How Animal Cruelty Has Been Handled in the Past? Essay Example
How Animal Cruelty Has Been Handled in the Past? Essay Example

How Animal Cruelty Has Been Handled in the Past? Essay Example

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  • Pages: 5 (1133 words)
  • Published: July 23, 2021
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Every day, countless acts of tragedy occur, but only a small fraction become known to the public. One such heart-wrenching situation involves the cruel treatment of animals, subjecting them to beatings, starvation, and torture. Animal cruelty can be categorized as neglect or intentional abuse, and sometimes both simultaneously.

Neglect refers to the failure to properly care for an animal, including the inability to provide food, water, and shelter. Intentional cruelty involves purposely harming or hitting an animal. Two forms of intentional animal abuse, primarily focused on dogs, are dog racing and dog fighting. Dog racing is not inherently abusive, but due to the ruthless nature of the industry, many racing dog owners engage in abusive practices. Thousands of healthy greyhound dogs are euthanized each year because they lack racing potential or have suffered injuries. Wea

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lthy individuals involved in dog racing breed racing dogs together and often have underperforming puppies put down. Dog fighting is a highly illegal practice that involves pitting two dogs against each other in a battle. While not always lethal, the losing dog may die from its injuries or be left to perish, killed, or brutally executed. Puppy mills, or "dog farms," engage in inhumane breeding practices and cruelly sell puppies.

Puppy mills are known for subjecting dogs to inhumane conditions, keeping them in tiny cages outdoors where they face exposure to the elements and harm from wire fencing. These mills also excessively breed dogs without giving them enough time to rest between litters. Female dogs are continuously used for breeding until they can no longer have puppies, after which they are often abandoned or killed. Furthermore, these mills show little concern for genetic

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and the health of the dogs, resulting in the breeding of animals with severe health problems that are passed on to their offspring (ASPCA, 2018). Another equally cruel activity similar to dog fighting is cockfighting. Poultry involved in cockfighting are injected with steroids, making them aggressive. Cockfighting is frequently associated with illegal activities like drug trafficking and arms dealing.

The roosters in cockfighting are frequently fitted with sharp objects tied to their feet, and they are compelled to fight, often until death or until they succumb to injuries sustained during the matches (ASPCA, 2019). There are individuals who are fighting against this cruelty to help these animals. In large "farms" where cattle are raised, the mistreatment and abuse persist. The cattle are forced into cramped cages for their entire lives, suffering from diseases. They are frequently surrounded by their own excrements, as the cages are not cleaned, leading to soft and decaying hooves. The wires of the cages cut into the flesh of these unfortunate animals, and they receive no medical treatment or assistance. Consequently, the wounds often become infected, leaving the cattle to die.

The workers in these farms often mistreat animals by kicking and prodding them with cattle prods, which deliver painful shocks to the cows. To assist these animals, animal activists go undercover and obtain employment at these facilities to gather data and information on the inhumane conditions, with the aim of having the farms shut down (Solotaroff, 2013). Another type of abuse that is less discussed is inflicted upon horses. Given the prevalence of sports and entertainment, there are inevitably individuals who abuse these animals. Neglect is the most common form of horse

abuse, characterized by a failure to properly care for the animal. This includes instances where owners do not provide sufficient food or space for the horse's well-being. Uneducated owners who lack knowledge on how to adequately care for horses are typically responsible for such cases.

Environmental neglect is a type of neglect that occurs when horses do not have appropriate shelter or any shelter at all. Another form of environmental neglect involves improper fences, which can pose a serious risk of injury if the fences are not tall enough and the horses attempt to jump over them. Intentional abuse is also a rare form of neglect in which individuals purposely harm animals. For instance, some individuals referred to as "cowboys" would tie up horses and forcefully bring them down while urinating on them as part of their training methods. This cruel and inhumane practice was justified by claiming it had been passed down through generations in their family.

The long-standing tradition that “my grandpappy did it” should not be a valid excuse, as it does not exempt one from morals or the law (STWH, 2016). Animal testing, although legal, can be considered a form of animal abuse. If the living conditions of testing animals were applied to a household, the owner would face immediate fines or imprisonment. Mice, rats, primates, dogs, and cats are all confined to small cages that deprive them of social interaction and often result in neurotic behaviors like excessive spinning or rocking.

Every year in the US, more than 100 million animals are subjected to cruel tests, enduring activities such as inhaling toxic fumes for mice and rats, force-feeding pesticides to dogs and cats,

and exposing delicate rabbit eyes to corrosive substances. These tests not only demonstrate cruelty but also prove unnecessary considering various companies and charities specialize in successful non-animal research. Additionally, supporting funding for anti-animal testing research and promoting the adoption of more effective non-animal methods by companies are ways we can contribute to this cause (PETA, 2019). Tragically, countless incidents of animal cruelty occur daily; however, only a few gain public attention.

Neglect, which involves failing to properly care for an animal by not providing necessary food, water, and shelter, is a form of animal abuse. Two types of intentional dog abuse are dog racing and dog fighting. Though dog racing may not always be considered abusive, the competitive nature of the industry often leads to mistreatment by owners. Puppy mills, also known as "dog farms," engage in inhumane practices to breed and sell puppies. The most cruel puppy mills confine dogs in tiny cages outdoors, subjecting them to harsh weather conditions while exposing them to wire cutting and poking.

Cockfighting is a practice similar to dog fighting that is equally cruel. In this activity, helpless poultry are injected with steroids to make them aggressive. However, there are individuals fighting back to assist these animals. In large "farms" where cattle are raised, they often face mistreatment and abuse. They are confined to small cages for their entire lives and frequently suffer from diseases. Moreover, these animals are forced to endure standing in their own filth as their enclosures are never cleaned, resulting in soft hooves that eventually rot away. Additionally, horses, which are often overlooked, also experience abuse due to the various sports and entertainment industry.

Animal testing,

a form of animal abuse, is perfectly legal. However, if the living conditions that testing animals experience were replicated in a household, the owner would be fined or jailed.

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