Gang beats badgers to death

[Catherine]

These are very sick young men. They dug out badgers and beat them with shovels and set their dogs to ripping them apart while still alive.

http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0


It is brutal and they are laughing. It doesn't get any sicker. I thought there was nothing that could cause a mother to disown a child, but I think this would do it for me. I would never want to see a child again who could do something like this.

What is going on with the young men lately. This is not the first sick incident I have reported.

[LPC]

Nathan Niland, one of the convicted, has a long history of convictions. Way back in 2008 (see http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/ne...locked_up/):

'After the case, Niland's father Tony Niland, a former Bradford councillor, said he hoped his son's imprisonment would deter others from using drugs.

"Nathan has had a drug problem since he was about 15 and fell in with a bad crowd. He was a good-hearted lad," he said.'

Sadly, prison doesn't always reform people's behaviour. They go on to ever worse crimes - such as this one.

But as Knight of Albion would say, "Karma has their number". They won't be laughing if they come back next time to learn cruelty at first hand....

[Tobi]

It's true that habitual drug use can completely warp someone's mind. But usually only if they are open to it in the first place. It is a sad thing indeed that a young man could sink so low as that, and cause such suffering.
Those poor Badgers.
I am sorry that a human being can do this to an innocent creature. I am also sorry about the dogs who were behaving as they had been instructed by their people.

[Catherine]

I can see that there is a history of criminal behavior. Still I have to wonder how a person can reach a point where they act the way we see them in the video. That is very abnormal behavior. Surely there were signs. Did no one see signs that these young men were capable of such brutality.

They need to be caught and dealt with. I think they are a danger to society. I doubt they started with badgers and I doubt it will end there.

Those poor badgers.

I sincerely hope that karma does have their number.

[Tobi]

Anyone with that level of cold heartedness and cruel brutality is automatically a danger to society. I would not want to be this guy's girl friend.

[Catherine]

I think they should be labelled as dangerous and monitored for the rest of their lives.

As an extra precaution I would ban them from contact with animals or children forever.

Hopefully no girl would ever consider dating one of these criminals so they are in no danger of becoming parents themselves.

Certain crimes can't be excused no matter what the circumstances.

[Tobi]

Sometimes, people do change, but there is often a great deal of peer pressure which can hinder change.

I think the only fair 'punishment' for a crime against animals is a job caring for animals (closely watched every minute of course!) I think long service in an animal shelter/rescue should be the sentence for a crime like this. The person should be treated well but firmly, with as much kindness as possible during their sentence. But monitored by a mentor constantly.

The only thing which will expunge a cruel deed, is learning to care and love, and hopefully, learning a positive emotional connection with an animal .
Some of course will be beyond it. But at least they will  clear up some dog poop and carry some boxes and do some kind of act of service.

[Catherine]

You are right about what would be a fair punishment/atonement. If even one of the boys became aware of what they had done it would be worth it.
I hope they were not all equally bad. I think one was the leader and the rest went along because of peer pressure.

It is unlikely the leader will change. He needs to be watched very closely. There might be hope for the others.

I am still shocked by the violence and deliberate cruelty. I don't know what you could do for the dogs either. They have been taught to be violent. They would not be safe around children.

I want to know why there is an increase in such violent incidents. Or do we just hear about them now because people can't resist putting pictures of themselves online.

[LPC]

(06-30-2016, 01:21 PM)Catherine Wrote: I want to know why there is an increase in such violent incidents. Or do we just hear about them now because people can't resist putting pictures of themselves online.

I'm not sure whether cruelty to animals is more prevalent than previously in history. The UK used to have bull and bear baiting, until the mid 19th century - and that was horrible, with humans enjoying the slow and painful deaths of the creatures. Queen Elizabeth I had cats burned alive to celebrate her coronation. In France, cats were regularly burnt alive - mainly because of superstitions that that they were representatives of the Devil, but also it entertained the masses at festivals. See https://books.google.fr/books?id=V40s-gA...ts&f=false

So extreme cruelty for entertainment is not increasing, I think. It is a feature of some humans' nature, lacking the ability to empathise.

So on balance probably the second suggestion you make, Catherine, is more likely: "...we just hear about them now because people can't resist putting pictures of themselves online."

In a way, that is a good thing, as it their desire to show their cruelty publicly which results in their being caught and punished.

[Tobi]

Part of a dog's natural make-up is its hunting instinct. In some it is stronger than in others. Now that can either be encouraged or discouraged by human interference. A responsible dog person will respect this trait in dogs (as many other animals) but won't deliberately encourage it and will do what they can to restrain a dog.

My opinion is that the dogs are not at fault but they have been exploited and mis-handled by humans. But you're right Catherine. The lust for hunting, if encouraged and trained in, can be too strong to ever allow the dog near other animals, or yes -even little children. Little children and babies can make noises like trapped/injured prey.

LPC, I didn't know that terrible thing about cats! I also didn't know Queen Elizabeth 1st had cats burned alive!

You see....that is religious superstition again! All about "The Devil". There are just too many devils in people.

Oh my! ....the one they are supposed to hold in greatest esteem is Jesus Christ and He would never have done anything like that, or condoned it. Things like that would make Him very sad.