I hope I made the right decision. A lot of teens abuse the stray cats and dogs in my neighborhood. I saw a young man about 17 brutally hitting a dog with a stick yesterday. I’d had enough and went over with a hammer. I threatend to hit that young man, he crouched down out of fear and put his hands over his head. When I saw tears coming down his face, I threw the hammer away. Was I any better than him? Abuse shouldn’t equal more abuse. The thought that young man may have only experienced violence in his home life hit me hard and suddenly. I grabbed his hand and pulled him up into a hug and just rubbed his back as he was crying. I really felt like hurting him that day, because I hate people who hurt animals. But hopefully, me being kind to him taught him a greater lesson. I hope so.