Some Animals Do Go to Hell

Yes, it's true. I don't believe in the Hell of the 'hereafter', but I do believe such a thing exists here on earth. And, everything gets to experience it.

If you are tender-hearted and get queasy easily, stop reading now. You may have heard this on the national news - but it definitely was the hot topic on the local news at varying times since the charges were filed.

Here is the condensed version of news reports regarding this animal cruelty trial which concluded a couple of weeks ago.

Today I had a regularly scheduled lunch with some friends. One of the friends I hadn't seen since last August, so I found out that she was one of the rescuers who aided the horses.

The total horse count was 63. Emaciated. Starving. Dying of thirst. They were "adopted" by horse lovers all over this area; people whose goal was to bring them back to health. Some of them were too far gone and had to be put down. But, six months later, many of these horses are changed animals. My friend wanted to adopt one - but another one wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, so she's got two of them. She showed pictures of them "before". It was far worse than most anything you'll see on the animal cop shows on Animal Planet. Today, these are changed animals, healthy and loving, they are being trained by my friend.

If you've read the link, the pot bellied pig mentioned was so weak and thin that the rescuer easily picked it up and put it in the back of the car to keep it safe from getting trampled by other, somewhat stronger animals who were desperately trying to get to the food that was provided.

I asked if other horses rescued had fared as well as my friend's. She said that five had not made it, but not because of the cruelty, but because they happened to be struck by lightning out in a pasture. They were under a tree which got struck. The concussion knocked them over and killed them instantly. But, these horses had known a loving touch from humans before they met their demise.

Now, get this. I asked how on earth these people came to have 63 horses and all the other animals. Apparently, these people have taken it upon themselves to "save" the horses from the dog food factory, and purchase them from the well-known horse auction in Kalona.

Yeah. They save these animals from the dog food factory only to let them slowly starve to death. Makes tremendous sense, doesn't it? (heavily sarcastic, folks)

Sentencing on Olin and Wendy Andrews comes at the end of January. But, get this...they've already gone back to the judge to appeal the lack of animals at their farm...they need cats and dogs to help control the rodent population, they say. And, apparently the judge has given them permission to have some animals for this purpose; truth told, I'll bet he doesn't know how far these people have gone, but they are being monitored carefully. Seems that they've brought around 20 dogs and cats back to their property to control the rodent population.

HUH? Something WAY wrong there if you've got to have that many to control the vermin. I've been around many a farm in my growing up days and I have seen lots of cats at times, but never 20 of 'em, and unless there were puppies, most farmers I knew didn't have more than a couple of dogs unless it was a huge operation requiring herding dogs.

People like this should not be allowed to have animals. Period.