Animal Cruelty Must Stop | Teen Ink

Animal Cruelty Must Stop MAG

February 12, 2009
By jennyxleigh BRONZE, Winchester, Virginia
jennyxleigh BRONZE, Winchester, Virginia
1 article 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss


Every day in the United States animals are beaten, neglected, or forced to struggle for survival. Left in unsanitary conditions with no food or water, they have little hope as they live out their days without the compassion they deserve. Some are found and rescued, given the chance to experience how great life and humans can be; others aren't so lucky. To grow as a nation, we must fight for these abused animals' rights and severely punish heartless owners. It is up to us to speak for these creatures who lack a voice, for who will if we don't?

One of the first steps in protecting animals and ­creating effective cruelty laws is knowing what animal cruelty actually is. There are two categories: passive cruelty and active cruelty. The first ­involves acts of omission, meaning the abuse happens as a result of neglect or lack of action. Passive cruelty might seem less serious, but that is not the case; it can lead to terrible pain and suffering, and ultimately death. Examples include starvation, dehydration, untreated parasite infestations, inadequate shelter in extreme weather conditions, and the failure to get medical care. Passive cruelty is sometimes due to the owner's ignorance, so many animal control officers will first try to educate neglectful owners on how to properly care for animals before giving them a citation or placing them under arrest.

Active cruelty, on the other hand, is more well known and disturbing. Sometimes referred to as non-accidental injury, 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 a person has serious psychological issues and may commit more acts of violence – possibly against humans.

It is hard to tell just what drives people to harm innocent animals. “According to a 1997 study done by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Northeastern University, animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people and four times more likely to commit property crimes than are individuals without a history of animal abuse,” says Pet-abuse.com. It is vital to report people who hurt animals. Most animal abusers find some sort of fulfillment or power in torturing a victim they know can't fight back, which is why crimes like rape and child molestation are committed. While not all animal abusers become serial killers or rapists, it is important to take every case seriously.

For example, Carroll Edward Cole was a West Coast serial killer who may have murdered as many as 35 women in the 1970s and ྌs, and was executed in 1985. Based on Cole's testimony, his first violent act was strangling a puppy. The Columbine school shooting is another example of animal abuse as a precursor to human violence. Before killing 12 classmates and then turning the guns on themselves, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebod had bragged to friends about mutilating animals. If these acts had been reported to authorities and taken seriously, these two young men might have been put in a proper facility and helped, possibly avoiding the horrific massacre.

Given these examples, it's hard to imagine why all states don't take animal cruelty seriously. Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota, and South Dakota have no felony provisions for cruelty to animals. According to the Humane 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, require convicted abusers to get counseling at their own expense, and prohibit abusers from owning or living among animals. Along with these laws we need officials who will strongly enforce them. Police, psychologists, and even the FBI recognize the link between animal cruelty and violence against people. To better protect communities, all states should institute strong penalties and work to increase public awareness of these crimes.

It's not only up to the legal system to ensure that communities across the country are aware and educated about animal cruelty. There are plenty of things everyday citizens can do. The simplest action is for people to take care of their own pets and learn the facts so they can educate others on proper animal care. Another easy way to help is by donating to or volunteering at a local animal shelter. Contrary to popular belief, volunteering doesn't require a lot of time; simply going in a few hours a week helps tremendously. Finally, by writing letters you can remind your local lawmakers that animal abuse is a real problem that needs to be addressed. Taking a few minutes to support this worthy cause not only helps animals, it allows you to feel proud about standing up for something so important to society.

It is our job to be the voice for creatures who cannot speak up for themselves. As a nation we need to make it our priority to come together and ensure the safety of our beloved pets. 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.”


The author's comments:
I wrote this paper as an assignment for my english class, and feel very strongly about the issue of animal cruelty.

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This article has 213 comments.


on Sep. 12 2016 at 6:32 pm
thebookwrmgirl BRONZE, Major, Illinois
4 articles 0 photos 13 comments
Thank you for writing this! Animal cruelty DOES need to stop!!

on Jun. 30 2016 at 2:05 pm
JustAnIdea SILVER, Moraga, California
5 articles 0 photos 26 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music" ~Friedrich Nietzsche

I love the quote that you ended that with :) Gotta love Margret Mead.

JOHN CENA said...
on May. 26 2016 at 3:45 pm
why do people even abuse animals? I mean what did they do to you? I believe this young man made this problem clear to read and to understand and to stop. So, BRAVO

hfisch BRONZE said...
on Apr. 27 2016 at 7:38 am
hfisch BRONZE, Bordentown, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 3 comments
People who abuse animals should definitely have jail time. Animals are living too, and if you're not supposed to abuse people, why should animals be any different?

