Animal Cruelty

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Animal cruelty is any act of violence or neglect against an animal. A few things one may have seen are an animal tied up outside for all hours of the day with no food or water or maybe a person has seen an owner purposely hit their dog. Animals, like humans, have feelings and reactions to the way they are handled: abused animals could become dangerous to society.

Society most often defines animal cruelty as the infliction of physical pain, suffering, or death upon an animal when not necessary for purposes of training, discipline, or to procure food (MSPCA Angell 1). If the animal is hurt not to procure food, or release the animal from incurable suffering but wantonly for mere sport, the indulgence of a cruel and vindictive temper, or with reckless indifference to its pain it is also considered animal cruelty (“Animal Cruelty Law and Legal Definition” 1). Animal cruelty cases make headlines around the country every day, whether it is the person who kills the neighbor's cat, the hoarders of sick and dying animals, or the family whose freezing, starving dog is tied up outside in the middle of winter (Lin 1).

Many of the types of animal abuse are: dog fighting, cock fighting, animals used for testing products, inhumane methods of killing such as gas chambers, slaughtering, hoarding, sexual abuse, and confinement hunting (C. Smith, personal communication, 17 October 2011). These are just a few types and there are many more. Some people cause animal suffering intentionally because they enjoy it, while others abuse animals through carelessness (“Animal Cruelty Facts” 1). It is said that, “A person can be cruel passively or inactively simply by omitting to take some form of action” (“Animal Cruelty Facts” 1)...

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...g and Tethering.” ASPCA Chaining and Tethering. ASPCA, 2010. Web. 04 October 2011. http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/advocacy-center/animal-laws-about-the-issues/tethering.aspx.

Lin, Doris. "What Is Animal Cruelty? Definition of Animal Cruelty." Animal Rights - Articles and Blog About Animal Rights. 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. http://animalrights.about.com/od/animallaw/a/What-Is-Animal-Cruelty-Definition.htm

"Animals in danger as cruelty cases rise" The Free Library 29 April 1998. 02 October 2011 .

How to Recognize Animal Cruelty. 2010 ASPCA. 13 September 2011. http://wwww.Aspca.org/sites/CMS/ Layouts/ PrintViewDisplay.aspx

What is Animal Cruelty?. ND MSPCA Angell. 13 September 2011. http://www.mspca.org/programs/cruelty-prevention/animal-cruelty-information/?print=t

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