Beating a Poor dog to death
Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse or animal neglect, is the human infliction of suffering or harm upon non-human animals, for purposes other than self-defense or survival. More narrowly, it can be harm for specific gain, such as killing animals for food or for their fur, although opinions differ with respect to the method of slaughter.
A abandoned dog suffering from severe starvation
It usually encompasses inflicting harm for personal amusement, that is zoosadism. Diverging viewpoints are held by jurisdictions throughout the world. Laws concerning animal cruelty are designed to prevent needless cruelty to animals, rather than killing for other aims such as food, or they concern species not eaten as food in the country involved, such as those regarded as pets.
Hunting elephants for tusk
Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to the issue. The animal welfare position holds that there is nothing inherently wrong with using animals for human purposes, such as food, clothing, entertainment, and research, but that it should be done in a humane way that minimizes unnecessary pain and suffering.
Animal rights theorists criticize this position, arguing that the words "unnecessary" and "humane" are subject to widely differing interpretations, and that the only way to ensure protection for animals is to end their status as property, and to ensure that they are never used as commodities.
Forms of cruelty
A Starved Cat Neglected at street
Neglect
There are many reasons why individuals abuse animals. Animal cruelty covers a wide range of actions (or lack of action). Learning about animal abuse has revealed patterns of behavior employed by abusers.
Animal cruelty is often broken down into two main categories: active and passive, also referred to as commission and omission, respectively.
Passive cruelty is typified by cases of neglect, in which the cruelty is a lack of action rather than the action itself. Examples of neglect are starvation, dehydration, parasite infestations, allowing a collar to grow into an animal’s skin, inadequate shelter in extreme weather conditions, and failure to seek veterinary care when necessary.
In many cases of neglect in which an investigator believes that the cruelty occurred out of ignorance, the investigator may attempt to educate the pet owner, then revisit the situation. In more severe cases, exigent circumstances may require that the animal be removed for veterinary care.
Industrial animal farming
Egg laying hens
A chicken production facility
Farm animals are produced on factory farms, large industrial facilities housing thousands of animals indoors at high densities. The facilities are kept small to reduce land and labor costs. Farm animals do not spend time outdoors, most cannot engage in natural behaviors, and many are not able to turn around or fully stretch their limbs.
The number of animals hunted, kept as companions, used in labs, reared for the fur industry, raced, and used in zoos and circuses, is insignificant compared to farm animals, and thus the "animal welfare issue" is numerically reducible to the "farm animal welfare issue".
"Game of Thrones" actor and longtime vegetarian Peter Dinklage narrates "Face Your Food," revealing the ugly truth about that meal on your table and how it got there.
According to Matthew Bershadker of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, chickens, cows, pigs, and other farm animals are among the most numerous animals subjected to cruelty. For example, because male chickens do not lay eggs, newborn males are culled using macerators or grinders.
The American Veterinary Medical Association accepts maceration subject to certain conditions, but recommends alternative methods of culling as more humane.Egg-laying hens are then transferred to "battery cages" where they are kept in high densities. Osteoporosis is caused in hens to this caging method.
To reduce aggression in overcrowded conditions, shortly after birth piglets are castrated, their tails are amputated, and their teeth clipped.
Calves are sometimes raised in "veal crates", which are small stalls that basically immobilize calf during their growth, reducing costs and preventing muscle development, making the resulting meat a pale color, preferred by consumers.
Animal cruelty such as soring, which is legally restricted, sometimes occurs on farms and ranches, as does lawful but cruel treatment such as livestock branding. Since Ag-gag laws prohibit video or photographic documentation of farm activities, these practices have been documented by secret photography taken by whistleblowers or undercover operatives from such organizations as Mercy for Animals and the Humane Society of the United States posing as employees. Agricultural organizations such as the American Farm Bureau Federation have successfully advocated for laws that tightly restrict secret photography or concealing information from farm employers.
Psychological disorders
Violent acts toward animals have long been recognized as indicators of a dangerous psychopathy that does not confine itself to animal abuse. “Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives,” wrote humanitarian Dr. Albert Schweitzer.
And according to Robert K. Ressler, who developed profiles of serial killers for the FBI, “Murderers … very often start out by killing and torturing animals as kids.”
Animal abuse is not just the result of a minor personality flaw in the abuser—it is a symptom of a deep mental disturbance. Research in psychology and criminology shows that people who commit acts of cruelty toward animals rarely stop there; many of them move on to their fellow humans.
