Often humans feel that an animal’s own life is less valuable than a human life; yet who is human to judge that? Every single day in the United States animals are beaten, abandoned, and forced to fight for their own lives. Animals are often found in unsanitary conditions with no source of nutrients or water. These animals have little confidence they will be rescued and given the chance to live to see how great humans can be to them. It is up to us to speak for these creatures that lack a voice (Leigh).
Defining animal abuse, or cruelty to animals, is a challenge (Girgen). One of the first and most important steps in protecting animals and creating effective cruelty laws is knowing what animal cruelty actually is. Animal cruelty can be either
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intentional abuse or plainly the lack of success to take care of an animal (Leigh). Intentional abuse, or deliberate abuse, takes place when a person knowingly tortures, mutilates, or murders an animal, or consciously deprives an animal of food, water, shelter, socialization, or veterinary care. Neglect, acts of omission, occurs when people who do not aspire to cause damage fail to supply animals with suitable food, water, shelter, attention, or veterinary care (Girgen). There are two main categories that describe animal cruelty.
The first is passive cruelty. Passive cruelty involves acts of omission, meaning the abuse happens as a result of neglect or lack of attention. Although passive cruelty may seem to be a less crucial subject, that is not the case. Passive cruelty can lead to terrible suffering, and ultimately death. A simple example of passive cruelty would be allowing an animal’s collar grow into the skin of a pet. This example is just one of the many miserable forms of passive animal cruelty. Additional examples of passive cruelty are starvation, dehydration, untreated parasite infestations, inadequate shelter in extreme weather conditions, and the failure to receive medical care when needed (Leigh). Because passive cruelty is frequently due to an owner’s lack of attention, many animal control officers will first attempt to approach the owner by educating them on how to properly care for animals before giving them a citation or placing them under …show more content…
arrest. Active cruelty is a more popular and bothersome subject concerning animals. Active cruelty is done deliberately to an animal and is not a form of ignorance. This type of abuse involves purposefully inflicting harm on an animal in order to feel more powerful or gain control. Active cruelty against animals should be taken very seriously, since it can be a sign that an individual has serious psychological issues and may commit more acts of violence in the future, possibly to other humans (Leigh). People with emotional problems tend to beat, shoot, or stab animals or even set them on fire. “Perpetrators of animal cruelty often portray themselves as kindly animal lovers, making it difficult for people to believe them capable of abuse. From the “friendly” neighbor who mistreats his or her pets behind closed doors, to the “respected” community member who operates a puppy mill or substandard zoo – there is no one identifying feature that marks a person as capable of committing such unfathomable crimes” (Animal Abuse). To begin discussing the history of animal cruelty is to rewind to the distant past. Fighting dogs for sport, for example, has been traced back as far as the twelfth century, after the war that followed when the Romans invaded Britain. The British, though they had lost the war, pleased in the stubbornness and persistence of their dogs, exported them for use in pit fights versus larger animals such as wild boar and bulls. At this point in time, dog-on-dog battle became the less expensive, legal alternative and fighting dogs, as well as the taste for the brutal blood sport was shipped to other countries including the United States (Livingston). Specifically, cockfighting is a blood sport in which two roosters particularly bred for aggressiveness are placed beak to beak in a small ring and are encouraged to fight to the death. It was not until June of 2007 that cockfighting was made illegal in Louisiana, the last of the fifty states to ban the activity. Though illegal throughout the United States, cockfighting still transpires with disturbing frequency across the country, particularly in the rural south (Learning to Give). Because laws provided in the United States have broad guidelines for citizens to follow, serious offenses against animals are not taken as serious as they should be due to the lack of specific detail provided by the legal system. Incentive for these laws may be partially based on the effects animal cruelty has on humans, as well as concern for the animals; some psychologists argue that toleration of cruelty to animals can promote cruelty concerning humans in addition to abused animals (Boslaugh). Of course, animal fighting is only one of the many types of animal cruelty, and each has a different history and timeline. “There is less unanimity concerning the morality of hunting animals for food or for sport; some individuals see hunting as part of the natural order of the world, while others see it as a primitive and cruel practice that causes needless pain to animals. An interesting contrast can be seen between the United