Welcome back Scott, hopefully things will start looking up for ya.
RE: people who abuse animals - my best friend came over to my house once several years back w/ a bunch of other guys. Forget exactly what we were up to, something nerdy I'm sure (quite possibly a D&D game? Anyway...). He invited this guy that he had met somehow who was pretty odd and I didn't like him - something about his personality just hit me wrong. But my friend has always been one to take oddballs "under his wing" as it were, so I let it go at that. Well anyway, we were all sitting around the table doing whatever it was and my dog, who is seriously the friendliest sweetest dog you can imagine, kept bugging him I guess - I want to say he was eating something at the time. So suddenly he raises his voice to her & hits her. I VERY quickly informed him that he had better NEVER hit my dog again - I was just about ready to come over the table at him myself. He left very soon after that.
I later informed my friend that that guy was not welcome in my house again, and I'd prefer it if he wasn't around when I visited my friend - I probably only saw that guy once or maybe twice after that. Just...no. You don't hit any dog, and you sure as HECK don't hit MY dog.