As one who rescues worms from puddles, crabs from stores, cats, baby birds, bees from pools, etc. etc. I cannot fathom how compassion can be missing from the society of mankind. Are we that arrogant that we believe only we feel pain, abandonment, depression and that we are the chosen ones to live on this planet and to heck with our non human neighbours? To pull the religion card out and say we are allowed to do what we wish to animals is utter rubbish. I am not a religious person, but I do not believe that anyone's god would want animals treated with anything but respect and kindness for their rights to live and flourish. To this end, I am enlosing an item from a church perspective, religion and ethics. What a sad, pitiful person is this k.e. brown.

Animal-friendly Christian thoughts
Here are some of the animal-friendly ideas that modern Christians use when thinking about animals:

The Bible shows that God made his covenant with animals as well as human beings
Human and non-human animals have the same origin in God
St. Francis of Assisi said that animals "had the same source as himself"
In God's ideal world human beings live in harmony with animals
The Garden of Eden, in which human beings lived in peace and harmony with animals, demonstrates God's ideal world, and the state of affairs that human beings should work towards
The prophet Isaiah describes the Kingdom of Heaven as a place where animals and human beings live together in peace
God has the right to have everything he created treated respectfully - wronging animals is wronging God
God is not indifferent to anything in his creation
The example of a loving creator God should lead human beings to act lovingly towards animals
Inflicting pain on any living creature is incompatible with living in a Christ-like way
Animals are weak compared to us - Christ tells us to be kind to them
Jesus told human beings to be kind to the weak and helpless
In comparison to human beings, animals are often weak and helpless
Christians should therefore show compassion to animals
To love those who cannot love you in the same way is a unique way of acting with generous love.
"If you love them that love you, what reward have you?"
It is a great good to take responsibility for the welfare of others, including animals