It's the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In the case of animal abusers, every so often they get done unto them just as they do. Here are this year's best stories in which the Golden Rule put its game face on: 

Leg photo © iStockphoto.com/Shelly Perry  Shark photo © Getty Images/Digital Vision/Carl Roessler

• What do you get when you attach knives to birds' legs and bet on how quickly one will kill the other? One California man attending a cockfight found out the hard way.
• Ah, España. So much to love—the beaches, the cathedrals, the food, the evisceration of men who insist on tormenting animals who have large, pointy horns …
• Isn't there a saying (and if not, there should be)—when the gun is in someone else's paws, the hunter gets shot?
• If fish had newspapers, the headline for the article about this incident would've been "Shark OK After Angler Attack."
• When a mortally wounded deer uses the last of his strength to kill his attacker, the tragedy at least has a bittersweet ending.

Looks like animal abusers might want to consider a New Year's resolution to adhere to the Golden Rule … or else.

A man who was spear-fishing off Anna Maria Island in the Gulf of Mexico found out what it was like to be speared by a fish when a shark bit his left thigh. By issuing a series of biting (geddit?) ads placed in the area, PETA is using this incident to remind Floridians that the deadliest killers in the water aren't sharks—but human beings.

Sharks aren't the only animals who have been striking back:

• A grizzly bear made sure hers was the last life an avid hunter ever claimed when she charged a pair of men who were hunting animals along the border of Idaho and Montana, killing one of them before she was gunned down. 
• A woman "hunting" mice inside her California trailer dropped her gun, sending a shot through her knee and her male companion's groin. The mice escaped.  
• An Indonesian man who left his seven dogs alone for two weeks without food or water returned to find that they had developed a taste for chow mein man.

Perhaps if animals always fought back, people might think twice about abusing them. It would save a lot of lives all around. And speaking of saving lives—maybe these surfers will always be spared from shark attacks in return for their compassionate actions.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

 
Animals are mad, and they're not going to take it anymore. Here's the most recent crop of stories about animals who have turned the tide on their tormenters:

• An angler learns the hard way that being hooked really does hurt.
• A man poised to open a dangerous-snake zoo finds out firsthand what dangerous snakes do.
• Forget mama grizzlies—watch out for mama cows.
• Speaking of grizzlies, if Nome, Alaska, residents are allowed to shoot one bear every year, shouldn't bears be allowed a crack at one hunter every year?
• Insecticide this!
• A reality show gets a little too real when contestants are encouraged to mess with snakes.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

activeoutdoorsconcierge / CC

Believe me, if anyone can appreciate the thrill of the hunt, c'est moi. Seriously, I can spend hours in a Goodwill store, tracking rare vintage vinyl and bagging unique treasures.

But if you want a surefire way to ruffle my feathers, show me a man with a gun setting out with his canine buddy to maim and kill ducks. Now tell me that said dog shot the hunter in his back, sending him to the hospital—which is what happened to one California man this weekend—and I can't help but hope that the hunter, once he recovers, will have a change of heart and find a more constructive way to spend his weekends.

Written by Karin Bennett

utne / CC

Scotland is a land of mysteries. Does Nessie exist? Do bagpipe players really go "commando" under their kilts? And are the forces of "cosmic justice" at work, protecting the country's harassed, maimed, and hunted animals? That last one was recently answered: Sometimes.

Today's installment of "Payback Is Hell" was made possible by hunters, a dog, and a gun. The Mirror reports that two Scottish hunters who were shooting geese were themselves left bloodied and injured after their dog stepped on an unattended shotgun. Unable to duck for cover, each man was shot in his leg; one also took a hit in his hand.

The lesson here is no mystery. Always choose to be kind, not cruel, to animals.

Written by Karin Bennett

Today, I sing the praises of the Internet. Not for e-mail—which is handy, yes—but all that Viagra spam irks me. (Hello? It's called "Veggie Viagra"). Or online games (like I need another addiction. The real reason I love the Internet so much is because now my "cosmic justice file" has grown exponentially and now comes with an international flavor.

Let's have a looksie at some of my faves, shall we?

• An exhausted, abused monkey decides he's not gonna take it anymore.
• During this year's Running of the Bulls, the tortured bulls weren't the only ones who lost their lives. (Of course, the bulls still lost in the end. They always do.)
• Karma's a bitch, especially when another inmate delivers some Mike Tyson–style payback after you cut off the ears of your dog.
• Film critics thought Lady in the Water was a stinker, but this fisher "lady" in the water left many fishing critics beaming.
• This white tiger saw red as he mauled a zookeeper to death. Subsequently, so did zoo visitors.
• If this guy would have used our humane bug catcher instead of trying to kill a spider with a lighter, he wouldn't have almost burned down his house.
• Does this tune haunt you? I don't suggest fishing in a shark's waters.
• Lions and tigers and a very angry bear (Oh, my!) must have been fed up with being kept in a cage.
• What rhymes with "possum?" "Awesome," so don't try to shoot 'em.
• The gored matador from this bullfight hopefully learned his lesson and has picked up a more constructive hobby. I hear crocheting is nice.

buzzfeed / CC

Now, tell which of the above is your favorite example of cosmic justice.

Written by Karin Bennett