I cry my eyes out at stuff likes that too, Sally.
I couldn't sleep one night a few months ago so sat got up to watch a bit of TV, Animal Cops was the choice of the moment. Bad idea. There was a guy caught on CCTV hurting his puppy, he booted her in the stomach, lifted her off the ground by the lead and swung her around and around his head (like a ball on a rope) and then dunked her repeatedly in a pretty deep puddle.
I sobbed my heart out for the little thing - hiccups and everything. The pup is OK and has been rehomed and we got to see her a few months after it being rehomed and she was well cared for, loved and she was a very playful and happy thing.
So, maybe we do have other worries in life, but that doesn't stop us caring for only ourseleves and feeling empathy toward other people or animals.
And I didn't have PMT.