Soul searing. Yes.
I'm pretty sure it's not something that I'll move past until we move away and I'm not excited about moving away. So.

:(

I'm gradually cooking up some idea about how to educate but not sure exactly how. Maybe I'll start with taking to my vet ... hmm and my vet tech son in law.

That's a good idea, and a good start. Perhaps you could also try writing to the likes of Animal Planet or National Geographic or something, with a story idea they could air. Like how they used to do, wherein they'd follow the story of a single animal (or maybe three at once), from start to finish, and how each animal's story would end. Something hard-hitting.

Or maybe to the likes of Buzzfeed, and 9GAG. Those are even faster ways you might reach people. Just send em' out there. And share this link wherever as well.

Finding the local audience in the age of Internet is actually kind of complicated especially being rather new here.

True, but once found...can be milked for all it's worth. Or the channels through which they'd be found, at any rate.

Thanks for your empathy! Ttyl

:)