You will find that many people agree, you can tell what kind of person your new acquaintance is by the way they treat animals and creatures weaker than them – including the animals they fear or do not like.
You might find that those who love and care for their pets and other wildlife tend to be folks that are incredibly kind-hearted and compassionate – people whose companionship you would like!
That said, not everyone has to be an animal person – that is completely fine, and does not make you a monster.
What does make you a monster, however, is when you mistreat these poor animals and abuse them.
This is especially so when you look at pets, whose whole world revolves around and is utterly dependant on their owners.
So when these Portuguese cyclists came across a starving dog tied up to a tree, it raises the question of just what sort of person its owner was.
On the 16th of December, 2018, a group of cyclists was making their way through a local forest on bikes when they came across a horrifying sight.
Tied up to a tree was a dog so thin, its skin was clearly stretched out taunt over its ribs.
It was clear this poor dog had been intentionally left here to starve to death.
Its tether had been lashed so closely to the trunk of the tree that the dog did not even have the luxury of moving its head, forcing it to remain in an upright position.
In a way, it was a miracle it could still breathe.
The cyclists then attempted to try rescuing the dog, with one of them taking the opportunity to record the experience.
This video turned out to be nearly four minutes long, and was later released by Associacion Animalista Libera – a Spanish animal rescue organisation – on their Facebook page.
The video has since gone viral, and has racked up over 1.3 million views.
The video revealed that the dog was initially terrified of its would-be rescuers, and was growling in a weak attempt at self-defense.
It was distracted by some of the cyclists with some food, while another one moved in carefully to cut the dog free.
Thankfully, this act seemed to have reassured the dog that these cyclists meant to harm, as it calmed down in response to its release.
An English translation of the Spanish caption attached to the video showed that the animal rescue group strongly criticised the actions of this dog’s previous owner, and added that the animal was been incredibly lucky to have the cyclists chance on it.
It is still unclear as to the exact details of the entire incident, as no one has yet to officially release more information regarding the event.
It is also still unknown as to the current status of the dog after it had been freed and rescued by the Portuguese cyclists.
Hopefully it is now being cared for by the animal rescue organisation, and will make a full recovery from the ordeal it has suffered.
SEE ALSO: Stray Dog Was Too Sick To Stand, And Cried Out When Rescuers Picked Her Up
