The Pros And Cons Of Animal Cruelty

Are 40 dead greyhounds worth a billion dollars?!

Animal Cruelty is defined as inflicting suffering or harm upon animals for purposes other than self-defense. Some people feel that zoos or amusement parks with animal shows e.g., dolphins, elephants, etc. are considered animal cruelty. They feel this way because the animals are basically being put on display, and are made to do tricks in front of crowds. Others will argue that the animals are well-treated and doing what they were born to do. This paper will examine the pros, cons, and my viewpoint on whether the use of animals for entertainment or gaming constitutes animal cruelty, or if it is justified for cultural and/or economic reasons (SIRS). First, (Stuart Leavenworth, reporter for the McClatchy- Tribune, describes how) many people believe that using animals for entertainment or games is cruel. To begin with, animals kept for entertainment are often misused and kept in horrible squalor such as dirty kennels or being chained up. For example, the Harbin Siberian Tiger Park in China keeps its 500 tigers in small, dirty cages. Leavenworth adds that the Xiongsen Park in China has hundreds of tigers, many with serious injuries. Debbie Banks, Investigator for The Environmental investigation Agency, notes that some parks illegally sell tiger pelts, bone wine, etc. Because tigers are

In summary, many argue that the use of animals for entertainment and gaming is cruel because animals kept for entertainment are often misused and kept in squalid cages. Also, conditions of the captive animals are often painful, and may lead to attacks on humans. Others believe that the use of animals is justified because the animals are well-treated and because the activities have cultural or economic importance. In my opinion, so long as the animals are treated humanely, it is acceptable to use them for entertainment and/or