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Stop the Cruelty

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Submitted By kolovexd
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Keera Owens
22 August 2012

Stop the Cruelty
"Did you know that most American households have one or more pets than they have children?” stated by the American Humane Association. We all know that once you decide to get a pet that you now have responsibilities you must fulfill. For instance if you have a dog you know that a dog needs exercise, food and water, toys, baths, medical assistance and even a nice cozy bed. Something that's also important that a dog must receive is a sense of love and safety. “In the United States alone, five to seven million pets are turned into shelters each year,” (ASPCA). All of these millions of animals sitting in shelters are lacking the same one thing and that is a loving home. Due to animal cruelty a lot of these animals are being put in shelters and this is a very serious mater taking place all over the world. The term animal cruelty is pretty self-explanatory and almost speaks for itself. The first thing you think about is an animal living under cruel conditions. That almost pins the definition on the dot. According to the definition, “animal cruelty is the infliction of physical pain, suffering or death upon an animal when not necessary”, (Black Laws Dictionary). Animal cruelty occurs in various forms. Whether it's neglecting, starvation, dehydration, or simply not getting the proper medical attention, it is all forms of animal cruelty. People like to think that animals don't have any feelings and their incapable of feeling pain. I for one don't understand how people could even assume this. Animals are living, breathing creatures and are just as capable of feeling pain as we are. When individuals purposely harm an animal they do this to feel in control and powerful. Active cruelty is a very serious matter and is a sign that someone has serious psychological issues. Someone who would purposely harm animals is more than likely to commit violent crimes against people. This is why it is so important to report someone who causes harm to animals. These individuals find pleasure in harming something that won’t fight back and this usually leads up to crimes such as rape and child molestation. Not all animal abusers turn into serial killers or rapists but it is still very important to take every case extremely serious. If we could stop people from intentionally harming animals then we could potentially stop that person from causing any harm to humans. For example at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, April 20, 1999, there was a mass shooting. Two young teenage boys by the name of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebod started a shooting massacre which 12 students and one teacher were murdered (Jennifer Rosenberg, 1999). It was allegedly said that the two boys had bragged to friends about how they would mutilate animals. If this had been reported to authorities and taken seriously, this horrible massacre could have been avoided and the two boys could have received proper help.
This is something not a lot of people know but not all states take animal cruelty seriously. It’s hard to believe but Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, and North Dakota have no felony provisions for cruelty to animals. Stated by the Human Society, “a good felony anticruelty law should protect all animals, apply to first time offenders, carry large fines and lengthy prison time, have no exemptions, and prohibit abusers from owning or living among animals.” I agree with this one hundred percent and all states should have penalties against these crimes. This is something that can better protect communities and keep animals from being put into shelters or worse, death.
If you’re familiar with animal hoarding then you know it is an extremely appalling thing to witness. This is also another form of abuse and animal hoarding is something that some individuals have a serious problem with. I’ve always looked at hoarding to be a psychological issue caused by something in the individuals past. Some people hoard due to the fact that their parents or parent hoards as well so it can also be a hereditary issue. A typical hoarder will try and hold on to every single thing in their home and not throw away anything. The floor will be covered and the piles will be up to the roof. With animal hoarding it’s almost the same concept but just imagine animals everywhere. We’re not talking about a spotless clean environment either. These animals are not being treated in a proper way, they are mal-nourished, and they bear diseases that could be fatal to anyone that comes in contact with the animals. There is a complete difference between having many animals, taking care of them and having a controlled environment whereas to having a filthy home covered in feces and dirt. I think it’s very important to report someone you suspect of being an animal hoarder. Animals living in such a horrible environment suffer and are more prone to death. “On July 17, 2007, Atlanta Falcons star quarterback Michael Vick was indicted by the federal government in connection with a dogfighting operation that was allegedly headquartered on property he owned in Surry County, Virginia” (James Alder). Vick was guilty to federal charges; the NFL suspended him, and he was also sentenced to three years in prison. When it comes to animal fighting this is a serious crime and if you don’t want to get in some serious trouble don’t even condone participating. Usually animals are placed into caged or pen with each other and it’s literally a fight to the death situation. Animals that are typically chosen to fight are dogs and chickens. These cruel people usually enjoy these fights and see it as a way of entertainment. They also take the opportunity to bet on animals and make some cash. If you think that these types of activities don’t exist you’re very wrong. It is activities like these that must be stopped and severely punished. There are so many forms of animal cruelty that you could literally talk about it all day. Not only are animals being forced to fight but there are animals being used by scientist all the time. These scientists will test substances they wouldn’t dare test on humans because of how dangerous that could be. Of course in the process of testing these experiments on animals there are times the animals do die. There are U.S. laws that allow animals to be burned, shocked, poisoned, isolated, starved, drowned, addicted to drugs, and brain-damaged. No experiment, no matter how painful is prohibited. For example, “Animals are infected with diseases that they would never normally contract, tiny mice grow tumors as large as their own bodies, kittens are purposely blinded, rats are made to suffer seizures, and primates' skulls are cut open and electrodes are implanted in them” stated by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal). I feel like there is a point to where experimentation goes too far and this line needs to stop being crossed. Now it’s not just the laws responsibility to ensure that animals are not being harmed across the country but every single ordinary person could be making a difference and help. There are plenty of ways to prevent animal cruelty and it’s not a hard job either. The easiest thing a person can do is to simply take care and love their pet. Why own a pet if you’re going to abandon, neglect or harm them? I’m pretty sure animals can’t talk and if they could they wouldn’t be asking to be hurt. If we educate others on proper animal care and make sure our own pets are being well taken care of this could easily reduce the number of animals being put in shelters. Working at an animal shelter can be very overwhelming and they could use a lot of help from volunteers. Volunteering at a local animal shelter or even donating can help tremendously. Most importantly fight for what you believe is right, write letters and support the cause. This could not only help animals but it’ll make you feel proud for standing up to something really important. Just like humans, animals scar too. Not only physically but emotionally do animals suffer. Just like when a human goes through something traumatic and has problems feeling safe, this is how animals feel when abused. I know the ASPCA commercials can be a little depressing but just think about how depressed that dog or cat feels. In the commercials you can see the fear, the hurt, and physically see the animal literally shaking. This isn’t fake footage so when you see the cat with one eye or the dog missing fur this is all a result of animal cruelty. Animal cruelty is often overlooked but this is something being caused by people. Cruelty overall can be prevented and you should do anything to stop it even if you don’t think you’d help. César Chávez once said, “Only when we have become nonviolent towards all life will we have learned to live well with others.” Take this to consideration and take this to heart.

Works Cited
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, “Cruelty to Animals in Laboratorie.” 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 2351. http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animals-in-laboratories.aspx

Alder, James, “Michael Vick Dogfighting Scandal.”(n.d.) http://football.about.com/od/teamsfalcons/i/Michael-Vick.htm

The Humane Society of the United States, “Animal Cruelty Facts and Statistics.” July 21, 2011, http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/facts/animal_cruelty_facts_statistics.html

Rosenberg, Jennifer, “Columbine Massacre.” (n.d.) http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/a/columbine.htm

Sutherlin, Emily, “Animal Cruelty: Facts, Prevention, Statistics and Action.” January 31, 2012, http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/animal-cruelty-facts-prevention-statistics-and-action-2886267.html

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