For a fact: animals are more afraid of humans than we are of them. You might’ve heard of bear attacks, but that’s an act of self-preservation. Humans can be even more horrible.

Don’t believe me? Just this month, (and we’re less than half-way through) several horrifying cases of animal abuse. Be warned, some of these stories of animal abuse might make you think less of the human animal.

Getting a puppy high is a crime.

A Plainfield man who stole a puppy from a west suburban pet store was charged with theft, but not animal abuse.

Emanual Lopez dashed out of the Petland store barely 4 months ago with a 2-pound pure-bred Pomeranian puppy that is apparently worth $1,500 — and then drove around with his friends, all the while blowing cannabis smoke in the puppy’s face until it passed out.

Three days later the pup was returned to the store, and is now in the care of the Naperville family. Police reports detail that Lopez agreed to the theft of the pup, only to sell it to Karlie Pellock and Anais Marquez. All three of them have, at one point, worked for the Petland store.

Lopez pleaded guilty and only received a year of court supervision and 50 hours of community service. But what of the actual animal abuse? Doesn’t he get spanked for that?

Putnam man tried to drown puppy.

Witnesses were appalled when they witnessed a Putnam county-man, Sabeno Martinez-Perez throwing a dog into the water, retrieving it, and then throwing it back, aiming for a pole to break the dog’s neck.

Even as the deputy arrived, the man would not stop holding the dog by the neck, and then repeatedly throwing it in the lake. Instead, the animal abuse-committing man would simply shout back, saying that it “was his puppy.”

The puppy, estimated to be 10 – 12 months old, was of mixed breed, and was making gurgling sounds, as if its lungs contained water. It is now doing much better in the care of the Putnam County Animal Control.

Martinez-Perez has been charged with cruelty against animals, and, as authorities later found out, he is an illegal immigrant, federal authorities have been contacted to have the animal abuser deported.

Cat on fire, as neighbors watched.

They don’t teach animal abuse in schools, so how could you explain the boys that poured lighter fluid on a kitten, only to set him on fire?

Lisa Mills, the witnesses, was shocked to discover something moving in her yard, while it was on fire. The cat looked for refuge in a tree, only to set parts of it on fire, leading up to some utility wires, creating a spark.

What shocked Mills more so than the age group to which the suspects belonged to, was the indifference of her surrounding neighbors, as they watched the fire-lit kitten struggling to it’s last breath, like it was entertainment.

Apparently these neighborhood boys are treating the whole area as their backyard, doing what they want, without fear of consequences. What kind of person would they grow up to be, being animal abusers in youth?

[Edit: Story added, July 11]

Mother’s Day is special to me. It is because I love my mother very much. Of course, I love my dad too, but mom is truly special to me. It might sound corny, but she’s the wind beneath my wings, my inspiration, the one that I look to when I’m down.

I’ve lost count on how many times she’s helped me up, how may times she’s supported my decisions, how many times she’s comforted me when those decisions turn out to be bad ones.

I can remember an incident a few years ago. We were outside, taking a stroll in the park. That was when it started to rain. My mother, being the selfless woman she is, made sure I was well-covered with the umbrella, getting herself wet in the process. As she shivered and smiled, I couldn’t help but feel love. She knew that I couldn’t afford to be sick that week, so here she was, being herself, taking the fall for me.

Never was there any doubt in my mind that she would suffer for my sake. I would do the same for her, but she never lets me. That’s what mothers do. If ever I become one in the future, I would like to be a mother like my mother is. And I’m sure she’ll love my children the same way she loves me.

Happy Mother’s Day.

An online friend of mine from the Philippines recently told me this story. In his country, it is common to see street vendors with hand-drawn carts selling fried processed fish or squid balls, especially near schools. I don’t know how they stand eating that stuff! Anyway, the food was skewered on small wooden sticks. Times are hard over there, so some vendors would pick up the sticks tossed away by the children and actually re-use them.

The fact disgusted him, but he could see why they did it. Profit was very small for such a vendor, barely feeding him for the day.

This particular day, he saw a vendor picking up the discarded sticks. Making a face, he strode over to the man and tapped his shoulder. He asked the man what he was doing.

The older, poorer man smiled and replied that the local parish priest disliked the trash, and he was cleaning up after the people that did not bother to throw them away in the right place. Needless to say, my friend was stunned…and humbled.

He was taught a valuable lesson that day. Don’t assume the worst of people. There are still decent ones in this world, ones that can teach you valuable life lessons like my friend was taught.