Dear Editor,
What finds itself on newspaper front-pages these days or even inside a newspaper, is determined by what many conceive to be important. Animal rights do not fall in that category, or so it seems. The voice for human rights can be heard all across our nation. But where are the voices of innocent, voiceless animals who suffer the daily torments and abuse of people who call themselves human beings?
Monday of this week marked the fourth day in which a horse had been writhing in pain over a broken hind leg which it suffered since Thursday as a result of a speeding car along the Cumberland Public Road in East Canje. While no damage was done to the car, this horse suffered a broken leg. According to reports, the driver sped off the scene.
The animal’s owner reportedly refused to render any assistance to the animal since he was determined that the driver of the car pay for the animal’s injuries.
I responded to a call by an upset resident in the area concerning the suffering, maimed animal on Sunday morning. It was observed that the animal lay in the rain and it [the animal] seemed to be in excruciating pain as the broken limb appeared very evident. It was lying in a vacant lot, adjacent to the public road, not too far from where it was struck.
In a land where human beings have rights and there seems to be a number of laws that protect all sorts of interests in society, it appears that one can easily escape treating an animal cruelly or allowing animals to endure intense suffering and pain, as is evident in this case.
Sure, the animal was perhaps in the wrong place at the wrong time, and thus an accident was caused. But surely, human beings—the more intelligent in this situation—should be expected to act in a more intelligent and sensible manner and at the same time show some compassion to the animal.
This incident whereby the horse has been left to suffer with its injuries for more than 4 days, and without any food and water, should have engaged the eyes of the few animal rights activists in our midst, had it been publicized properly.
The horse died—presumably of starvation—some time early Tuesday.
Its death is an indictment of all of us, and more so that cruel owner.
Yours faithfully,
Leon Suseran