Shocking, sickening and disgusting are the words that come to mind in learning about the Deer Park animal cruelty case. Again and again we read about people who simply have no respect for the lives of animals. Instead, animals are viewed as disposable. They can be destroyed if they are not the perfect breed, used in dog fights to generate thousands of dollars, or even saved under the guise of a rescue operation, with the funds going to pockets, not to the health and welfare of the animals they are supposed to benefit.
What is more tragic is that these same people are not only treating animals in ways unimaginable but they are often parents, who teach and raise their children in similar manners. Thus, the circle continues generation after generation.
While I don’t claim to have the solution, we can start by enacting much stronger laws with mandatory prison sentences for those found guilty of animal abuse, and regulate the thousands of dog breeders across the country.
— Heather Tarczan, Chicago
