‘Never be silent about cruelty’

Thank you to Rosario A. Garcellano for pointing out that people who commit acts of violence against animals rarely stop there—they often abuse human victims as well (“To kill a cat,” Opinion, 7/2/18).

After People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia was tipped off about the gruesome “crush” videos showing scantily clad girls forced to torture animals, we notified the National Bureau of Investigation and worked with authorities to ensure that the suspects were found, arrested and prosecuted.

The perpetrators were convicted of cruelty to animals as well as wildlife-related violations, child abuse and human trafficking. They were sentenced to life imprisonment for all these crimes.

Dogfighting rings, too, are frequently linked to other forms of crime, including illegal gambling, drug dealing and murder.

And it’s a sign of the changing times that four teenagers who were convicted of clubbing a stray cat to death were given a jail sentence.

Even though we need more and stronger animal-protection laws, each of us can help ensure that existing laws are enforced by notifying authorities immediately if we know or suspect that animals are being abused, and by filing cases against animal abusers.

If we don’t, who will? Please, for everyone’s safety, never be silent about cruelty.

JANA SEVILLA, senior cruelty case officer, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia