Animal Protection Registers 169 Reports of Animal Cruelty
In the first four months of 2011, the Society for Protection of Animals registered 169 calls reporting mistreatment of animals, according to board member Tania Selart.
Out of the calls, 71 percent were reports of poor housing conditions and cruelty to dogs, Selart told ETV in an interview, adding that the society receives at least one call per day.
It is difficult to give a coherent answer as to why people are abusive toward animals. "For example, animal torturers have a very low sense of empathy and very strong psychological problems," Selart said.
Prevention is essential when fighting animal cruelty and the society has conducted hundreds of training courses for children across the country, said Selart. "We need to make it clear to children that those who are weaker should not be tortured but instead cared for and helped. We teach them some of the most basic facts, which many adults still do not know."
Ingrid Teesalu