Really distressing dog beating story in the DM.. surely this video shouldn't be online??

[30andMerkin]

Not sure about this at all.

Hideous story in teh Daily Mail about a bloke beating up a labrador puppy here

But the DM are running the footage of the dog being beaten. Why on earth? Those of you who work in animal welfare , what do you think?

My concerns are that showing the footage accompanied by the lenient punishment he received could encourage/exacerbate animal cruelty and is therefore irresponsible. Am I right, or are there good reasons for showing it? Also I think that the fact that the footage, in grainy black and white with no sound, makes the violence less 'real' somehow, which is dangerous.

Don't want to upset anyone, but wondered if this should be complained about.

I can see your point but on the whole I tend to advocate showing this type of thing. IME people tend to be more shocked if they actually see the abuse or it's results and therefore more inclined to do something about it, be that support animal welfare charities, vote to reflect welfare sympathies or whatever.

Many's a time I have pointed someone to a photo or film footage of abuse and been told that the viewer wouldn't have believed that such things went on. IMHO sometimes only by "grabbing 'em by the throat" so to speak, and showing them how it really is and what animal welfare/rights/rescue has to deal with do I manage to make people stop, think and act.

All that said, I haven't seen the video in question and won't watch it. I have seen too much of it's ilk over the years and it breaks my heart so now I work on the theory that I will watch where I can help, but where I cannot, I am one of those who genuinely doesn't need reminding of what the human race can do.

Well said, Vallhalla.

OMG you can see people walking past in the reflection on the glass doors. Why is no one stopping him???

I agree with Vall btw. If showing this shocks more people into acting/rescuing instead of buying/campaigning for harsher sentences for cruelty then it can only be a good thing.

Ok Valhalla totally bow to your experience in this matter. As I said, I really didn't know what to make of it, I just thought the question should be raised.

Tbh I couldn't watch more than the beginning of it, but it was the context of it - do this to a dog and you can get away with a suspended sentence and own another one in 4 years that bothered me, but if people's gut reaction is 'god that's awful how can I stop it' then that's more positive.

I can't watch it, I am really affected by this sort of thing, it distresses me but I agree with Valhalla - I do think it should be available to view because it shocks people into awareness.

Even just thinking about the idea of someone doing what is described in the video above is making me well up. My reaction, when I'm not pregnant and uselessly hormonal, to this sort of thing is usually blind rage, swearing a lot and seriously wishing I could inflict the same harm upon the perpetrators. I get so angry it's possibly not good for my health.

But if more people react like that with the realisation that these things happen then that can only be good, and hopefully encourage them to react in proactive ways such as donating to rescues etc.

This is "all" I do - still wish there was more suitable punishment for this sort of cruelty though.

That's truly awful, that poor beautiful little pup :( Just don't understand how someone can do such a thing.

Should have been a prison sentence, and banned for life from owning/working with animals IMO. Can't understand why they let him off for being in full-time education, what sort of reasoning is that?

I haven't watched it. Woe fucking betide anyone I catch doing that. All the people walking past are evil aswell, if they saw it. Downright evil.
Read the story though and the dog is fine and waiting to be rehomed thank God

What a git this person is! And I don't even like dogs!

I once lived in a flat facing an alley in town centre Denver. No A/C, so windows open in summer.

I was awakened on a pitch black night by a man beating his dog and the poor soul yelping its head off.

But this being Denver, I stuck my hand out the window and cocked back my pistol.

He couldn't see where it was coming from, but there's no mistaking the noise.

I just shouted, 'Leave the fucking dog alone or I'll blow your head off.'

Applause echoed in the alley.

He left the dog by a wheelie bin.

Dickhead.

Well done Expat. More people need to stand up to animal cruelty.

I was extremely pissed off to be woken up by a piece of shit like this, too. I was having to work about 80 hours a week and had a shit relationship life and was also very broke after divorce debts.

But yeah, why go kick a damn dog because your life is crap, you know? Go take drugs or something that's going to harm only you.