The FBI has found that a history of cruelty to animals is one of the traits that regularly appear in its computer records of serial rapists and murderers. The standard diagnostic and treatment manual for psychiatric and emotional disorders lists cruelty to animals as a diagnostic criterion for conduct disorders.
A study conducted by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts SPCA found that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. The majority of inmates who are scheduled to be executed for murder at California’s San Quentin penitentiary “practiced” their crimes on animals, according to the warden.
Animals Used for Experimentation
Right now, millions of mice, rats, rabbits, primates, cats, dogs, and other animals are locked inside cold, barren cages in laboratories across the country. They languish in pain, ache with loneliness, and long to roam free and use their minds. Instead, all they can do is sit and wait in fear of the next terrifying and painful procedure that will be performed on them.
Animals Used for Entertainment
Animals aren’t actors, spectacles to imprison and gawk at, or circus clowns. Yet thousands of these animals are forced to perform silly, confusing tricks under the threat of physical punishment; are carted across the country in cramped and stuffy boxcars or semi-truck trailers; are kept chained or caged in barren, boring, and filthy enclosures; and are separated from their families and friends—all for the sake of human “entertainment.” Many of these animals even pay with their lives.
Companion Animals/Street Animals who are not pets
For every lucky dog or cat who has a comfortable home, nutritious food, and loving guardians, countless other dogs and cats are suffering at the hands of incompetent or abusive people, are struggling to survive on the streets, or are waiting in animal shelters for a good home.
Wildlife
Each year, millions of animals are killed because they are considered pests. Beavers, bats, geese, deer, pigeons, mice, raccoons, snakes, chipmunks, and squirrels are among those animals who most often suffer horrific deaths because some consider them a nuisance, but the list also includes bears, coyotes, ducks, foxes, mountain lions, prairie dogs, rabbits, and even wolves.
Animal lovers often ask, "Why do people abuse animals?" Simple question, complicated answer.
Unintentional
Most people who abuse animals dont do it on purpose. They hurt animals because they dont think about or realize what they are doing.
Many of these people dont know that what they are doing is cruel. For example, some may keep a dog in their yard with a doghouse that is on the ground and gets flooded with water when it rains, or they keep their dog on a short chain all of the time without realizing that the dog needs better shelter.
Some people will try to keep their pet under control by using cruel types of discipline. They may think that punishment and intimidation are the best ways to solve a problem, when in fact they arent.
Other people are cruel because they dont pay attention. For example, someone might forget to give their cat water for a few days or leave their dog in a car on a hot day with the windows rolled up.
Some people hurt animals even though they think theyre helping them by taking in more pets than they can handle. These people are called hoarders. The motivation comes from a good place, but unfortunately, the animals end up living in a place thats cramped, dirty and unhealthy.
Nearly all of these people can learn to understand that they are being cruel through education and increasing their awareness of the needs of their animal. Since most of the people who abuse animals make up this group, this means that most of the people who abuse animals can be helped with basic education.
Intentional
The next biggest group of animal abusers does it on purpose, but only for a short period of time. For example, a group of kids may decide to throw rocks at a nest of baby birds they happened to see, or they may hurt a stray cat in their neighborhood.
These people are usually young, and they hurt animals because they arent thinking, or because they cant stand up to their friends and peer pressure.
The ones who are arent really thinking might be mad at someone else and kick their pet out of frustration. Or they may think its fun to watch an animal run away scared, without really thinking about how the animal feels.
The ones who are giving in to peer-pressure might be trying to show off to their friends. Or they may be with a group of friends who are all trying to impress each other, and so they go along with what everyone else is doing.
Intentionally hurting animals for any reason is serious.
In most states, those caught doing this will face harsher punishment than those who hurt animals unintentionally. However, these people usually dont hurt animals more than a few times. They learn to think about how others feel, and they learn to stand up for themselves. This group can be helped through education and support, too.
Cruel Intention
This last group of people who hurt animals is the worst. These are people who intentionally hurt animals because they enjoy hurting others or because it makes them feel powerful.
A lot of these people want to have control over others. They will hurt an animal because they think this means they control the animal. Or they may hurt the animal to control another person. For example, a husband might hurt the familys pet to show his wife what he could do to her too. Someone else might make his dog kill other dogs because he thinks that makes him powerful.
Others simply enjoy pain and violence. Those who enjoy violence might also destroy inanimate objects as well as hurt animals and people.
All of the people in this last group suffer from serious, psychological problems that will probably not go away on their own. They often need the help of licensed professionals—like a psychologist. Without help, the psychological problems these people have can haunt them for their whole lives.
