We seriously need to rethink how we treat animals

The sooner you plead guilty for contributing to direct or indirect animal cruelty, the easier it will be to recognise  some of the malicious acts we expose animals just because we think, unlike humans, they do not feel pain.

This “culture” is outright barbaric, and disturbingly sadistic. Just look at how we treat animals; from how we casually stone dogs as they are peacefully resting or trying to prove that cats always land on their feet or it’s impossible to drown them.

Animal cruelty is as simple as neglecting a wounded cat or dog, thinking they will naturally heal.

Everyday a donkey suffers the wrath of a whip and forced to carry tonnes of luggage and at the first sight of fatigue, lashes rain down. Even in Mwea, some humane soul put up the “Punda ni rafiki” signs to let people treat them better.

According to the ignorant, the easier and cheaper way to transport chicken is by loosely hanging them on a speeding matatu exposing them to the brutality of fast blowing wind forgetting that it can and does, kill them. We dismiss any advise with a simple; “they will be stew in a short while.”

Violating our animals is as simple as neglecting their dietary needs, like a cat owner who believes the animal can fend for itself and when you decide to feed it, it’s just dainty morsels and you move on.

This disturbing photo was taken on Thursday, showing chickens being transported under stressful and violent conditions on a passenger vehicle.

Agriculture consultant Mulei B. Mutiso says that animals should be handled with care during transportation even if they are going to be slaughtered. People should take time to go through the Animal Rights Act.

Chapter 360 of the constitution highlights the penalties that one caught in act of violating animal would face. These regulations may be cited as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Transport of Animals) Regulations, 1984.

For instance in this case: