In the express today the barbaric practice of draining bear bile for chinese medicine. The bit on here about the old dog being PTS. It gives me a physical pain (Im weeping now!!)
My brother & OH also say they feel appalled at pictures of such barbarism. Do other actually feel pain? I know its my imagination doing it but I feel so sad yet still I look and read Rainbow Bridge ect... maybe its the mother bit that does it but Im not sure. Dont respond Im being a bit daft today no idea why!

I am not a Mother but feel despair when I read of some of the barbaric things that we humans do to or inflict on animals. As for Rainbow Bridge, I have shed many a tear for the loss of someones best friend. I lost one to Lymphoma nearly 2 years ago and was on a Lymphoma group. Whenever I read of another loss I feel the owners pain as if I was going through it all over again. So no, no way I am going to calling you daft.
Last week not far from us there was a group of men that released a lurcher out of a car on a pregnant doe which it killed and then proceeded to eat. I could happily and do serious harm to those men. As I say, I despair of some people.

I think it is just 'normal' human instinct to feel pain at any type of cruelty, it can really knot up my stomach and like Alison, I could quite easily inflict the same on these evil people. 

If you are an animal lover its all very natural to feel this way. When I read about other peoples dogs being PTS its always extremely sad. OH can't understand why its so upsetting to read about dogs you've never met but hes not made the same as me. People who feel the pain of animals have hearts of gold IMO

> Dont respond Im being a bit daft today no idea why!

You're not being daft. It hurts because you care. Empathy is a human emotion, sadly it's missing from many humans :(

Some people just don't care what pain or suffering an animal goes through, or even worse they don't believe it actually is painfull or upsetting for the animal. The sickest of them all are those that actually find pleasure in inflicting pain & suffering on aniamls

Don't fight the fact you feel so hurt by the horendous suffering some animals have to endure or the fact you feel others pain when they lose a much loved animal, it shows you care, shows you have a heart.

After years of being in a profession which required  you to be as tough as old boots, I think that I am now letting my emotions come through and I don't think it's a bad thing!

I often shed tears when I read people's posts, I visit Rainbow Bridge section to try and "toughen me up" but still I cry when I read it, knowing the pain that others feel when they lose a much loved friend; five years down the line tears still come easily when I think of my beautiful Abby taken too early.

My husband tries to tell me that I can't change the world and all the horrible things in it, but I still try and actually don't want to change and become immune to cruelty and suffering, we all do it becaus we care and that can't be wrong!! The great advice and support of this site should be celebrated.

I have also been very pleased to read good things happening this week to people who I have never met but that doesn't mean I can't be happy for them :) Long may we all continue to share and care.

Do other actually feel pain? 

Yes, pain and anger. I remember at 15 going to Spain with my mother (having a nice girly holiday together) and one of the tours was a bullfight, well it was nothing like we thought it would be, these poor bulls one after the other were sent in the ring whilst the matadors just through spears at them, they weren't mad raging things, just stood there helpless with no escape, they were just slaughtered one after the other. We were both very upset and so was everyone else on the coach back to the hotel. Infact I cried once we shut the door to our room the image was horrible.

I'm also a real horror buff, nothing scares me or bothers me, but there was a film not so long ago that started with real animal cruelty, I just turned it off and have never watched the film, animal cruelty just makes me feel sick inside, I can't deal with it.

Which is why I give to every charity going to do with animal cruelty all over the world, I hope it helps, but it never goes away does it?

> I feel so sad yet still I look and read Rainbow Bridge ect...

Me too.  It makes us human.

Yes, I feel pain, also so shamed of the human race. I feel so sad for the bears, who spend all there lives pinned in a cage while they drain the bile. Dogs that are held in boiling water, while alive then skin alive for the fur. then thrown  in a heap to die. the monkeys that have there sculls smashed open so people can eat there brains while they are alive. A lot of countries do not respect human lives, and animals well!!
I try not to watch them anymore as it upsets me so I can't sleep. I think there are many more people that don't care than what do.

Its not silly or stupid, its what makes us human.
I often visit a lost dog site and cry at that a lot...
I'd like to say the day i stop caring i should then no longer be owned by a pet.. or 4

Alison.. I too know the heartache of Lymphoma... i hear the word and shudder. I know what lies ahead for them

Donna x
and my boys xx

Cruelty of any kind has always appalled me,but I do find that advancing years seem to make me more emotional.I have owned and lost so many pets over the years but you never get used to it,only to manage the sadness,you have to remember and concentrate on the happy memories when you feel down.Life goes on.The happy stories do not make headlines,so we all read about the horrible ones all the time,and I do wonder if the stressful times we all live in these days cause more people to vent their anger on their poor innocent pets.

Thanks for all you replies I sit and weep at what people do to animals ect... I cant comprehend the metality and it does make me fear for the world.

Oh blimey I guess whilst some of us do share a common humanity there is always hope.
I had better stop buying the Daily Express - but none of us live on an island.