WAYS YOU CAN HELP STOP ANIMAL SUFFERING AND CRUELTY
Doing anything on this list contributes to helping stop animal cruelty and suffering, and the more of the things you do, the more you will be helping. If you can only do a little, dont ever think it is not worth it - the animals need every little tiny bit of help they can get!
Only Buy Cruelty Free Shopping
Make a big contribution to helping stop animal cruelty & suffering by being a cruelty free consumer. Find out which companies are and are not cruelty free by choice, learn what ingredients to avoid to prevent destroying the habitat of wildlife, and find out how else you can be a cruelty free consumer.
Avoid Funding Animal Torture & Death
The most effective way to help stop animal cruelty is not to fund it. Most people finance animal torture and death, often without even realising it. Find out if you are inadvertently doing it, and how to avoid it.
Internet Animal Cruelty Videos, Photos & Groups - The Best Way To Report Them
There is a lot of evidence of people being cruel to animals on the web. People post videos and pictures of animal abuse online and, disturbingly, some people actually enjoy viewing them. If you see evidence of animal abuse online,you should get it investigated with the aim of bringing the people responsible to justice.
Get Crossposting To Save Animals Lives
Save abandoned animals lives by crossposting / sharing them online, such as on social networking websites like Facebook. Many animals lives are saved this way as it finds them life saving rescue spaces.
Take Part In Campaigns And Petitions
Campaigns and petitions can be hugely successful, and a huge amount of animals have been saved from suffering as a result. Find links to email campaigns & petitions , advice about which petitions are most effective & find out how to get petitions automatically filled in, meaning you avoid having to type in your details each time.
Search Through Charity Search Engines
Charity search engines donate money to the charity you select every time you use them to search the web. Using them, you can earn money for animal charities without even noticing. Choose the best charity search engines and find out how to make one your home page instead of your current search engine.
Click To Give And Games That Give Sites.
While on the web, take a few seconds to visit click to donate websites where you simply click a button to earn money for animal charities. You can also earn money to help animals by playing online bingo, online video/computer games, or through other online activities.
Have Your Own Internet Fundraising Page
You can easily set up an internet fundraising page to help raise funds for animals in desperate need. It is probably most effective to have a fundraising group page on a social networking site such as Facebook.
Donate Stuff You Do Not Want
To help stop animal cruelty you can donate things in good condition to animal charities that they can sell in their charity shops, at fund raising sales, on online auctions, or use as prizes for things such as tombolas and raffles. You can also donate items animal rescues can use in the care of their animals. Some can even use damaged clothes, fabric scraps, wool and buttons which they recycle into fund raising items.
Donate Cell Phones, Empty Printer Ink Cartridges, Stamps & Carrier Bags
By donating cell phones / mobile phones, empty printer ink cartridges, used stamps and carrier bags, you can help animal charities.
Prevent Pet Abuse By Warning Of The Dangers Of Advertising Pets For Re-homing
You can help prevent pets being abused & tortured by warning people of the horrifying dangers they are unwittingly putting their pets in by advertising them for re-homing, whether they advertise them free to a good home or for a low amount. Advice also available to give people on safer re-homing.
Peaceful Protest Tactics
Protests put pressure on organisations to stop their animal exploitation and abuse, and are commonly successful. Protests also draw attention to animal cruelty issues and gain support from the public.
Charity
Make sure to cross check all charities before donating
Ebay For Charity
You can help stop animal cruelty by using the "ebay for charity" option on the ebay auction website. There, you can sell used goods or new items where you can choose for between 10% & 100% of the money made to be donated to the animal charity you select. You can also help by buying items sold in aid of animal causes.
Have An Animal Charity Auction / Fixed Price Sale Facebook Page
By having its own Facebook auction, an animal charity or rescue can raise funds by having supporters kindly auctioning off items to the highest bidder & donating the proceeds to the animal charity or rescue. These online auctions are a fantastic place to buy gifts for people. Learn about Facebook auctions and fixed price (buy it now) sales, and find links to existing auctions and sales including one that different rescues can approach to raise funds for them.
Do Easy Fundraising For Charity In Your Community
There are many easy, low cost ways you can go about fundraising for any animal charity you want.
Sew For Charity, Craft & Knit
If you enjoy sewing, knitting, or arts and crafts, you can use your hobby to benefit animals in need.
Charity Greetings Cards, Gifts & Products
Help struggling animal rescues & charities by buying fundraising greetings cards featuring animals they themselves have helped.
