ANIMAL ABUSE - SUPRIYA DUDI
The term "animal abuse" may be used to describe violent or neglectful actions against all kinds of animals, including pets, livestock, and wildlife, but from a legal perspective, an animal's relationship to humans also matters. Wildlife or pets will likely have more legal protections than farmed animals under many state laws. If cats, dogs, or mountain lions were mistreated in the same way that many cows, pigs, and chickens on factory farms are, the perpetrators would likely be convicted of animal cruelty. Animal advocates consider factory farming practices like debeaking, the use of veal crates, or tail docking to be animal abuse, but these practices are exempt from many state anti-cruelty statutes. They're allowed because they're considered to be a part of standard husbandry practices. Many animal rights activists oppose not only animal abuse and animal cruelty, but any use of animals by humans. This can include animals displayed for entertainment or used fo...