Pixabay License – Photograph by Nhudaibnumukhtar

THE PROLIFERATION OF ANIMAL ABUSE ON VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS HAS BECOME EPIDEMIC. EVERY DAY NEW FACE BOOK POSTS WHICH CLAIM TO BE ABOUT HELPING ANIMALS- CLEARLY SHOW STAGED ANIMAL DISTRESS PHOTOS OR VIDEOS – WHICH REPRESENT SOME TORTURE OR DEATH OF ANIMALS.

THIS POST IS NOT SAYING THAT THERE ARE NO LEGITIMATE ANIMAL PROTECTION GROUPS OR POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. BUT IT HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT TO USE DISCRESTION BEFORE CHEERING ON SOME OF THESE RESCUES WHICH LOOK TOTALLY FAKE. TOO OFTEN THE HAPPY ANIMAL PHOTO IS TAKEN BEFORE THE ABUSE – AND IS NOT REALLY AN ANIMAL RESCUE.

TODAY I CAME ACROSS A SITE THAT CLAIMED TO SHOW CAT RESCUES. A KITTEN THAT LOOKED DECEASED AND WET, LAY NEXT TO A RAIL ROAD TRACK. THE CAPTION CLAIMED THE KITTEN WAS RESCUED. I SENT AN EMAIL TO THE SITE’S ADMIN TELLING THEM THE KITTEN LOOKED DECEASED AND ASKED WHY WAS IT SOAKING WET? OF COURSE I GOT NO RESPONSE. THERE WAS NO ACTUAL PHOTO OF A RESCUE OR ANY DOCUMENTATION…JUST THE KITTEN LAYING LIFELESS NEXT TO A RAILROAD.

IN ANOTHER POST – A DOG SUPPOSEDLY HAD WANDERED INTO A TAR PIT. THE DOG IN AGONY IS SHOWN BEING LIFTED OUT OF THE PIT. THEN A HAPPY DOG IS SHOWN AS THE RESCUE PHOTO. THE PEOPLE WHO POSTED THIS WANT US TO BELIEVE THAT A DOG WOULD HAVE ANY ATTRACTION TO HOT TAR AND THAT JUST RINSING HIM OFF WOULD REVIVE HIM. THAT DOG WOULD HAVE REQUIRED MAJOR EMERGENCY VETERINARY HELP IF THERE WAS ANY CHANCE OF HIM SURVIVING.

I HAVE SEEN COUNTLESS FACEBOOK POSTS THAT NEED INVESTIGATING. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME WAY TO SCRUTINIZE THESE POSTS THAT INVOLVE ANY LIVING BEING THAT COULD BE IN HARMS WAY. RIGHT NOW PEOPLE WITH QUESTIONNABLE INTENTIONS AT BEST, ARE GETTING CLICKS AND MAKING MONEY STAGING THESE HORRNDOUS ABUSES.

I HAVE CONTACTED FACEBOOK A FEW TIMES TO REPORT POTENTIAL ABUSE BUT NOTHING HAS EVER COME OF IT. JUST DELETING A POST IS NOT THE ANSWER. WE NEED SOME TYPE OF SCRUTINY AND INESTIGATION. IT IS TOO EASY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA TO BAIT PEOPLE WITH THESE TITLES ABOUT A HELPLESS ANIMAL BEING RESCUED.

SOCIAL MEDIA COMPAINES NEED TO MAKE THIS A TOP PRIORITY IN THEIR FORMULATION OF WHAT IS ALLOWED AND HOW TO PROPERLY RESEARCH THESE POSTS FOR THIS TYPE OF TERRIBLE ABUSE.

MY QUESTION IS – WHY WASN’T THIS THOUGHT OF TO BEGIN WITH? SOCIAL MEDIA SHOULD NOT BE ANNONYMOUS. THERE SHOULD BE A LEGITIMATE WAY TO HAVE MANDATORY UPDATED CONTACT INFORMATION.

THE NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION, LADY FREE THINKER, HAS SUED YOU TUBE OVER IT’S ANIMAL ABUSE VIDEOS. HERE IS A LINK TO THEIR WEBSITE WHERE THEY DISCUSS THE PROLIFIC PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA – ANIMAL ABUSE POSTS: https://ladyfreethinker.org/sign-remove-animal-cruelty-from-youtube/

THE ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE HAS A VERY GOOD ARTICLE ON THEIR WEBSITE THAT DISCUSSES WHAT TO DO IF YOU COME ACROSS SUSPECTED ANIMAL ABUSE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. HERE IS THE LINK TO THAT ARTICLE – https://awionline.org/content/frequently-asked-questions-about-reporting-animal-cruelty

WHEN I COME ACROSS THESE FAKE ANIMAL RESCUE SITES – I OFTEN LEAVE A COMMENT UNDER THE POSTS TELLING PEOPLE THIS IS LIKELY ANIMAL ABUSE AND A FAKE SITE.

ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS NEED TO COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO BLOCK AND INVESTIGATE THESE TYPES OF SITES. NOTHING IS MORE DISTURBING THEN ANY TYPE OF ANIMAL OR HUMAN ABUSE BEING CONDUCTED FOR SICK HUMAN PROFIT. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOUR IDEAS ARE FOR STOPPING THE PROLIFERATION OF ANIMAL ABUSE VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

Please note the photo above has nothing to do with social media animal abuse. It is a photograph I downloaded from Pixabay.

Copyright – Cynthia Fain – Oct. 2023 –