TheDarkSwan said...
on Apr. 4 2016 at 8:16 am
My dad killed a rat this morning by purposely drowning it and doing other horrible things to it. He also threatens me sometimes so I can understand how people abuse and animal abuse is linked.

hihi said...
on Feb. 29 2016 at 9:17 am
wow you did sooo good

on Jan. 31 2016 at 10:57 am
ThisGuyKnowsStuff You are right on the circle of life thing. But this is applied to the jungle. In our society now we have to much people who eat to much meat. By doing that you wil ellimenate most grass eters and therefor there wil be an overpopulation of grass and unwanted weed. Therefor vegetarianism is not pointless. and sorry for my bad english.

ddddddedtrxs said...
on Aug. 26 2015 at 11:29 am
gdr vfyg vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

on Jul. 13 2015 at 7:59 pm
BeautifulSilence BRONZE, Frankfort, Illinois
2 articles 1 photo 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Good writing. Very expressive. Much talent. So creative. Doge like.

Wow I never knew that animal abuse was linked to violent crime; that's another reason to be against animal abuse.

christ77 said...
on Jun. 19 2015 at 11:31 am
I read this book when I was in junior high and cried my eyes out. Such a moving story! I love animals and really connected with the book. Does anyone know what kind of dog is on the book cover?

Reno123 BRONZE said...
on Jun. 3 2015 at 7:27 pm
Reno123 BRONZE, Reno, Nevada
1 article 0 photos 2 comments
Hello, Penguins_R_Cool. You've got some facts mixed up. Abouve, you stated that humans need animals to be stronger and better. This is quite untrue. Did you know that meat and other animal products are actually detrimental to our health? In fact, according to the China Study, consuming protein from animal products increases your chances for osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, and cancers like liver cancer. You can get all of your needed nutrients from plant-based foods, without having a terrible impact on animals, the environment, and your own health.

Reno123 BRONZE said...
on Jun. 3 2015 at 7:20 pm
Reno123 BRONZE, Reno, Nevada
1 article 0 photos 2 comments
Actually, ThisGuyKnowsStuff, comparing humans to lions as to why we should eat meat is unfair and not logical. Yes it is true that lions eat meat to survive, but lions also sometimes kill the runts of their own litters. What if murderers used that part of lion behaviour to justify killing humans. Also, how is stopping the killing of millions of factory farmed animals each year harming animals more? Nice try, ThisGuyKnowsStuff, but your'e not quite there yet.

on May. 28 2015 at 10:20 am
BRAVO,,i love my dog and actually all animals more as some ignorant people like this "animals life " He don´t have idea how much love give a animal!! HE IS WITHOUT HEART!!

Bee901 said...
on May. 27 2015 at 3:54 pm
Lion King!

lyhsa said...
on May. 22 2015 at 9:48 am
I salute you young man!..all you written here is true and correct. Bravo!..you remind them what technology affect to a new generations.

Fuck u said...
on May. 11 2015 at 7:29 am
Wrong wrong wrong the answer is wrong I'm joking that was amazing A* for you eh

on Apr. 28 2015 at 8:04 pm
STOP ABUSING ANIMALS!!!!!!!!!!

lawson said...
on Apr. 7 2015 at 10:08 pm
I will rate this 5 out of 10 for 10 being excellent. I Am doing this from the perspective of a college student, if you were to write for college levels, you have to write it in form of a proposal and explain how your proposal will work or clear reasons why your proposal should be adopted.

on Mar. 23 2015 at 2:08 am
Ok, I totally agree that animal abuse should stop...but we need other animals to survive! Like meat, we need it to make us better and stronger. I don't think animal abuse is right, but we need to eat animals to survive. It's the circle of life for us, and without eating them, that's a lot of our food supply gone, plus they would repopulate and there would be way to many. Animal Abuse isn't right, but eating animals is essential for our survival.

on Mar. 12 2015 at 9:47 am
Being a vegetarian will not help animals,In fact it will hurt them more.Without meat eaters like Lions plant eating species will overpopulate and eat most of the plant life and when they run out they will starve to death.Meat eaters keep the world balanced. The Zebra eats the grass the Lion eats the Zebra the Lion dies after while and decomposes then the nutrients from the lion sink in the ground and grass grows from it.The circle of life... and we should not interfere.But i agree Animal is horrible.