Tail?Talk
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[By Julie Gangloff
A news story so horrid that I can't believe what I was reading caught my attention and I felt it was important to share this information with you before you find yourself caught in the same situation. In Kentucky a 24 year old man has been adopting cats and kittens he's found through Craigslist ads, then torturing and killing them for some sick pleasure that I will never be able to understand. As I have shared with you all it has only been recently that I have had cats and kittens in my life but before I grew to love them I never felt any ill will towards them and will never understand how anyone can torture an innocent animal, especially one as small and inconsequential as a cat. To hold one in your arms is to hold the softest fur known to man, and to have one give over their unconditional love to you is a special gift from God. I don't understand how someone can take this gift of love and turn it into something so sick and disturbing. What happens in the life of this person that there is so much hate in their heart that they have to bring so much pain to the least of God's creatures? If he wasn't caught I wonder how long it would have been before he started torturing children because you know it was only a matter of time before he needed bigger kicks than kittens and cats were providing. He told everyone the same convincing story. He came from a family of avid animal lovers and their pets would have a wonderful home with him. Can you imagine the sick feeling of knowing the kittens you bottle raised from babies were given over to a monster that bound them before using a knife to make the last moments of their lives unbearably painful? I was happy to read that he was being held on $50,000 bond, better than in the past, but not nearly enough for any individual with tendencies this sick and sadistic. We know there is a direct link between animal abuse and domestic abuse, and the law must insure the offender will never be able to hurt anyone again. It's time that we stood up for those that have no voice to insure that they are protected against the people that take pleasure in their pain. There can be no more excuses. Today it's a kitten. Tomorrow it could be your child or grandchild that is the subject of his sick pleasure. To prevent these happenings, don't give animals away for free. Insist on a fee for your animals because they have value. Ask for references and follow up on them. And no matter what, if you think you see animal abuse or if you hear of animal abuse, report it. It may make you uncomfortable but rise above that discomfort and do the right thing. And never forget, it is only through you that the Randolph County Humane Society continues to save lives, one by one.