Does teasing an animal count as cruelty too?

[Anonymous]

On a recent gathering with animal, the subject of animal cruelty was brought up in a conversation. I'm not sure if this would be considered cruelty though.

Flashback to the year 2009 (then 11 year-olds):

Sometimes my friend and I threw some mud, dirt or water at someone's small dog. Other times, he did it to a couple random cats or scaring it with a mask. We never went further than that; our intention was only to tease it. This went on for several months until one owner found out and located our parents. We got grounded immediately.

Looking back, yeah that was mean. Though I'm not sure if that would be considered cruelty. We never went too far either but yeah it feels bad. We still harassed them and probably caused them some stress. Is this cruelty too or not?

Yes

No

Other

Updates

+1 y

The following year or so, we did apologized (for the 2nd time) for real. The first apology was a forced one; our parents made us do it and we said it with an annoying, upset tone.

[Anonymous]

I don't know where's the line between teasing and playing? Many (young) dogs like playing. I remember being at a friend's house when i was a teenager and I kept taking his dogs favorite stuffed animal and kept waving it in front of his face until he'd bark and chomp down on it. Then he'd eventually let go and I'd grab the stuffed animal and start the process over again. Eventually my friend told me to stop picking on his dog. To which I said I wasn't picking on it, I was playing with it. The dog was just relaxing till I did this, and at no point did he even attempt to get up and leave. So I assumed he enjoyed it. But now I look back on it and the dog was kind of old. Either way I stopped when my friend gave me a dirty look about it.

I guess my point is it kind of becomes cruelty when you're doing something you KNOW the dog doesn't enjoy. But I wouldn't lose too much sleepover it. Water, mud and dirt while probably wasn't enjoyable to the dog you probably didn't hurt it.

[Asker]

I just don't think what I did was worth the ''omg you're a sociopath'' overreaction. We never went extreme with torturing nor getting physically violent with animals, none of that. We were jerks but were never crazy psychos.

[Opinion Owner]

I don't disagree.

[ZXCwWRQWz]

Yeah, I think it's cruel if it's like you still want to do it. Don't do that. But you already know not to do that because you admitted it was mean in your own question. WTF do you want? You were a cruel teenager. Learn now. Don't try to excuse your actions. You were really bad. Now don't be so bad.

[Asker]

We apologized twice but only the 2nd time counts. The first time, it was forced by our parents. They made us apologize. A year later or so, we apologized for real.

I've turned into someone docile with animals so it's been a long time since I haven't done of those antics.

[ZXCwWRQWz]

If I had you guys at the time and if that was my dog, you will be lucky if I don't commit a crime. The dog is innocent. You take your meanness out on me, not my dog. My dog is so innocent. If he/she is horrible you take it out on me. You don't take it out my dog. You are taking it out on the most innocent possible being for the shortcomings of its caretaker. I can't believe how mean you guys can be for a creature so innocent! You wanna fight to the death? I do it!

[Asker]

We were 11 year-olds back then and yes it was wrong. I'm not like that anymore. I'm actually a cat and dog lover by now.

[ZXCwWRQWz]

I'm sorry about getting angry. My mother killed my dog for biting me when I was a boy. But I was messing with her puppies too much after giving birth. She bit my face and I was hospitalized but then she killed her and it is a big trauma for me because it is my fault that my mother killed her. And I think my mother is cruel bitch for doing that.

[Asker]

It's ok. Sorry to hear about that traumatic event. The dog was acting in defense to its puppies and it's possible your mother was acting out of instinct when she saw you got hurt. Since you got hospitalized, was it a bigger dog breed?

[ZXCwWRQWz]

As a little boy, I didn't realize what I was doing. I just thought the puppies were so cute and I wanted to play with them. Then when my dog (the mother) chewed my face and didn't let go and kept gnawing at my face, my parents broke off. But then to my protest after recovering from the hospital, my mother wanted our dog dead and her puppies left in to shelter. Then it was a trauma for me I fought my mother on this because this is just an animal trying to protect her young. But my mother killed her anyway. So I always felt like her death was my fault; if I didn't want to play with the little puppies she had so much, I never would have caused this incident.

But now I am especially sensitive against people who take things out on innocent animals.

[ZXCwWRQWz]

Not the biggest dog as far as the breed. She was a Collie. Like in those Lassie shows.

[ZXCwWRQWz]

I was also teeny like 3 or 4 years old. But I remember the time my parents sent her away to her death.

[Asker]

Yes that can be traumatic to any small child. I think you can try talking to a trauma counselor about it.
A Collie is a beautiful breed. Yeah the dog was just acting to protect its puppies. I'm sure it wasn't in her character to attack you. It's a parent's responsibility to monitor the interaction between their small children or toddlers and their dog so unfortunate accidents like this don't happen.

[ZXCwWRQWz]

I think I did something very selfish by accident. We should forgive you now. I do. But don't do again!

[sage2021]

Some people say that seriel killers started out being cruel to animals.

[Asker]

I'm not even 1/4 closer to a serial killer. We meant it as some form of teasing to annoy them but not hurt them.

[Chazmatazz269]

I’m certain that it is. Though we probably put more stock in it than the critters do.

[Lyndsielee666]

Sounding like s sociopath ngl

[Asker]

We didn't do it with evil intention nor ever did any torturing. At the time, we meant it as some form of teasing. We were never physically violent with them.