Do you find it almost impossible to watch animal rights/animal activism videos?

Yes, absolutely, they make me sick to my stomach. They horrify me and I want to beat up everybody that hurts a defenseless animal. The last one I watched was the American soldier who flung the puppy off a cliff in Afghanistan and before that it was electric rods being used on hogs in their rectums.

Just awful, and I grew up on a farm, I’m used to a little bit of harshness (Killing, birthing, etc…) but not to the degree of abuse or inhumane treatment.

I usually can’t make through the first few seconds.

Knowing this, I don’t even bother watching them anymore. Can’t do it.

I never watch them, and when they show up on my facebook newsfeed, I hide them. For this reason, I find them pointless – if they can’t be watched by people with compassion, then how are they supposed to inspire change? They makes about as much sense as anything else that PETA does; it is an organization full of misinformation and hypocrisy.

They’re definitely hard to watch. I’ve seen a few and they make me sick. The worst were probably the foxes being skinned alive and the pigs being tortured before they were slaughtered – piglets getting castrated without pain meds and the runts’ heads being slammed against the ground.

Any video with animals being mistreated (not just the ones that are killed for meat or fur) makes me incredibly sad. I don’t know how people can do those things and live with themselves.

I still eat meat, though, so I guess that makes me a hypocrite.

@livelaughlove21 I don’t think you are or I am, but maybe we need to investigate brands more and the source of our food. I hate thinking I could be aiding these abusers. :(

Why would anyone watch in the first place?

@Dutchess_III For me, it was because I was interested in what PETA considered abuse. I watched the puppy throwing video because I didn’t believe that of our military personnel. I was wrong.

Reading this thread made me get up , go and find my cat and just cuddle with him. I’ll never understand how people can torture animals….

@uberbatman Me neither sweets. People here leave them in the country with no hope of food or water, somebody even left a whole litter of kittens next to a very busy main thoroughfare but luckily someone stopped and scooped them up. People suck.

I find it hard and traumatizing. I’ve seen hundreds of these types of videos. Not necessarily because I want to but because it is my duty, as a compassionate being, to know what’s going on in our world.

As horrible as these videos/pictures are, people need to know exactly what is going on. They need to see, for themselves, how big of a problem animal cruelty is. The more you know, the more you can act upon such injustice.

People know this goes on but they don’t realise the extent of it. They know animals are tested on…but do they really know just how invasive and horrific these tests are for the animals being tested? No, most do not. As the supposed masters of the earth, we need to be aware what is going on in these labs in the name of science and better products. Animal testing is outdated and unnecessary.

As for livestock… I wish more meat eaters, who buy there meat from the grocery store, would watch how that meat got there. If they can’t even watch the abuse, they shouldn’t be eating the animal.

People who abuse animals, for no other reason but to hurt and terrify them, should have much greater punishments. Again, it is necessary to see these atrocities. Maybe not all of them, or all the footage, but enough to cause a person to act upon them.

This entire subject is a passion/mission of mine. However, I’m on my phone and it’ll take forever to put down all the information if like to.

In saying all that, I’m not saying people should be forced to watch, with their eyelids taped open. I’m saying this information needs to be in our media more often. If it is everywhere, we can’t miss it. Only then will something be done, on a grand scale.

@Plucky PM some info sometime please will ya?

I agree with @Plucky that we need to stay informed about such activities but I just can’t watch. I can’t watch when animals are presented as getting hurt in a TV show or a film! So watching animal cruelty for real… no way. I do know it happens though and I do think I should be more mindful of things I buy etc. so I’m not creating the need for such cruelty. I would also support organisations that are working to stop it.

I hear you @uberbatman. I’m sitting on my bed with my two dogs and my cat snuggled on their blankee at the end of the bed. I can’t imagine how anyone could hurt them.

Yes. I refuse.
Unless you live in the jungle or under a rock, or…you are so un-informed that you have the IQ of a Potato, well….I don’t need to see all the cruelty and inhumane treatment of animals, as if I can’t imagine with the extensive knowledge I already have.

