YET again we see appalling animal cruelty in our region.

“Man jailed for cruelty to his cat,” “Thug threw kitten from balcony” and “Hedgehog killed with a brick,” all in one edition.

All these animal abusers have one thing in common, they are cowards who harm defenceless animals as they are vulnerable and at their mercy.

Because domestic abuse is directed toward the powerless, animal abuse and domestic abuse often go hand in hand.

Animal abuse is a form of power and control used to manipulate, intimidate, and retaliate against others in domestic violence, as we can see from the articles in the Globe.

These thugs need to get help for their anger and sentences should be much more punitive.

As the law stands at present, the maximum penalty for the most serious animal abuse cases is just six months custodial and/or an unlimited fine.

Kathy Owen, Little Neston.