I AM DISGUSTED WITH HUMANITY – A TRIBUTE TO MARSHALL AND MILLIONS

Image credit: Shannon Nicole Williams (Facebook)

A Video I Wish I Never Saw but Needed to See

I was brushing my teeth last night when I finally decided to find out the story behind the viral "RIP Marshall and Millions" posts all over my social media feeds. I never could have prepared myself for what I was about to see. No amount of grounding or composure could have helped – not even a tiny bit.

When the moment came, all hell within me broke loose. I swatted my phone away with all the rage my hands could muster and dropped to the floor helplessly. My husband came running and asking why. I couldn't say a word; I couldn't even breathe. But moments later, he saw for himself why and tried to comfort me as best he could.

Sadly, my anger devoured me. Sitting on the kitchen floor, I had so many furious and agonizing thoughts. I realized later on I haven’t been this angry in a long time. You know, the feeling of wanting to hurt someone so badly to the point of desiring to wipe them off of the face of the earth. The feeling of knowing the only way to see a little bit of hope again is an eye for an eye. The priceless, albeit precarious, satisfaction from vigilante justice. The vindication from knowing only this kind of no-holds-barred fury and conviction can make life worth living again.

I did not get up for what seemed like an eternity. With my toothbrush still in my mouth, I cried like a madman. It was probably a primal scream – the kind I heard once from my sister when she came rushing to the hospital room to find our dad wrapped in linen shroud. 

I felt like I had lost my own dogs to merciless killings and wanted so bad to throw someone off a cliff. My yin dominated my whole system; I desperately wanted to act on it to honor the side of me that cares more about helpless lives lost to disgusting human deeds than humanity itself.

Animal cruelty and police brutality – it will not end, not in this lifetime, not anywhere in the world.

Image credit: Keds Art  

Granted I only saw what happened through a compilation of videos and don’t know everything, whether there were in-betweens or whatever, it still bothers me how much the situation was mismanaged. Any dog owner knows that pets, especially those that have been around people and are used to it, will not act out unprovoked. So many could-have-beens... It’s true that sometimes netizens are better cops, detectives, and lawyers.

I told my husband last night in the middle of my furious fit that I badly want to stand in front of every police officer who’s ever laid a hand on a domestic animal and give them a dose of their own medicine. My unhealed primordial indignation was unearthed; every trigger I’ve ever had came to the surface.

Where’s the “Human” in Humanity?

The unnecessary murder of Marshall and Millions is a prime example of everything that is wrong with humanity. Not only did this world lose two innocent creatures that didn't have to die, but acts like this that happen on the daily continuously lead this human race to what could only be a tragic denouement. It is inevitable that our species will continue to suffer from the consequences of our actions against Mother Nature and her children.

A Question of Public Safety: Did the Dogs Deserve to Die?

Here’s what canine and animal behavior experts have to say: 

Statement from a clinical animal behaviorist and canine behavior consultant

The woman who claimed her dog was mauled by the two bull terriers seems to have exaggerated or, according to many people’s observation, is likely unable to comprehend situations normally. In the video where she and her dog are seen, she’s picking her dog up while screaming but nowhere can you see Marshall and Millions “mauling” anyone or anything. Again, this is just based on the available footage where the woman and her dog are visible. That’s allegedly where it all started. That’s also presumably the extent of what the police officers knew when they began the harassment that led to the shooting.

Marshall and Millions, just like any other dog that’s been loved and treated well by their human, would not have acted ferociously without a trigger. They are an especially overprotective breed. In my opinion, irrespective of what we know so far about this case, had the cops been more competent in handling the whole human welfare vs. animal welfare situation or handing it over to the proper agencies that are better equipped to deal with agitated animals, Marshall and Millions wouldn’t have been shot to death on the street in broad daylight. Truly, humans fear what they are ignorant of.

“Obviously, the dogs were trying to be protective towards me. They were barking, but I had them on the lead. I was keeping them away from the police.” - Louie Turnbull, owner of Marshall and Millions. Watch his statement here. 

How devastating to think that in the case of human welfare and safety, the dogs were just protecting their human before they were put to death by other humans.

Marshall and Millions were the ones that did their job while the cops, supposedly humans, did not protect a single soul as we know now that the dog owner is left with nothing. That plus being tasered and treated like a criminal on the spot while his dogs lay on the ground lifeless. Right now the dog owner has no dogs, no companions, no hope of ever seeing his best friends again. So who protected who?

Were Marshall and Millions aggressive or violent? Someone made this compilation of videos where both can be seen being nothing but gentle and friendly. From so many videos like this on social media, my opinion is they were not. They were victims of animal cruelty, breed stereotype, and police brutality.

This is how Marshall and Millions’ family and friends remember them: footage from the vigil 

Image credit: Ros Bane (Facebook)

So I signed the ongoing petition to have the police unit involved face criminal charges for two reasons: (1) This is a criminal act, and (2) this should serve as an example to the barbaric, inhumane breed of humans to think twice or more before provoking or threatening any animal in order to justify what they would do after the fact.

If you are on the same page, please help us sign the petition to hold the Metropolitan Police criminally accountable for the barbaric killing of two leashed dogs. 

Dogs on the Streets (DOTS) has taken it upon themselves to assist the owner with the legal fees in court. If you’d like to help monetarily, this is the official fundraiser dedicated to making sure the owner of those poor bull terriers can afford the battle for justice.

You may also want to watch the reaction and perspective of the Pinoy Dog Whisperer: Pinoy Dog Whisperer REACTS: Marshall and Millions. He talks about the many angles of what went wrong and what could have been prevented from the point of view of a dog behavior expert.

Our Own Little Vigil for Marshall and Millions  

Still crying but slowly recovering, I hugged Gangnam and Matcha and apologized to them for the kind of world they were born into. I especially hugged Gangnam tight because he’s a tough-looking dog when he’s outdoors, and passersby often think he’s aggressive. But he’s a gentle soul with so much love to give. He never bites even when he feels threatened. He would bark once or twice at strangers but when they are friendly towards him, he would instantly relax and retreat or reciprocate the friendliness.

Looking at my dogs right now sleeping peacefully and probably dreaming of hotdogs and milky treats, I’m sending all my love to the Rainbow Bridge where Marshall, Millions, and so many others have crossed over too soon. May the good forces of the earth bring about the justice they deserve.