I made him breakfast and left him in peace and quiet to take the dogs up to my brother's house way up in the hills. There I let them run themselves silly in their garden and pond, and spent a hour or two with my sister in law. My brother remains very fatigued at the moment and was asleep when I was there. I will catch him later in the week.
When I got home, I was making Chris some lunch when there was a knock at the kitchen window which faces the lane. Thinking it was an egg customer I ambled outside to find a neighbour from down the road. She hurriedly explained that she had witnessed a guy walking past one the tame st Trinian hens who had escaped into the lane. She told me that he had actively allowed his two dogs a free run on their extended leads to corner and attack the single hen, and that they had ripped out a large number of feathers before the hen had somehow escaped
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| One of the tame St Trinians walking in the lane |
The darker side of human nature never ceases to surprise me. The moral code which keeps you and I in check for most of the time does not apply to some, who allow themselves to inflict little acts of cruelty on the weak without a second thought or guilt.....I wonder just how this happens so very easily?...........This nastier part of human motivation saddens me greatly
I will drive over from Sheffield to help you sort this guy out. We'll tie him to a kitchen chair with strong rope and whack his face repeatedly with a wet kipper. Cruelty is something that I have always abhorred and yet I am sure that some people get a "buzz" from inflicting it - it's all about power and control.
ReplyDeleteuse a frozen tuna pud and I willaccept the help!!!!
ReplyDeleteBastard! I have no patience with people like him and hereby invoke the endless diarrhea curse on the S.O.B. May he not be able to get off of the pot for days.
ReplyDeleteI've wondered too - how can people behave like this without a second thought. I agree with Pud - it's all about power.
ReplyDeletehummm....control over a hen that weighs a few ounces.......shame eh?
ReplyDeleteHow horrible! I wonder if this fellow is a local or someone visiting? Could the lady describe the man or the two dogs, so you can keep a look-out for him? I would be livid!
ReplyDeleteNo such thing as a 'little' act of cruelty. I would be letting the local Animal Cruelty officer know - a word with the vet may identify the possible dog owner.
ReplyDeleteIt's always so nice to see your hens out and about and it's s shame if that makes them an easy target. I hope you find out who the bastard is - let us know and maybe we can all get together and sort him out. This sort of mindless cruelty makes my blood boil.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how he would have responded if you had exercised your rights as a small-holder and animal husband (no offence intended!) and had gone out and shot the dog? Tough on the dog, but would it have taught him how to behave? I have witnessed people allowing their dogs to harass sheep, and it is remarkable how they get them under control if you walk up to them with a shotgun under your arm.
ReplyDeleteI am appalled by how people can allow their animals to behave. Your poor little hen.
ReplyDeleteIn resposne to Tom's comment, when we were young we went for Christmas dinner at my uncles house and it was interrupted by hysterai when we discovered that his two Irish Wolf hounds had been shot by a farmer whose sheep they were chasing. I do understand a farmers predicament, but the dogs are only the product of their owners behaviour.
How sad...we need more love, less meanness in the world John.
ReplyDeleteShe may only be a wee hen, but her existence is of the same value as the rest of us.
I think you and I may be on the same wavelength today, vastly different topics, but a common denominator.
We had a dog once who was shot full of buckshot for chasing the neighboring farmer's sheep. First the vet chewed my ass off while he was treating her, for not controlling her better, and then I got a stern but forgiving lecture from the farmer when I crawled over to apologize later.
ReplyDeleteBut my crime was only neglect. This act of mindful cruelty you describe is chilling. Poor, poor Lady St. Trinian. Just getting better from the neglect of her last owner and now subjected to this. I send her all my warm, safe, healing, calming thoughts and hope for a swift recovery. Keep us posted on her progress okay? Poor little sweet.
xoxox
PS I send the same thoughts for Chris, Andrew, and your sister in law!
I can't for the life of me understand what the turn on is for otherwise normal human beings to inflict pain, suffering and death on innocent and defenceless animals and all in the name of pleasure. One can only assume they are inadequate in someway.
ReplyDeleteI do hope the little hen has forgotten all about the attack - what an atrocious thing. I just hope the guy has no children, as they might be allowed to be actively cruel just as his dogs are.
ReplyDeleteNancy in Iowa
He's a sociopath! Someone who has so little regard for life doesn't care if it's an animal or a human being he inflicts pain on.
ReplyDeleteThe man should be jailed...
John,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear this. The cruelty of nature on our livestock is hard enough to deal with let alone trying to come to grips with some @$$-hole who purposely picks on something smaller than him.
It really does make you question humanity. I would like to think that karma will pay him back.
Give the poor girl some warm pasta for me, would you?
Karma can be a real bad boy! When a person does things of this nature the pay back I believe can be 10 fold.
ReplyDeleteYou have to wonder I agree what on earth would make a person take delight in something like that! grrr
I expected people in England to be more civilized, and also more aware how difficult it is to raise farm animals in the midst of NATURAL predators, who are at least just trying to feed themselves. I guess there are idiots everywhere. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I'm so sorry for your little hen. I can completely relate to your feelings of aghast at the cruelty some people are capable of. It never ceases to surprise me, either. It was wonderful of your neighbor to come to you so quickly, though. I hope Chris is feeling better soon.
ReplyDeletethanks all
ReplyDeleteI would like to think that my neighbour was wrong and that the big pile of feathers blowing down the lane was a product of a sudden and unexpected dog lurch!
The hen involved is fine...
Maybe Mr. Pudding should come over and help you like he offered. He has plenty of experience tying people up and throwing them in the basement of his castle.
ReplyDeleteThat dude sure wouldn't try anything like that on my mountain. He would meet with an accident that would be explained as a wild animal attack. Happens all the time, right?
