Janese Johnson

Many were shocked to hear about Michael Vick, the popular quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons football team who is facing a prison sentence after his dog-fighting sting was brought to our attention through the media about a month or so ago.

In fact, it was a top story in newspapers and on TV for quite a long time. It gained the attention that it rightfully should have, and many were quite shocked to hear that this is going on in our country.

Yet a majority of people around the world support animal cruelty through various other means, and do not even realize it. Animals are needlessly suffering at the hands of humans on a daily basis, and we, as individuals, are the ones who can stop this.

Besides dog- and cock-fighting, there is animal testing, and inhumane treatment of livestock ó all of which are among the common forms of animal abuse.

In regard to animal testing, many scientists who are advocates of animal testing say that there are no other methods available to test the safety of household products, cosmetics, pesticides and packing materials.
They believe that it is necessary to put large amounts of these poisons into the animals internally to find out how much is too much. The animals spend endless hours unable to move while hooked to devices that load them up with the toxic material. Sometime their eyes are taped open and the substance gets poured into them.
When the animals die, go blind or get sick in other ways, it is simply noted as a toxic level, and the animal is discarded, and another one brought in to take its place.

The Humane Society is one of many organizations that are strongly urging and promoting other methods of testing that would not violate an animalís rights.

Fortunately, over recent years, many companies are using more humane testing methods that do not require the death or torture of an innocent animal. Those products that are not using animals for testing will have the label on their container indicating that they do not use animal testing.

Another form of animal cruelty is the way some animals are treated before being killed for consumption. Chickens in chicken houses never see the daylight. They are loaded in together and filled with chemicals to make them plump. Some have beaks cut off so they wonít peck at the others. They live in their own excretions until it is time for slaughter. They are quickly killed after having a horrible life, and packaged nicely in a way that does not to reflect their life that they had just died from. They also lived in conditions that are quite conducive to diseases.

Cows and pigs have a similar life style. They are crowded, filled with hormones, unable to move, and merely seen as something to kill for our own desires.

Yet it has been proven that not only can people live off a vegetarian diet, but they actually are healthier and live longer.

It has also been shown that pigs are as intelligent as a three-year-old human.

In 2005, a story broke about a 280-pound pig that tried to jump out of the trailer headed for the slaughterhouse while it was at a red light. The pig ran for 30 minutes before the police were able to catch up with it. It fought desperately for its life, only to be captured and sent on to the slaughterhouse. That pig was screaming for its freedom, only to end in defeat, and on someoneís plate.

Even though I am a vegetarian, I am only advocating in this column the importance of knowing what you are or are not supporting.

The many people who were so appalled at Vick and his dog fighting might not even know that they are also supporting something that is just as inhumane.

So if you are against dog- and cock-fighting, but support acts of cruelty to innocent animals in other ways, it seems important to recognize that, and not be in denial about the suffering that so many sweet and precious animals endure at the expense of humansí desires.

If you havenít known about the treatment of these animals, it is also important to be aware of this. I believe that compassion is an action for all of life ó not just for that of humans.

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Janese Johnson has been doing intuitive counseling nationally for more than 20 years. She may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .