Understanding Animal Cruelty and Its Punishment

What is animal cruelty? Why do animals mean so much to most people? Animal cruelty is when someone hurts an animal or does not care for an animal responsibly, like not giving a dog or cat food and water. It's against the law to abuse animals but they don't have a punishment harsh enough for anybody that does that. Most cases of animal abuse is never reported and represented in most rural and urban areas. Animals mean so much to most people because most people would consider a pet more of a friend than just an animal. I’m against animal abuse, and I really think there should be a harsher penalty.

Animals are viewed as companions, they could be there for you every step of the way, like if you are a traveler or just spending a lot of time

with them. Most people would think it’s hard to leave their pets behind well that would be like leaving your children behind. “I left once without my pet, but I had to go back because I worried so much about her and missed her. Then I found a way to take my pet with me and I left for good.” Animal don’t deserve to to be abuse or neglect or killed, they are helpless animals that need love. If animals deserved to be neglected then there would be a really good reason, like the animal was attacking someone. Animals help with their everyday functions. There are people that make dogs fight, chicken fights, there are people that bear wrestle.
This is why I think there should be a harsher penalty there than is already because there is about in the United States alone 1.13 million animals are used in testing and research every year, while there are other equally or more effective methods for developing new cosmetics and drug products. 3 to 4 million cats and dogs are euthanized every year in shelters. More than 15 million warm blooded animals are used in research worldwide, and often kept in extremely uncomfortable cages, with little or no medical care.