This is a story close to my heart. I live at the Jersey Shore. Every June and July, female turtles creep from the bay and go in search of high ground to lay their eggs. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of them never make it. Their journey takes them across paved roadways, where many are squished. I’ve seen them.
Research by two young men show that a certain percentage of the turtle killings are intentional.
Nathan Weaver, a student at Clemson University placed a plastic turtle in the road near his campus. In the course of one hour, seven out of 267 vehicles, 2.62 percent, swerved in order to hit the turtle. Read:
Clemson student’s turtle project takes a dark twist, on CharlotteObserver.com.
A psychology professor quoted in the story explained the intentional killings as “the dark side of human nature.” He said,
“They aren’t thinking, really. It is not something people think about. It just seems fun at the time.”
I think the good professor is wrong. I think Weaver was observing sociopathic behavior. Experts estimate that 1 percent to 4 percent of the population are sociopaths. Well, the 2.62 percent of drivers who swerved in order to kill the turtles fit right into that range.
Mark Rober, a NASA engineer, conducted a similar experiment using a rubber turtle, snake and tarantula. He observed 1,000 cars, and 6 percent of of drivers intentionally ran over the animals.
Turtles were hit 1 percent of the time and snakes 1.8 percent—again tracking with the estimated number of sociopaths in society. Tarantulas, however, were hit the most, by far. If I were to interpret this, I’d guess that the tarantula-killers perceived them as dangerous.
Here’s a video of Mark Rober’s Roadkill Experiment.
[youtube_sc url=http://youtu.be/k-Fp7flAWMA]
Moon, what I’ve experienced with spaths and animals is that they are, indeed, mirroring what they believe to be an indication of empathetic behavior. They “appear” to “love” animals, but there’s always something missing, like concern for ALL animals or nature.
The first exspath collected animals but never actually “cared” for them. He would want lovely birds (Gouldian Finches) and exotic fish, but he would never feed them or clean cages or tanks. The poor dog that we had was so neglected that it was sickening – even with a broken back, I made sure that she was fed and watered and he would remark, “Let her die, then we can get a REAL dog.” “Real” dog translated into something that would give him an illusion of being a badass – like a pit bull or rottweiler.
The second exspath always wanted animals and he would often “forget” to feed or water them. He NEVER cleaned the litter boxes and basically left all care of the pets up to me. When he left, I had one old and sickly dog that needed medications, and 9 cats. Four of those cats were “drop offs” that were rescued and waiting to be adopted. Not once did that man see fit to send someone with food or the expensive medications for the dog. And, this poor dog that he claimed to “love” so much never saw him again before she passed.
EDIT ADD: The colleague’s girlfriend “forgot” to feed her dog, regularly. Like….4 days in a row, once. I fed that poor dog, even though she wasn’t my responsibility. After 4 days, she said, “I think I forgot to feed the dog!” It was only then that I told her that I had fed the dog and she only said, “Thanks.” THEN, she got another dog after we vacated, and I hate to imagine how neglected those dogs are.
Spaths portray what they think will make them look “normal.” And, as you pointed out, Moon, it was absolute mirroring that the spath “loved” your dogs because you did. UGH
OFF TOPIC: Athena, the blog that you posted by Penelope Trunk was gut-wrenching. How many children are experiencing the same things, today? Godalmighty, but the SECRETS run so deep for some of us, and I just spoke to my son about “secrets,” yesterday. Thank you for posting the link and I’m so saddened that any child is so thoroughly destroyed by their own parents.
Brightest blessings
Truthspeak, that sounds a lot like my ex. He had two cats, both strays that showed up, that he didn’t really take care of except to feed them. They weren’t allowed in the house ever and he was always threatening to shoot them because they ate too much. They were both black cats and only black cats were allowed to stay. He shoots any other strays on sight. It took me a while to figure that one out.
He also had two St Bernards, mother and son, who only got minimal care. They were either chained to dog houses or were kept on a dirty basement floor with no bedding. He never bathed them, never fed them quite enough, they drank unclean water, and they never got veterinary care after his live-in girlfriend left him a year before I met him. The mother dog died younger than she should have. Eventually he moved the boy dog’s house (with a metal roof) into a sunny location with no shade in the heat of summer. I think he was trying to kill it because he was tired of taking care of him.
I considered stealing that dog after I left the spath and finding a proper home for him. I even offered to buy him but he said no, he loves that dog. I don’t think about the spath anymore but I still wonder about the dog.
Ex-spath would feed dogs and cats of others as a mirror to show himself an animal lover. Several of “his” dogs though in his past got run over, and the one of his dad survived that without any harm… He was not allowed to walk her on his own. His dad trusted me to walk the dog though.
