Judging a nation by how it treats animals

Gandhi once said: “The greatness of a nation and it’s moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

Can we judge Ireland’s moral progress by the way we treat animals? Hare coursing still allowed, plans to reintroduce live exports, little regulation on puppy farming, little or no sentences for animal cruelty, thousands of beautiful greyhounds and horses going missing each year (now we know for what) etc, etc.

Can we judge our own personal moral progress by the way we treat our animals? Animal neglect and cruelty, puppy farming, failing to neuter or spay our animals, using our so-called pets to make money, abandoning our animals because they become too big or too loud or don’t suit us or we are moving house or they are too old.