Animal cruelty in its various guises
05:55 AM Jul 16, 2010
Letter from Daryl Yong
I READ with interest that animal lovers in Singapore are calling for a woman to be punished for "beating her dog with a bunch of sticks". ("Animal lovers cry foul over beating", July 14.)
When we fatten animals, then slaughter and eat them, we call it "husbandry". When we shoot crows and lay poisonous traps to kill mice, we call it "pest control". When we imprison animals within enclosures for our entertainment, we call it "family fun".
Yet when a woman disciplines her pet for destroying her property, we call it "animal cruelty", a crime punishable by up to 12 months in jail.
To punish a woman for acting like we all do would be the height of hypocrisy.