I do my part, have rescued and kept everything over the years and I do not believe in shock value.
The sad but simple truth is that we can only do what we can do as individuals and I have done more than my share to combat cruelty and rescue homeless creatures.
From Geese to Cats to BLM Donkeys to wildlife re-habbbing.

Keep your extreme shock tactics to yourself and do not assume that unless one sees graphic and horrible footage that they are somehow in need of enlightenment.

I have never watched one and will never watch one. I cry just from watching the ASPCA commercials. I know animals are mistreated; I don’t need to see that awful crap.

@uberbatman Great idea! Gonna go lay on my bed and cuddle my two kitties. It will soothe my heart.

Yes.

Oprah did a show about how horribly dogs were being kept for breeding in Pennsylvania and it was horrid. If I remember correctly the governor took action to change some laws after he was made aware of it. Seems the Amish think of dogs as nothing. I mean that as a general cultural thing, not that they all don’t care. But, here’s the thing, the reason they were within the law previously for that state was because the laws read that dogs had the same rules as cattle, and all I could think was why was that ok for cattle? I don’t know if the new laws were for all animals or just dogs.

Anyway, all animal cruelty is horrific. I hate to think of any living thing suffering. I’m not perfect, I do spray my house for insects, and I do eat meat, which I hope is killed with mercy and I hope they lived a decent life without pain.

Just so people know…I’m not saying show the images in the media. I’m saying the stories and statistics need to be more publicized. There needs to be more mainstream campaigning for these animals. I should have been clearer in my original post. Sometimes my old PETA radicalism rears its crazy head. I am not the type to post graphic footage on my FB. I will post links and resources for what people can do to help in certain cases.

I do not watch the videos or look through pictures any more. I just can’t – they make me physically ill. I’ve seen/heard enough. However, if there is a new trend of abuse going on, I want to hear about it so I can act upon it.

Not everyone is aware how bad the abuse of animals can be. Yes, on Fluther maybe. But there is a whole world of morons out there.

Sometimes shock value does work but is very limited and short lived. The best we can do is make the laws tougher and provide education/awareness through media and schools.

You know…they could show similar pictures of abused children, but they don’t. Wonder why?

@Dutchess_III ohhh yes, lets show pictures of women being raped while we’re at it too~ :P

@uberbatman They do show stuff like that, or imply it, in movies.

It’s just a horrible thing to do. Why do they do it? Oh, yeah. To bring attention to the plight of some animals so we’ll be moved to “do something” about it. My point above is, if it’s a valid way of making a point, why don’t they show pictures of children who’ve been abused?

Well…while I am all for education and awareness there is also a fine line when it comes to preaching to others about the cruelties of the world. I often “educate” people about domestic waterfowl, being a lover and owner of them for many years. I explain how domestics do not fly, are illegally dumped in crappy parks and ponds with bad water sources, unclean and overcrowded surroundings, and how they suffer when their food supply dries up, swim in tainted waters that can cause botulism and are fed wonder bread and potato chips which are inferior and unhealthy “food.”
Most people are interested but many just do not care and this is where the fine lkine comes in.

It is not our job nor business to push our passions on others and to make it our “job” to educate and preach to others can take on a very co-dependent flavor.
Everyone has their passions and some have none, but….we need to be careful about projecting our passions onto others and cautious in our approach so as not to offend and assume that others are unaware.

While I love all animals my passion is for cats, geese and horses primarily and I would not want some militant dog person to accuse me of not doing enough for dogs.
We are all free to choose what and where and how we contribute to the state of the world and it is arrogant and controlling to expect everyone will share our passions.

I try to think of all the cruelty in the wilderness with infanticide, starvation, disease and no hope for help from a vet or caretaker.

I not waste time watch extremists’propoganda is probably faked and have purpose make people hysterical thus they cannot be logical and objective. 2007 PetA collect $30,000,000, use such videos try make gullible people donate money.