Animal Cruelty

Animals are subjects to inhumane treatment by the hands of many individuals, however there is little done in order to protect them from this form of physical and neglectful treatment. Though there are several laws against this type of conduct, a great deal of animal abuse is unforeseen and these animals are victims whom cannot protect themselves. The state of New York describes felony animal cruelty as, “intentionally and without just cause seriously injuring or killing an animal” (Iannacone 2011). Yet often, individuals are not punished harshly for their crimes against animals. There are a number of reasons as to why individuals are cruel towards animals, ranging from: unintentional ignorance, personal gain such as money or food, neglectfulness, personal satisfaction, etc. However, many individuals are unaware of others forms of animal cruelty in which they condone on a daily basis by partaking in their daily activities such as eating meals, buying and using beauty products and wearing certain clothing items. Less knowledgeable forms of animal cruelty are those who are abused for purposes of medical research, or having cosmetic products tested on them which are harmful to their health. Still, those who purposefully abuse and exploit animals are the individuals who should be punished by the law. People who are outright violent individuals toward other humans are more likely to engage in cruel behavior towards animals as well.

Deliberate animal abuse, such as knowingly harming an animal in an inhumane form for personal satisfaction or engaging in activities such as hunting, dog fighting, or intentional abuse are all forms of animal cruelty. People who are violent individuals towards others are more likely to engage in these form...

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...he study is to find if individuals who are violent towards people are more likely to be cruel towards animals as well. I believe that people who are violent towards other humans are also more prone to mistreat animals in a way that causes them harm or death. By administering a survey and asking questions that do not directly relate to knowingly violent behavior, and using the Likert Scale to see if an individual is more likely, or less likely to engage in certain behaviors, I will be able to conclude whether or not violence towards animals and people draw a parallel with one another.

Works Cited

Iannacone, Stephen. 2011. “Felony Animal Cruelty Laws in New York.” Pace Law Review 31(2):748-770.

Taylor, Nicola and Tania D. Signal. 2006. “Community Demographics and the Propensity to Report Animal Cruelty.” Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 9(3):201-210.