There are so many wonderful groups fighting the good fight against animal abuse and cruelty. One of those groups, which has been putting videotaping to its very best and most effective use, is Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (or SHARK for short). SHARK is a group that deserves our support.
SHARK maintains a highly effective Facebook and YouTube presence. SHARK's head, Steve Hindi, is an incredibly effective spokesman for the cause. A former hunter, Steve goes from place to place, camcorder in hand, documenting human brutality against animals. As Steve points out in the introductory video on YouTube, SHARK relies on volunteer efforts and operates with a skeletal budget, so they need all the support they can get.
SHARK has been particularly effective in exposing the abuse at rodeos. Far too many animals have died extremely violent deaths in rodeos, which has tripped off warning bells among animal advocates. In one of SHARK's most recent videos, documenting the death of a Wyoming rodeo horse on July 30, 2011, thugs attempted to prevent Steve from filming the horse's painful death. This sort of scene has repeated itself over and over. No wonder the rodeo bosses - and all people who profit from the abuse of animals - fear SHARK's videocameras. Thee are modern-day video guerrillas, taking the best weapons imaginable - camcorders - into the belly of the beast.
SHARK is doing so much that is worthwhile. I urge you to support them. I'm going to be logging on to PayPal shortly to give a donation.
We're fighting an uphill struggle, but it's worth it.
I have long thought Mr. Hindi and his organization do a commendable job of speaking out for the victims of human animals. His is one of the few organizations that spends lots of time and effort on protesting against rodeos. It is highly likely that rodeos are the most frequently staged events (at least in western and southern parts of the US) dedicated to tormenting and harming animals under the guise of "entertainment". I sure would like to see many more systematic campaigns designed to get them abolished.
ReplyDeleteThanks for highlighting this great organization.
I agree wholeheartedly! I have seen their videos before, but going back and re-watching them, I'm astonished by the collective power of the footage. This group has done an amazing amount of good. And the reason I decided to add this post was because of the rodeo films you've posted on Facebook. So I should be thanking you! :)
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