Oh yes, both the actual deed and the effects afterwards. A few years ago, a friend and I cared for neglected ponies abandoned in a field near my house. They were filthy, had ringworm, and the stallion's headcollar was too tight and we had to cut it off. We fed them with whatever vegetables we could find in the house, not ideal of course but the field they were in was so muddy that there was little grass for them, and grass alone is not sufficient. We had to take them buckets of water twice a day and remove a broken bathtub from their field. It was awful. People called the RSPCA, but somehow the owner must have caught wind of it, so when the RSPCA did arrive, the ponies had gone.

I've seen people hitting and kicking dogs in the park next to my house and people using harsh training collars the wrong way on tiny puppies. I've seen people aiming BB guns at birds and wildlife, injuring them, then stepping on them. I've also seen a child abusing her pony, and when offering to help I was told to get stuffed. These people just make my blood boil.

And of course, by volunteering at an RSPCA shelter, I see what cruelty results in every week. The personalities of the abused pets comes out differently in different individuals - fear, aggression, or just that sorrowful look. Some look tatty and battered, some come in missing toes or ears. It really is heartbreaking.