Harsher Penalties In Animal Abuse Essay

In this paper, we will be discussing how animal abuse should or should not have harsher penalties. “Animal abuse occurs in 80 percent of homes that show other signs of abuse such as child abuse” (Onegreenplanet.org). Some statistics show 68 percent of battered women reported violence towards their animals, 13 percent of intentional animal abuse cases involve domestic violence, 36 percent of profiled serial killers admitted to committing animal cruelty as children.

Some might say that animal abusers should not have harsher penalties because people use animals for testing drugs, vaccines, etc to find a cure and see how it would react to their bodies. However, animal abusers should have harsher penalties because, animals have little protection, in some cases animal abuse is simply ignored by the authorities. Some abusers get away with a small fine. “Astonishingly, animals are still considered property under the law, much the same as a table or chair” (onegreenplanet.org). One would think animals would have more rights and be treated as a loving and caring animal but they are simply just considered to be property.

and is often ignored by the authorities. Defendants often get away with insignificant misdemeanor or fines as punishment. Violent crimes only qualify if the victim is human, an act of violence against an animal is not technically an act of violent crime and is not punished as such. Animal abuse is not considered a violent crime because animals are considered property under the law. Animals are sentient beings with the ability to feel emotions. Animal abuse is treated as a low-level misdemeanor, typically punished with a fine and probation. “Animal abuse is strongly linked with other forms of abuse, such as domestic violence and child abuse”