Donating a Car
By donating a car or other vehicle, whether it is to be scrapped or not, you can help stop animal cruelty. The vehicle will even be collected from you for free.
Buy Charity Gifts And Charity Cards From Online Animal Charity Shops & Auctions
Help stop animal cruelty by buying fund raising gifts & cards from animal charity or rescue website shops & auctions for loved ones at Christmas, birthdays & other special occasions. Find online animal charity shops and many online auctions in aid of animal rescues and charities.
Charity And Non-Profit Insurance For Pets
By taking out pet insurance with companies that donate large amounts to animal charities, you will be protecting yourself and your pet from unexpected vets costs of thousands of pounds, whilst raising money for animal charities at no extra cost to you. Find out which pet insurance companies help animal causes.
Free Tax Donations To Charity & Gift Aid
Tax donations are a big help to charities and do not cost you anything extra. There is an option on donation forms to Gift Aid your donation. This means you have the option for the tax on your donation to go to the charity rather than the Government. Another way of making sure the charity receives your tax instead of the Government is by donating using Payroll Giving, where you donate money before it is taxed.
Spay And Neuter Pets - Never Breed
To vastly reduce the numerous innocent, unwanted pets being put to death in pounds and some shelters & rescues every single day, it is vital to spay and neuter pets. It also protects your pets from cancers of the reproductive systems. You should know when you should neuter, the effects of neutering, myths about neutering, low cost neutering available.
Consider Pet Adoption / Foster Or Sponsor An Animal
Information about saving innocent animals lives by sponsoring, fostering or adopting them, and access to pets available to sponsor, foster or adopt at rescues across the UK & US. Also, a look at so called dangerous dogs & overlooked shelter pets, at bad breeders and the heart break they cause, and at the fate animals advertised in free to good home adverts can so easily meet.
Be An Animal Volunteer
Being an animal volunteer at a charity or rescue is a huge help to animals in need. Charities and rescues are usually desperate for reliable volunteers. There are often many different roles available - more than many people realise, doing much more varied things. Have a look to see if any interest you.
Stop Animal Abuse By Raising Awareness
A huge number of people do not know how badly animals are abused across the world, or even in their own country. They do not know how many endure this suffering, or how each persons choices in life cause the suffering. You can help stop animal cruelty and suffering by raising awareness of it. You can do this by spreading information on the web, using leaflets, flyers, posters, your voice, displaying messages on your clothing and accessories, and in other ways.
Be A Fox Hunt Saboteur
Fox hunters enjoy causing excruciating pain to foxes by ordering their dogs to chase these terrified animals until they cannot run anymore & then rip them apart, even where it is illegal. Be a hunt saboteur so you can save foxes from this cruelty. Where it is illegal you can even get fox hunters prosecuted.
Create &/or Update An Animal Rescue Website For A Charity
A website is very important for an animal rescue or charity. Any rescue or charity without one is at a distinct disadvantage. Help save many animals lives by creating and updating an animal rescue website for an animal charity or rescue in need of one, for free.
Shop Through Fundraising Websites
By doing your shopping online through fundraising websites, you can raise money for animal charities. There is no cost to yourself, as the retailer you purchase from makes the donation. Thousands of different well known retailers and are registered with these fundraising sites, as well as thousands of charities. Get access to these fundraising shopping sites, and information about them.
Adopt A Vegan Diet Or Vegetarian Diet
Among other things, look at vegetarian and vegan living. Having a vegan lifestyle is the kindest thing you can do for farm animals, with being a vegetarian coming second, and there are many health benefits, including a reduced risk of cancer.
Include Animal Charities & Rescues In Your Legal Last Will And Testament
By including animal charities in your will, you will be safe in the knowledge that you will continue to help stop animal cruelty, even after you have gone. Without such legacies willed to them, animal charities and rescues cannot survive.
Support Non Animal Testing Research Charities
Many health research charities use cruel tests on animals, but there are many others that do not. Help stop animal cruelty by only supporting research charities that use alternative methods to animal testing. Find out who does and does not test on animals . You may be surprised!
Help Stop Animal Testing By Donating Redundant Human Tissue
You can help reduce animal testing AND increase the safety of new medicines by helping researchers do human specific medical research. This simply involves donation of your redundant body tissue left over from operations/births, etc, or after your death.
Share your knowledge, experience, and include pictures.
Take this opportunity to spread the word about what really goes on across the world, and together we will help put an end to all animal suffering.
Sources
peta
wikipedia
animal-rights-action