States and the United Kingdom: while hunting is commonly accepted in the United States (although it is regulated by various state and local laws), it is becoming less and less publicly acceptable in the United Kingdom” (Boslaugh). When the Internet became popular nationally, it opened the door for new types of animal cruelty to occur. On the Internet, videos referred to as “crush videos” began to be uploaded. In these videos well-dressed women are shown to be crushing small animals with their bare feet or stiletto heels. These videos are very difficult to prosecute the offenders of these crimes because they are uploaded anonymously by the virtual world. Many potential animal cruelty supporters have described to feel helpless about not being able to help prevent animal cruelty. In response to fellow supporters, our generation has developed numerous ways that one may have never realized to help prevent animal abuse. To help these animals it is advisable to equip as much wisdom and information about animal cruelty as achievable. It is easy for one feel overwhelmed due to how many unnecessary acts of animal cruelty that are happening in the world around us. However, if our generation ceases to contribute to the matter, positive outcomes for these animals will be nearly inexistent. Edmund Burke, a political thinker once said, “nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little” (Edmund Burke). Even though Edmund Burke did not specifically write about animals during the time of his writing, this remarkable statement still applies to the prevention of animal cruelty in a creative aspect. Through this particular quote I have come to the realization that it does not matter your age, gender, or personal beliefs, every individual has the opportunity to help resolve the ongoing issue of animal cruelty. It is normal to feel emotional about animal cruelty. Being upset, angry, and outraged will not make a difference for these underprivileged animals, but our actions will. Fortunately, when people witness animal cruelty with their own eyes and fail to report it to organizations with abuse investigation authority, legal action can be taken. In fact, since animals cannot speak for themselves, one of the most effective and powerful ways the public can assist investigators who are fighting against animal cruelty is to understand how to properly recognize animal abuse and to make the decision to call authorities. Most large cities have a local animal control department. Making a call to an animal agency if the most basic way one can contribute to the ending animal cruelty. By making a report to authorities, the responding agency is required to investigate any given situation. It is not only up to the legal system to ensure that animals are not harmed; there are plenty of ways everyday citizens can help. Another way to prevent animal cruelty is to become a vegetarian. Because vegetarians do not eat meat, they avoid the chance that they are eating anything that may be coming from an animal. This also means that vegetarians are excluding themselves from being supporters of animal cruelty. In order to be successful at putting an end to animal cruelty, our society must be professional and serious about the matter. For example, telling others that you are a vegetarian and then eating pig for breakfast the next morning is contradictory to being a real vegetarian. Our society will not respect the beliefs of animal supporters unless dedication is applied to the matter. “As a civilized society, it is our moral obligation to protect all animals from needless cruelty. With so many vegan options available, it’s easier than ever to choose compassion over cruelty at every meal” (Torella). Not everyone is willing to become a vegetarian, but that does not mean that a non-vegan does not still have a strong passion about animal cruelty.
Many people have the spotlight on eating animals, whereas animal testing is just as large of a problem. “Although many regulations govern the use of animals in science and medicine, with the specific concern of preventing unnecessary pain and suffering, there is wide variation between countries concerning what is considered permissible. In the United States, federal regulation is provided through the Animal Welfare Act of 1966, which has been amended many times, most recently in 2010, and most universities also have institutional research boards (IRBs) to regulate animal research taking place under their auspices” (Boslaugh). However, many supporters of animal cruelty claim to believe that every form of animal testing is harmful, whereas other supporters of animal cruelty claim that they only wish to ban unnecessary acts of animal cruelty, such as using animals to develop new types of
cosmetics. No reasonable, conscientious individual would ignore a child being abused. Neither should anyone turn a blind eye to animal abuse! I have a dog myself, and I cannot begin to imagine someone abusing my sweet puppy. Animals are just like humans; they have feelings just as humans do. Animals provide us with many opportunities in out life, like happiness and sometimes even a best friend. People should treat animals with proper respect just as they would a human being. It is our generation’s job to be the voice for creatures that cannot speak up for themselves. As Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” (Leigh).
