December 13, 2007

To our animal loving community:

Recently, we've received comments about our story choices relating to animal cruelty, neglect, abuse and sadness.

User suppleupagus said, “... lately, the stories that you're reporting about are just too disturbing and a lot of people are ready to just throw in the towel and stop coming to the site. That is such a shame.”

Another user, Kittichic, said of the cruelty stories, “...They're meant to be disturbing, and do nothing but torture those who read about them. Interesting stories...uplifting stories...top news stories (even if they're unhappy) are understandable. But please...no more National Enquirer stuff. Its beneath you, and your readership.”

Finally, Joey B said, “...Exactly what kind of response would you expect from the people who are users of your website...I would love to know what the folks who put the news items up are thinking when they subject an entire community of dog lovers to this kind of horror story...”

We understand you don't like those stories, and we are conscious of the breadth of the stories in the news, and we report on them every day. There are many ways to categorize what we consider news, and cruelty is just one of those. We regularly report on stories about hero animals, health initiatives, law and legislation relating to pet and animal issues, and much, much more. It's all here, readily available to you. So although the hardest stories to watch are the ones you feel most passionate about, there is no shortage of news on the other topics we've mentioned.

Stories covering the sudden, incomprehensible loss of life, are an unfortunate reality. Part of our job as journalists, and moreover as pet lovers, is to bring these stories to light. Because even though the last thing we want to do is report another tragedy about an innocent animal, the reality is that without doing so, we'd be withholding the truth.

Keep in mind, for every story of cruelty that we post on zootoo.com, there are five more that we've had to pass over before choosing the one that makes the front page. Many tell the same tale – a dog dies after being dragged behind a vehicle; a house is found filled with a few hundred neglected animals; a puppy mill is abandoned. These things happen every day, all over the world. And it's our job to decide which of them to share with you. For us not to report on these is to say that they are not happening.

Devotion to Animals

If we don't tell these stories, if we simply pass them over because of their gruesome nature, then the animal(s) that suffered or died to warrant the saddening headlines will have done so in vain. We're not willing to let that happen.

We have no idea what the potential outcome of our stories is, but we hope that by creating a groundswell of disdain, anger, and hope for improvement, we can push these atrocities into the limelight. This way, those that can make a difference through change in law and legislation will have one more voice shouting in their ear.

Editorial Choice – News as a Voice for the Voiceless

So we must choose wisely, the stories we push; it's a difficult, often saddening process. It's one that requires intense discussion, laborious research, responsible compassion and most importantly unbiased fact-finding. Never is it, or will it ever be, easy to choose which story to tell on any given day. Especially when it comes to stories of animal cruelty.

Furthermore, as an organization dedicated to improving the lives of animals, we have no choice but to tell the world of their plight, regardless of the effect it has on us, regardless of whether or not something can be done to prevent it from happening again. As pet lovers and Journalists, we simply cannot keep these stories out of the public realm. Because of those truths, we feel that no matter how gruesome a story, it cannot be passed over.

Your Choice

We do our best to let you know if a story is upsetting. For videos, we have a warning – and the headlines on print stories are intentionally explicit to indicate the nature of the story below it. One reader noted that even the headlines are hard to handle at times. If nothing else, you'll have been warned about what's to come – good, bad or indifferent.

In the end, you have the choice to skip over the stories that don't appeal to you and comment on the ones you're most passionate about. That's the benefit, the privilege, of free speech. A freedom not afforded to animals. They only have their warm eyes, their wagging tails, their endless giving to show us how they feel. And when those are ignored by abusive humans, it's our job to tell their story.

As humans, we can say what we want, when we want, and to whomever is willing to listen. It's a unique gift, and we should share it with animals; they give us too much to be passed over. We owe them a few days on the front page of a website, a few moments in our hearts.

Motivation

Our hope, here at Pet Pulse, is that you will listen, that you will question, that you will watch and give one more small piece of yourselves to the animals that have suffered and those that will begin their suffering tomorrow. It's knowing that gives us the power to change the way things are. Without it, we're as voiceless and powerless as the animals we love so much.

For all of us here at Pet Pulse News and zootoo.com, thank you for enduring the truth with us.