Some young boys grow up to be cowboys, others build airplanes, but there are those who become heroes long before they are adults. In North Carolina a 10-year-old named Wendell Overton was praised by the Outer Banks SPCA for rescuing a cat being thrown in the air and run over with bikes by a gang of kids.
The original news story wrote that Overton had been keeping an eye on the stray cat in his neighborhood. When he saw three other kids torturing the cat he did not hesitate to intervene. The bullies are said to be between ages 5 to 13 and were also putting energy drinks in the cat's face. Overton's actions stopped the attack and took the cat home. Overton and his mother then brought the cat to the SPCA. The cat has been named Jackson and is now available for adoption. Jackson was treated for his injuries and is expected to recover.
The kids who were torturing Jackson were not charged because of their ages. It has been reported that SPCA Officials spoke to their parents. WVEC 13 News interviewed Overton about the incident and it's clear that without his efforts Jackson could have met with a much sadder fate.
Op-Ed: While I realize that kids lack a fully developed pre-frontal cortex compared to the average adult, the actions of the bullies are disturbing. Numerous studies have noted that the childhoods of notorious serial criminals include a common set of behavioral characteristics, namely abuse and torture of animals. While there is not enough information to determine if the bullies were misguided youngsters, and since children cannot be clinical diagnosed without an in person assessment by a licensed psychiatrist specializing in psychopathy, the fact that they had "fun" torturing a cat could be symptoms of sinister adults in the making.
To those who say, it's just a cat, dog, bird, etc, why do people get so caught up emotionally with the lives of their pets or fate of strays: In my humble opinion, non-animal people lack a fundamental bonding ability which leaves them emotionally impaired. Humans and canines have been joined at the hip for quite a few centuries now and their relationship coincides with the evolution of humans. Cats also share a long history with people but as along as dogs. Then there is agricultural legacy of human civilization being dependent on farm animals for food and survival, pre-industrial revolution.
My point is ... non-animal people are the ones who have something wrong with them and are maladaptive and potentially maladjusted in their life. Children raised with pets have higher social and emotional intelligence for a reason. Being human is about bonding and animals have played an intrinsic role in the growth of our civilization. Alexander the Great credited his horse Bucephalus with his success in conquering almost the entire known world at the time, when he was just 26. Alexander and his horse were one unit. Together they rode into battles as a team. Alexander the Great was possible because of history's greatest horse.
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