This Is Why I Could Never Be a Cruelty Investigator

Today on CNN, a story was posted regarding an Ohio woman’s outdoor cat coming home this week with an arrow in his neck, put there by someone who apparently felt using a neighborhood pet for target practice would be a kick.

The good news is that the cat received medical attention and is (thus far) fine, thanks in part to a local policeman who offered the cat’s owner a speedy escort to an animal hospital.

But my point in writing this is as much as I despise animal cruelty, I would never have the self-discipline to be an investigator, such as those seen on AP shows like Animal Cops. The reason why is these investigators--no matter how awful a case involving cruelty--must keep their emotions in check, and focus on getting an infirmed animal to help before dealing with the person responsible for its injury.

Although I am not a violent person, were I in such a job, the only reasonable response I could think of when, for example, finding someone responsible for using a cat for archery practice, would be to throw said person down a long flight of stairs.

And then haul them back up to the top, and send them flying down again.

I have read so many circumstances of people doing horrific things to animals, and it baffles me to what sub-human depths some can truly sink. All I can hope for in return is that these people are caught, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent.

Or failing that, tossed down a flight of stairs...sorry, did I already mention that?