Originally Posted by The Batlord

Yeah, but the emotional fulfillment provided by food animals has nothing to do with them as living beings, but as... you know... food. So, by my logic there isn't reason to give them even the most basic protection that doesn't involve food safety.

And I don't know what specific laws are in regards to lizards, fish, spiders, etc, but I don't imagine they are as protected as animals, like cats and dogs, that are capable of more profound emotional connections with pet owners, and that are closer to what can be called sentience. Or at least those laws aren't exercised as rigorously.




As much as I would like to see this guy hurt, no, not by current standards I don't think a year in jail entirely makes sense (not that I'm going to lose any sleep over it). But someone like Michael Vick, yeah, put him away. If he done the same with people he would have been executed, so a year or two in prison certainly wouldn't have been out of proportion, and the kind of premeditated sadism he practiced is certainly miles away from a random act of cruelty.