I always wonder what the motivating factor is when I hear of things like this John. Sorry this has happened to you and your hen.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure whether to read this post or not because of the title, I was worried about a sad ending. I'm so happy to read your little hen is OK but I am absolutely appalled that someone would do something like this. Just recently a jet ski rider ran over a swan here on the Coast for fun, with the help of a video that was taken he was tracked down to be prosecuted. Thankfully the swan was rescued♥ Hope you can track this person down John. Linda xx
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, John. I don't know how people can be that way.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness one of your neighbors came and told you so you could recover your chicken.
Hope Chris feels better soon and I hope the hen will be all right, too.
The guy is probably from the same genetic pool as the bloke who thought a kick to our dog's face was a good idea ! She now has a cataract as a result. pleased to hear the hen is ok.
ReplyDeleteJane
He's probably one of my hubby's "customers". I chastise him for being so cynical, but when I remember the sort of folk he deals with day in and day out, I can't blame him. Glad your hen is ok. Hope Andrew gets stronger soon. xxxx
ReplyDeleteThats so sad John. If only you had seen the fellow...then again maybe it's better that you didn't. I really don't understand people like this...it makes you wonder just what their childhood was like to allow them to do such cruel acts. I'm glad the hen was ok. I hope this week will be a better one for you and for your brother.
ReplyDeleteMaura XX
Ps...commenting on the comment you left me...you can come and help us take down part of one of our buildings and then take it home with you since you like our buildings so much ;)
John - there are 3 types of people in the world. The B*stards that do this shit, the vast majority of people who ignore that this problem exists, and the wonderful people who dedicate their lives to raising animals with love, and cleaning up the damage of the first group. We have always had the 3-legged, one-eyed dogs named Lucky. My dad, since retiring in an area with a sadly high % of this crime, has gone "off-radar" and works directly with the local vets and the athorities to take in the most damaged, criminal acts animals? He doesn't belong to any Group, so the animals "disappear" until trial. Did you know, that the statistic is insanely high for people that are facing felony animal cruelty to go back and kill the animals where they are being treated, to "remove" the evidence of their crime?
ReplyDeleteA 4week old Rottweiller with a shattered jaw and skull, now 9mo old, and will forever need medication, phys. therapy, and constant monitoring to combat a jaw that tends to lock up, preventing eating and drinking, and one eye that will never see; an 8 yr old Lab mix with a shattered spine and rear leg, after 2 surgeries, 18 months of recovery, physical therapy and 2x week of accupuncture, the dog can go for a walk, albeit slowly.
You know about my 2 young kittens.
We've seen time and again the wonderful animals you have.
I know you would like to think that this was an innocent mistake, but I would suggest watching closely, not everyone is as good as you are, unfortunately... As a responsible dog owner, had *I* seen a chicken (or any strange animal) walking on the same road as my dog, I'd have stopped, gathered the dog in close to heel, without loose lead, crossed to the other side of the road, and passed with care (or turned around) Of course, my dogs KNEW not to chase chickens, but that is beside the point in this instance.
kate you need to write a blog x
ReplyDeleteI'm back to try to balance the awfulness of some people with the incredible kindness and selflessness of others. Follow this link to read the most remarkable story of an incredible woman and the dog that she saved... http://musingsfairlightfarm.blogspot.com/2010/12/for-i-was-hungry-revisited.html
ReplyDeleteI first read Boone's story, several years ago and it haunts me still. I love that dog as if he were my own and he is in my prayers nightly.
I hope you'll share the link, John.
Nancy
ReplyDeleteI love positive stories
people always have trouble seeing the positive in others
x
Indeed, the world could do without those...
ReplyDeleteI've had chickens attacked by a relatives K-9s...watched people deliberately run over turtles trying to get across the road...seen puppies, left in a ditch, by some uncaring person, seen hunters let their hounds chase and kill cats...it goes on and on. People who have no respect for animal life have no respect for human life!
ReplyDeleteDisgusting! Revolting! It makes me furious.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your hen survived. Last year we lost several of our chickens to raccoons. I trapped one and hauled it about twenty miles from our house.
ReplyDeleteA few days later, I caught another one. My wife asked if it could be the same raccoon.
I honestly didn't know so I spray-painted his rear-end blue so that I would recognize him if he returned.
I haven't seen him since, but I imagine none of the other raccoons would let him play in any raccoon games...no wait, that was Rudolph.
It's beyond me how cruel some people can be, but I'm glad the hen's alright.
ReplyDeleteI hope you meet this guy and teach him a few manners!!!
ReplyDeletemakes my blood boil! glad your hen is okay. what is wrong with people? even as a therapist, i often don't have a clue.
ReplyDeleteJohn - the last time I had a blog, I hatched 3 eggs in my bra. I'm not sure the blogging world is ready to let me back in.... Kate xx
ReplyDeleteI once witnessed a young man, I will use this term loosely, that swerved his truck purposely to run over a dog that had escaped it's kennel and was on the way back home. He literally drove in the ditch to inflict his cruelty. I only hope that some day, I see him jogging...........
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I doubt I could bring myself to stoop to that level.
Please let us know if you find out who might have done such an awful thing.
Well wishes to your brother and sister in law from Wisconsin, USA
Appauling. I would have probably jumped in the car and gone looking for him during a red mist.
ReplyDeleteReminded me that yesterday I caught my 'less than chook friendly' neighbour on the allotment attempting to literally beat his Silky hen into the coop during dusk. He clocked one look at my face and then thought better of it and left it out last night. I'd like to photograph myself to see what my face may look like during such episodes just to see how much rage is actually visible when witnessing animal cruelty. I imagine my eyes could torch cane fields.
A few things get me really up in arms, and the NUMBER ONE thing that does is animal cruelty...I always feel so enraged when I hear any stories such as this..
ReplyDelete