Animal cruelty is a rapidly growing nationwide problem. Animals are being battered and starved everyday. There are many forms of animal cruelty; some forms are scientific research, abandonment, and mistreatment.
Over 100 Million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned and abused in testing labs every year. Animals are used to test the safety of products, advance scientific research, and develop models to study disease and to develop new medical treatments, all for the sake of mankind. Animals should not be used for scientific research because animal testing is inhumane, other testing methods now exist, and animals are very different from human beings. While animal testing has led to many life-saving cures, animal testing is cruel and inhumane because it involves inflicting pain and harm on the test subject to study its effects and remedies. Testing involves physically restraining, force-feeding, and depriving animals of food and water.
Robert Gonzales, from Bakersfield, seemed like an average, ordinary man. One night however, he was accused of splashing beach on a small dog, and wrapping the dog’s mouth with duct tape. His goal was to discipline the dog. Gonzales was caught and arrested for abusing the animal. Animal abuse is an occurring problem in the U.S. But can be prevented if we take action.
Animal experimentation sends a different message to everyone. The two sides are made of those who think animal testing is beneficial for life and those who think it is unethical and wrong. Those who find these tests to be beneficial are consist of researchers, scientists, and other observers. People and groups who perceive these tests to be cruel and unethical, consist of animal rights activists and organizations that fight for animals rights, such as PETA and ASPCA. Though there are many differences between the two sides, there are also a few similarities. Examples of these similarities include the 3R’s concept and other laws that are fair to both sides. An example of a difference, is the fact that some people think testing leads to medical breakthroughs, while some people think otherwise.
Ascione’s (1993) definition of animal cruelty is defined as “socially unacceptable behavior that intentionally causes unnecessary pain, suffering, or distress to and/or death of an animal” exclusive of socially condoned behavior, such as legal hunting and certain agricultural and veterinary practices. Not all violent individuals have been previously cruel to animals but studies have shown that a great number of them have exhibited this behavior. A great majority of the literature calls for a better understandin...
Animal abuse is described generally as any act or omission that causes unnecessary or unreasonable harm to an animal. Animal abuse are vary and can lead to different forms. These may include, tormenting or beating an animal, executing an animal in a harsh way, binding or transporting an animal in a way that is improper for its welfare, neglecting to give fitting living conditions, neglecting to give proper or satisfactory sustenance or water for an animal and neglecting to give suitable treatment to infection or injury (Animal Cruelty, n.d.). In general, for an act to be considered as animal cruelty, it must be a non-accidental, socially unacceptable, enacted on a vertebrate animal, causing pain, suffering and distress or death. (Battle, 2013).
Animals are used today for many sources of protection, food, clothing, transportation, sports, entertainment, and labor, but millions of these animals die each year from abuse. “Most of the reasons that people give for denying animals rights are: animals do not have souls, god gave humans dominion over the animals, humans are intellectually superior to animals, humans are intellectually superior to animals, animals do not reason, think, or feel pain like humans do, animals are a natural resource to used as humans see fit, and animals kill each other” (Evans). It all started in the nineteenth century, when people began abusing animals by beating them, feeding them poorly, providing them with no shelter or poor shelter, left to die if they were sick or old, or by cruel sports. Most of the organized efforts to improve human treatment of animals all started in England. Around the 1800s, there was signs of rising concern for animal welfare in the United States.
Should animals have to go through pain and suffering? Should they have to go without food and/or water? The answer is no. Animal abuse happens everyday and it happens because people are barbarous or because they don’t know how to take the best care of an animal that they have. Whatever the reason it’s still not right and will never be okay. This paper will cover a brief history of animal abuse, the statistics, the signs of animal abuse, and what can be done to stop animal abuse. Animal abuse needs to end for the animals that can’t speak for themselves.
