I've seen the same thing here in Thailand. Cruelty to animals is "accepted", meaning no one challenges it when a dog owner thrashes his dog for getting into a garbage can. Yeah, PETA members and animal lovers would be shocked at what they'd see going on here.

This is because the media has conditioned us to feel a little more compassion for animals, especially pets. But of course this only applies to animals that are "pretty", such as cute little kittens and puppies. I bet PETA would have no problem if someone whipped his "pet" boa or even "pet" pirahna.