INDImag – Contemporary fiction | Motivational short stories | Social stories | Short story criticism

Mukta is a new author at INDImag and this is her first post. Welcome Mukta !.

If I had to mention one thing that can tick me off, to the point of making me violent, it is the cruelty toward animals.

No, not because I have Chotu, my favorite pup at home.

Not because he is my son, brother and a friend.

Not because he is intuitive and is filled with a sea of love for me.

Not because he doesn’t tire licking and kissing me.

Not because he is funny, full of energy and is always ready to fool around.

Not because he is not judgmental but rather very giving.

Not because he is a child at heart and is mostly successful at pulling my heart strings.

Only because, ones who can’t protect themselves need love and protection the most. Ones who can’t stand up and talk about their pain, need to be spoken on behalf of. Ones who can’t fight for their rights, need us to make sure that their rights aren’t trampled upon.

But what do we do ? Many of us are cruel towards them..

I hate it when we go to the vet for quarterly check-ups for Chotu and find people who couldn’t care less about their pets. The only reason these people have a pet is for their enjoyment and self indulgence. What is necessary for them is that the pet should lick, wag it’s tail, pooh pooh at all funny sounds, respond to fetch a ball, be enthusiastic at the snap of a finger and shake hands with guests on command — in short do it’s best to be an ideal pet ! The pet’s needs ? That’s another story..

Whether the pet is hungry, clean, bathed, fed, happy, satisfied, sad or plain dead is not much of a concern !  If what you wanted was a puppet and not a pet, why don’t you go get a rag-doll instead ?

I have often come across cases where pets have been brought to the vet at the very last moment when some irreparable damage has already been done to the pet. Would we be so lax about our own blood? Our families?

A case that boiled my blood was when a lady with her two sons, got their goat to our vet. The goat was about four months old and had such innocence that it could melt hearts ; but, she had broken her limbs and probably would be crippled for life.  Why ?

Well just because the sons felt that the kid* should “earn” its meal while they had some fun at her expense. On being admonished and interrogated by the doctor, the lady finally let out that they didn’t feed the kid properly. Her sons derived some devilish pleasure in throwing food up in the air and making the kid jump ; jump a little higher for every morsel. The game did not last long. One day, the poor, hungry kid jumped too high and fell with a thud hard enough to break her bones. The family decided to suspend their “fun” activity for a few days and waited for the kid to return back to normalcy. Only when they realised that maybe, things had changed forever, did they grudgingly bring the goat to the doctor.

I can’t imagine the pain the kid might have to live with throughout it’s life. And for what ?

I have no problems with people who don’t like pets. They have their reasons. But I definitely have tons of problems with people who can’t shower love and affection and need a pet only to complete their family albums ! Animals aren’t a mode of entertainment. They have feelings, are made of flesh and blood and can feel the very same emotions that you and I do.

The only difference between us and them is – Voice.

We air our opinions, express pain and curse when it hurts. They can only feel. Not voice their feelings all too well. So why be cruel to them?

Your family, relatives, friends might leave you when the chips are down but a pet who you might have ignored, shooed away, thrashed, beaten, cursed will still cuddle up to you. Such unconditional is its love.

Whether you are worth its love, is another issue.

* kid  – Baby Goat

Photo : http://www.flickr.com/photos/9099757@N05/2342781829

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