Issues of humane animal treatment aside, I would like to know more about the offender’s background. Was he destitute? Malnourished? There might be a lot more to think about in the context of this story than animal abuse (make no mistake: I deplore the inhumane treatment of animals; we have a house full of pets and my wife is a veterinarian. However, bear in mind that farmers slaughter and consume their own cattle as a matter of course.)