Seeing maimed animals are not pleasant images. Those images sometimes appear across computer and television screens. The advocacy groups who place these images in the public’s view are trying to jolt people into the realization that abuse exists. For every ten seconds that goes by an animal is getting abused (“Animal… Statistics”). One statistic states that “71% of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their batterer had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims; 32% reported their children had hurt or killed animals” (“Animal… Violence”). Animal cruelty comes in several forms, some of which people do not know. There is animal experimenting, animal abuse, and mistreatment of animals. and through revealing the results from research, one discovers the horrific effects of animal abuse.
Every year about 100 million animals suffer through being poisoned, shocked, and burned for unsuccessful medical research. Some may believe that animal testing is a crucial part to medical research and should be used more frequently. Others believe the pain and suffering inflicted upon the animals is morally wrong and should not be done, no matter what benefits come from it.
Animal testing is the use of non-human animals for scientific experimentation. There are estimates that 50 to 100 million vertebrate animals worldwide from zebra fish to on-human primates are used annually. Much larger numbers of invertebrates are used even flies and worms are used has model organisms are very important, experiments on invertebrates are largely unregulated and not included in statistics. Animals are euthanized after being used in a experiment. Some of these animals are purpose-bred and others are caught in the wild or they are supplied by dealers who obtain them from auctions and pounds. The testing on the animals are conducted inside universities, medical schools, pharmaceutical companies, farms, defense establishments and commercial facilities that provide animal-testing services to industry. Some of the tests that researchers do on the animals are biomedical research transplantation, drug testing and toxicology test, cosmetics and other animals are used for directional research, breeding and defense research. Organizations like PETA and BUVA thinks it it not a necessity for this testings. They think is is cruel, poor scientific practice, poorly regulated and that animals used for experimentations have an intrinsic right not be be used for experimentation. Many Americans don’t agree with testing on animals. Testing animals is wrong and they are just poor helpless animals and they die every day. They are testing animals with products such has soap, household cleaners, drugs, cosmetics, pesticides and other chemicals. Drug tests that are done on animals that pass the test end up harming or killing humans. Lists of animals that get tested daily are cats, dogs, monkeys, mice, and rabbits. The researchers test these ...
Executive Summary Every 60 seconds, an animal is abused. Dogs, cats, horses, and many other types of animals are being neglected and tortured everyday, yet resulting in few and minor consequences for the perpetrators. Animal abuse is prevalent in the United States and has been an ongoing issue since the 1970's, and prior to. Society as a whole has chosen to avoid the facts and arguments about animal cruelty, because to some it is seen as acceptable and typical. It becomes much more frowned upon when people actually see the results of the cruelty, especially in the media.
The abuse that animals endure at human hands is heartbreaking, sickening, and infuriating. Animals are just as delicate as humans, so why not abuse us too? Animal lives should be just important as ours. No animals should be killed or abused for testing, entertaining, clothing, or hoarding. Every year, millions of animals are being killed and torture for testing.
Animal abuse is a travesty in our world that must be stopped. Every year, millions of animals suffer because of human actions, directly or indirectly. Whether it’s abused dogs and cats or even mistreated circus animals, their suffering is as real as it would be if it happened to us. Even animals who are raised on farms simply for human consumption should not have to suffer. One of the worst parts of humanity’s role in animal abuse is that there are easy ways for people to help that they are either ignorant of or simply refuse to do. There are many examples of animals who are abused by humans, but there are also ways for people to help prevent and put an end to animal abuse.
I will discuss each one in more detail. Many people who abuse animals do not realize that they are actually hurting animals, this is known as unintentional. When some people try to discipline their pets, they use tactics that they think are acceptable, when in reality, this is probably not the best way. People also abuse animals due to lack of attention, such as forgetting to feed and water the animals for a number of days. A family may take the animals with them when they leave the house, and forget to leave a window down with the animal inside.