On occasion in TT, an animal cruelty case makes it into the media, mostly because it is "sufficiently shocking" to become a news item.

Such media mentions usually appear about once, then the case goes silent and we often hear nothing more. Eg What became of the following cases? – The husky that was shot with a pellet gun and bludgeoned to death in the middle of a Tobago street (filmed by someone from the upper room of a house)? – The dog, decapitated (in front of civilians in broad daylight) by the man on High Street, San Fernando? – The puppy, caught on cameras, screaming as the child stifled it to death with a cushion on the sofa, in the presence of an adult? Other cases that may have made it to the media do not come to mind at present. Why do these disturbing cases go silent? What counselling or other intervention is put in place for those too young to be charged? Why do adult animal cruelty offenders walk freely among us after having committed monstrous acts?

We, the animal-loving public, are traumatised whenever we read about and witness (in videos or in real life) these cruelty cases. We are traumatised by the acts themselves and by the fact that justice is never served for these animals or (when applicable) the people who cared for/about them. I say "never" served because the only animal cruelty case for which I recall a public legal outcome is the one in which three men from Embacadere, south Trinidad, hung the pet dog, owned by one of them, from a tree. They laughed as they filmed her twisting and screaming to death. The video, uploaded to social media, went viral; their torturous act horrified many throughout the nation.

It is unbelievable, yet true, that the attorney who defended the men cited their act as one of "compassion"; the men claimed to have been putting the dog “out of her misery.” If I remember correctly, she had mange – a condition that is easily treatable. The men got off with a measly fine of $400 each.

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All of this (and more) is beyond unacceptable. What kind of society breeds the notion that one can torture or slaughter animals and get away with a slap on the wrist – if even that?

Recently someone sent me the link to a social media video – one of those disturbing ones "to be viewed with caution...if at all." The video showed a child, possibly in Trinidad, squatting in red building sand and, as though playing with an inanimate toy, casually burying a live dog up to his/her neck. The clearly distressed animal is silent. The voice of a woman is heard saying “This is one out of the favourite, unnecessary mischief people children does be doing. Ian Alleyne take stock of this please, thanks.”

Who will inform that boy that burying a live dog is wrong? Will someone view the video and identify him? Even if they do, what will happen?

It is baffling that some people film animal cruelty acts, consider them "normal," amusing or entertaining and upload them to social media.

On April 13, in Biche, a man and se