Sharing and caring

I was taught as a child that ‘sharing was caring’.

In the days of sharing involving a tube of Fruit Pastilles or Rolos, I would completely agree, sharing did indeed indicate you cared.

In these days of social media where sharing with a simple click, can trigger a flaming, is it really caring to share?

There are a few things I am passionate about. One of them is Animal Rights. I do what I can to help, I volunteer with Oscar’s Law NSW and I have a healthy family of cats, a dog and half a dozen chooks (chickens). I also, don’t kill anything that lives outside, such as spiders or cockroaches (I’ll be honest and say they don’t always fair so well if they stray inside, unless it’s a Huntman, they always got put outside).

A few weeks ago I shared an image and a news story about a cat that lost her kittens to what can only be described as a vicious act of cruelty perpetrated by someone that deserves to be thrown in prison with thugs that will do the same to him. The image was disturbing, but small, you could just make out the wounds on the kittens but the look on the mother cats face was undeniable grief and confusion about what had happened to her babies. Cats tend to be extremely attentive and good mothers.

The share caused an outrage amongst my ‘friends’. Mostly my ‘animal loving’ ‘friends’, most of whom I've never met.

I was told to take down the share because it was too disturbing.
I was told it was unnecessary to share such a horrific image and story.
I was told, in a private message, that I was glorifying the act of cruelty.

I was doing none of these things in my eyes. I shared the story because it touched me in a heartfelt way and I believed people needed to know that people still do horrible thing to animals and getaway with it, mainly because people turn a blind eye to the horrific acts.

If the image had been of a human mother and her baby, outrage would have united the people into finding the perpetrator. The police would have been scrambled to the four winds until the guilty party had been found. The story would have been posted on every newsfeed and in every paper around the nation, no stone would have remained unturned. But it was just a cat, so I don’t need to see it’s pain.

I find this double standard unacceptable.

Since then I have chosen not to share stories of distress, cute doe-eye puppies in need of a home or kittens playing with string to entice. And now I find myself being reprimanded for not sharing.
I shall continue to not share out of respect for the friends that ASKED me not too as it was too distressing and they wanted to adopt everything they saw. My true friends who know that with respect for my beliefs comes a respect for theirs.

I shall continue to do my bit for animal right, but I’ll warn you now, I’ve been dicked about by volunteers before and I don’t take kindly to it. You want my help to make a difference…show me a little respect too; it’s not just about the animals there are humans with feelings in this too.

I’m happy to take my ball and Rolos and play in someone else’s garden, anytime, just say the word.