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 for recreation in addition to those raised to be food. For many animal rights activists, the issue is not about abuse or cruelty; it's about domination and oppression, about using animals for any human need no matter how well the animals are treated, no matter how big the cages are, and no matter how much anesthesia they are given before painful procedures.

Laws Against Animal Cruelty

The legal definition of "animal cruelty" varies from state to state, as do the penalties and punishments. Most states have exemptions for wildlife, animals in laboratories, and common agricultural practices, such as debeaking or castration.

Some states exempt rodeos, zoos, circuses, and pest control. Others may have separate laws banning practices like cockfighting, dogfighting, or horse slaughter.

If someone is found guilty of animal cruelty, most state animal anti-cruelty statutes provide some instruction as far as animal seizure and cost of care reimbursement. Some allow counseling or community service as part of the sentencing, and about half have felony penalties.

Federal Tracking of Animal Cruelty

In 2019, Congress passed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, a federal anti-cruelty bill allowing federal law enforcement and prosecutors to go after those who commit acts of animal cruelty within federal jurisdiction with felony charges. Violators of the PACT Act could face a fine, a prison term of up to seven years, or both.

In addition, the FBI tracks and collects information about acts of animal cruelty from participating law enforcement agencies across the country. These can include neglect, torture, organized abuse and even sexual abuse of animals. The FBI used to include acts of animal cruelty into an "all other offenses" category, which did not give much insight into the nature and frequency of such acts. 

The FBI's motivation for tracking acts of animal cruelty stems from the belief that many who practice such behavior may also be abusing children or other people. Many high-profile serial killers began their violent acts by harming or killing animals, according to law enforcement.

There’s no one way to stop animal abuse. However, when more people get involved in the fight against animal cruelty, abusers get exposed and held accountable for their crimes. Additionally, battling animal cruelty with your wallet sends a clear message to companies that use animals for testing or human food.

Animals, just like human beings, deserve a peaceful life. Animals are an important part of our ecosystem and are very useful to us. But, we sometimes forget that they are also living creatures. We keep on harassing them and these poor creatures can't even express their feelings and grief. Cruelty towards animals have become an international matter of concern. This needs to be addressed as soon as possible and should be eliminated for ever.

We become cruel towards animals for two reasons - one to fulfill our needs and other for fun. We use animals for their fur, their skin, their meat, their teeth and horns too. Sometimes, we apply colours on them which harm their skin, we also burn crackers without thinking about them. Sometimes , the tea-shop keeper pours the hot water on the street dogs, which is a great example of cruel behaviour towards the animals.

The animal skins are used in textile industries. Their skin and body hairs are used to make exotic fabrics for us to use. Animal’s teeth, horns, skin and fur are used to make home decor items which we beautifully use to decorate our homes without thinking how much pain animals go through for giving us these luxuries.

Our progressing medical science also has a big role in harassing the animals and showing our cruelty towards them. For the trials of medicines, animals are selected. They are then injected with the trial medicines without thinking about their pain. They are often kept in freezing temperatures for the experiments. We also ill treat the animals at zoos and circuses. The place where they are kept is not cleaned often. Also, the feeding methods are not too hygienic. These result in various diseases and often to their death.

Many animals and birds, in the name of pets, are being sold everyday. These animals are kept in cages or are kept tied with a chain. Most often, they are beaten up. The street dogs are often beaten up by the shopkeepers if they are found roaming around. Many cows are found roaming around the garbage heaps finding food. Many times many animals are hit by the fast moving traffic. These all are the examples of cruelty towards animals.

Cruelty to animals has become a nationwide problem nowadays. The government has already imposed a few laws and a few more are needed. Along with that, social awareness is also required. Students should learn how to treat animals in schools. Parents should also treat their pets well and teach their children.

- Supriya Dudi