He fed Darwin, took pictures of that… But he wouldn’t clean the litter and often “forgot” to close the door. Luckily Darwin, while inquisitive, is more scared without me being there, especially of the outside, and just hid in closets in such a case. But Midas, my parent’s cat had a broken tip of a tail in the last month ex was in Belgium, as if his tail had been jammed in between a door. And last year, the vet discovered his breastbone had been broken once. It had already healed, but a bit crooked. It could have stem from the period ex-spath was here. He’s more fragile and fracture prone because of his arthritis (15 now, and still going), and the breastbone could have broken perhas from jumping down something and landing hard, and it could have been anyone’s door that broke his tail (he visits people if he can). Still strange though, that he had weird fractures, at least one involving a person shutting a door on his tail, and the other someone possibly kicking him against the chest, stem from the time ex-spath was in that house. And while one normally would reason – no, he/she wouldn’t do that, must be another cause, or someone else… it’s the other way around with spaths in most stuff. So, I can’t rule him out, especially because he’s he.
Anyway, dogs and cats seem “accident” prone around him. He showed callousness, posessiveness and envy when it came to animals, just like he does with people. And at least from the start, I refused to get him a dog when he came to Belgium. I told him I had no room for it (which was true), and it would be irresponsible to keep a dog in a 40 m² apartment… but I had doubts already whether he was responsible enough to actually keep one (and I know nada about dogs, except for what I see from the dog whisperer on national geographic), even though I did trust him around animals. I wouldn’t trust him near an animal now by a long shot.
Moon, perhaps your ex was not sadistic, in that he may not have taken pleasure in hurting animals, but what you described about the racoons is total callousness, and the same goes for the cats he abandons. His cats were just a prop for the mask. He never really cared about them. He would leave them to starve obviously without batting an eye, if you hadn’t insisted to go get them.
Mine didn’t like animals. I have always said be leery of anyone who doesn’t like animals…
I don’t think this always applies, Louise, and it depends in what degree people don’t like animals.
I know plenty of people who don’t dislike animals, but not fond enough to own one, and quite apprehensive about petting those of others. Some people never grew up with animals, and are apprehensive of them because it’s an unknown to them, and actually feel very responsible about harming it, exactly because they have no clue how to approach them nor train them.
I’m apprehensive of dogs in that way a bit. I never had one in the house and I was bitten thrice as a child (a cow herder dog on pension who mistook my dancing legs for those of an unwieldy cow I guess, a bouvier, and a rottweiler)… never drew blood, but enough to scare the bejebus out of me.
Louise,
My mother once offered to buy me some new cushion’s for my lawn furniture ( if I would not let my dog’s get on them ) I said ” I dont want cushions my dogs cant get on…she got real mad…that was control in action…..
i had a guy visit one time and he asked if he could sit some place my dog’s hadnt been on… I said ”yeah in your car on your way home” (my home is very clean) and I put them in their room when i have company but it is dog friendly…
so Louise you and I just dont mix with people that dont mix with critters.
moondancer
I hope you saw my reply about taking a chance on meeting an old friend. It’ a different perspective than what others wrote. Best, Katy
MD:
Good story! Yeah, I do agree. I understand what darwinsmom was saying regarding maybe someone doesn’t really like animals just because they didn’t grow up with them or they are afraid of them. I kind of get that. Overall, I still think if someone just is an animal hater for no reason…that is a red flag for me personally.
Katy, I didnt, and I cant find the thread I posted that on..
I would like your perspective. I have talked to him a few times a week ago but have kinda pulled back..I keep remembering the bad things he did and the negative things he did to others..
I did tell him a little about my journey, the encounter with the spath and how that was the cataylist for change for me. He really seemed interested.. I suggested a few books, in the hope he can see some of his flaws.. I do miss him, but at the same time I am very lonely and in need of a friend….
Maybe it could be better this time because I have changed?
Louise,
I agree about animal haters, but animal haters do not always shout it from the top of the roofs.
I have several friends though who don’t own a pet, or hardly ever did, and hardly know how relate to mine, and are happy he stays away (hides). But they’re more uncomfortable than that they hate them. My best friend has an allergy for cat hairs. She had a dog once, and after he died of old age, could never adopt another again. My cousin and aunt are neat freaks. They had a maltezer once. But heartbroken could never consider having another pet. Another friend of mine never owned pets, though she petsitted for a month once. None of them are unkind to any pet I’ve seen, but often uncomfortable and would never have one themselves (again).