother, who was too busy talking to another woman, her reply was. he was maybe kicking his ball and kicked the dog by accident, no he did it on purpose,it was their dog ,otherwise there might have been a different outcome
All my children [grown up now] are animal lovers, and i have 3 cats and a dog

I just don't get animal teasing/cruelty.

Or tits who throw sticks for their dogs to jump in the lake to chase the ducks and swans even though here are huge signs up saying keep your a dog on a led.

I follow a few animal rescue charities on Facebook and would you believe there are children who are throwing bread into the road to try and get gulls hit by cars! Some have already been injured so badly they've had to be PTS (the gulls not the children unfortunately) despite the charities best intestions. Either that's a massive parenting fail or these little shits have something wrong with them. There's also someone out there who is shooting birds and animals, and many have been found injured. Thankfully the police are investigating because laws have been broken.

DudeHatesHisCarryOut me too. If Someone purposely went for one of mine i don't know what i'd do