Notable Quotables – Kindness

So true! Oftentimes being kind can go against what constitutes being right.

This quote can be interpreted in a number of ways. The way it struck me is from an animal perspective. I interpret it in a way that may be a bit controversial. I’d like to see how others interpret it though by presenting this hypothetical situation:

Let’s say you have a neighbor who you have witnessed beating his dog on more than one occasion. You also can see that the dog suffers from shameful neglect. You’ve called the police and animal control but the dog’s owner still has the dog and still isn’t treating him in a manner that would be consistent with compassion and loving care. You cringe every time you hear the dog whimper, your heart breaks a little more each time you hear your neighbor yell at the dog. The dog is chained up outside 24/7 and is all alone. You can see him getting thinner and thinner. You know he’s not being watered regularly either.

You’re bewildered that the legal route has not yielded a satisfactory result for this dog. Your neighbor goes away for the weekend and naturally leaves the dog to fend for himself. You look out the window and see the sad look on this dog’s face. At once you decide that you are going to step up to the plate and do something for this dog. So you go into your neighbor’s backyard, unchain the dog and lead him away, taking him to your home where you give him fresh water and food. You see oozing wounds that have been ignored so you take him to the vet for treatment, which you pay for out of your own pocket. You know you’ve broken the law because you’ve literally stolen this man’s property (and I HATE that animals are still considered “property” in the eyes of the law but that is the way it is now).

You then call a rescue group to see if they can take the dog into foster care so that he can be placed in a loving home where he will finally get the life he deserves, one with love and fun and family. And then you hope that your neighbor never discovers that you were the one who took his dog.

In this case, no one could argue that what you did wasn’t kind. But was it right? Was it the right thing to do?

Those who know me know which side of the argument I come down on. But I’m interested to hear what you all have to say. Once again, the quote says “Choose being kind over being right and you’ll be right every time.” Are you therefore right in this case?

As I see it, as a member of the human race, we have a moral responsibility to be good stewards of all of God’s creatures. I think we absolutely have to take this duty seriously and we cannot turn a blind eye to animal cruelty and neglect. We have to be the voice for animals because they can’t speak for themselves. That’s my viewpoint. What’s yours, particularly as it relates to the situation presented here?