Oh wow - I definitely couldn't watch that documentary. I too can't watch Animal Cops or Animal PRecinct without totally breaking down. I got One At A Time: A Week in an American Shelter as part of the rattie raffle, and I've only gotten through 3 pages because of sobbing :(

Oh my! I don't think I could watch that either... that would make me cry as well. Like you, I have issues with cruelty of any kind towards animals. And once I have stability and can actually give to charities regularly, you can bet that I'll be giving to a few of the same ones as yourself.

It pains my heart to think of animals being treated in such a way. In fact, it sickens my stomach. This one movie I like, called 'Equilibrium', has a scene (and thankfully they don't actually show it) where the emotionless clerics (the movie's version of special agent policemen) kill a bunch of dogs that a rebel group was trying to save. Sooo sad... you have no idea! -- and so you know, the movie is about a futuristic dystopia where the people take a drug to supress emotion and anything that triggers emotions (ie art, literature, music, pets, etc.) are outlawed and must be destroyed.

Anyway, just thinking about this makes me weepy. I can't even begin to fathom how I'd feel if someone tried to hurt my Smiley. Heads would roll... you could count on that.

*hugs you*

EXACTLY!

Research is a tough one. Trust me, I know full well. Back in grad school we had to do this lab where we inserted a catheter into the heart of a live dog that was under general anasthesia. However, my school was EXTREMELY thorough when they did their research as to where to get these dogs and had special technicians come in to oversee EVERYTHING. I was hesitant at first, but once I saw how they cared for the dogs they brought in, I was quickly put at ease. They were wonderful. Sadly, not every group is like that. The animals we used were actually given up for adoption to good homes after going through our little lab study, so that was nice.

It gets harder when you know the animals have to be sacrificed. I remember when I had to murder (and yes, I use that term because that's how it felt to me) neonatal rats. The poor things weren't even a day old and their eyes weren't even open... yet, for research, I had to break their necks and harvest their skulls. I cried the entire time I did that and every other time thereafter. It was the same way when I had to do dissections on a live adult pig. Thankfully, I suppose, their deaths were as quick and painless as possible and all the parts were to be used in some way... but still... it's a feeling that's hard to shake. And I know for a fact that I'll never do anything like that again if I can help it. It's one thing to have to do it for classes, but it's another thing to have to do it forever.

*hugs you tight*

I, too, got Lion.