Time to call a halt to animal cruelty blight

In recent weeks we have found ourselves reporting on numerous stories involving cruelty to animals. It was Mahatma Ghandi who said: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

It remains an insightful observation.

After all, what kind of society do we live in when people cannot even be trusted to keep harmless and, in many cases, helpless animals safe?

Owning an animal, much like having children, is not a right.

Rather, it is a responsibility to be borne with maturity and dignity.

And, if the owner of a pet cannot treat their animal properly – if they fail in this duty to act with compassion and respect – it is only right that they face the full force of law.

All too often, it appears the crimes before the courts are the result of little more than wanton laziness.

Today we report on a Fife man who failed to get veterinary treatment for his dog and cats. The dog died in hunger and pain.

The distress and suffering of the pets in question must have been clear for all to see.

It is an almost inexplicable crime, for which he has been banned from owning animals for life.

We may like to think of our society as being advanced and sophisticated. The evidence, sadly, is somewhat different.