That is what I thought was somewhat amusing.
Why? As men, we have the protective instinct for those who can not defend themselves. The torture of a defensless sentient animal brings that up in us. We feel that someone who would do this is a flawed member of our species.
The people who did this were picking on something that had no defense against them, and that is contemptible.
I think people are also upset because it is another sign of needless cruelty in our society. People who do things like this do not restrict their actions to animals - read about what the thugs in the "Witchita Horror" did.
I knew someone like this in high school - he got a kick out of abusing animals. He moved on to beating up people and being an enforcer for a drug gang. Today after a jail stint he has (supposedly) found God and is walking the straight and narrow. I hope it is genuine. He was always nice to me, but I could always see the thinly vieled cruelty and rage in the guy. I tried to help him, and did what I could.
I also have to admit that, although I consider animals just natural resources, I would have a hard time bringing myself to torture one just for the fun of it. That's a problem. But not a big enough problem to get the government involved, imo.
The torture of a defensless sentient animal brings that up in us.
sen·tient Pronunciation Key (snshnt, -sh-nt) adj.
1.Having sense perception; conscious: “The living knew themselves just sentient puppets on God's stage” (T.E. Lawrence).
2.Experiencing sensation or feeling.
Ok, I'll give you the second definition, but not the first.