Well haven't been watching it as i don't have a tv but yeh some people are outrageously cruel to pets.
My old dog was owned by some stupid woman i knew, went round her house 1 night and she had this dog (american pitbull staffy cross) bout 2 years old. If the dog moved from its basket she or her b'friend hit it, and i mean hit it!! He was in pretty bad shape.
Well cut a long story short i lost it, went mental with them, and took the dog away with me and never spooke with them again. It was ace to see him out and about, he loved it. He unfortuneatly died about a year later from lukemia but at least he had some fun in his life.