Thank you for responding frankly and openly disagreeing rather than being snide or sarcastic. While I respect your attitude, in a case like this, I find it extremely hard to not be disagreeable, especially given the attitude most people are responding. I doubt the sincerity of the sympathy from most people.

However, I find an issue in "mental illness, first and foremost." People here are always talking about removing the stigma from mental illness, yet at the same time, are so willing to use it as an excuse to pardon themselves or others. Nothing excuses animal abuse, and it pisses me off.