Animal Abuse Regarding Puppy Mills - Research Paper Example

Introduction Animals, just like human beings, are living creatures and as such, they are en d to certain rights, which protect them from exposure to unnecessary pain and suffering in the hands of human beings (Pacelle 20). In this regard, animal rights activists are concerned with how people treat and handle animals, with the major intention of changing the perception that most people have, which continues to categorize animals as property and as a means of enrichment. However, there is a contrary view that animals, unlike human beings, do not possess the ability to make moral decisions and as such, human beings have the liberty to exercise control over them. According to opponents of animal rights, animals do not have duties but humans do and as such, it is only humans who are entitled to rights (Pacelle 85). This paper is a critical evaluation of animal abuse with regard to puppy mills. Animal Abuse Animal abuse, which is commonly referred to as cruelty to animals, is the act of mistreating animals for example by inflicting pain or subjecting them to poor living conditions and expecting financial returns from them. An animal is an organism which must be treated with dignity and cared for in all ways possible not just as a right but also to enhance their productivity in terms of quality and quantity (Pacelle 97). For example, one may be wrong to assume that a cow which is not taken care of in terms of feeding and medication is capable of producing the right quality or quantity of milk and meat as it would be evident in those that are facilitated with such implements. The animal must be availed with the right living conditions such as space, hygiene among others, which would presumably make it feel comfortable. In this respect, it would be important to note that the essay is concentrating most on those animals that are under direct care of humans, such as pets and specifically puppies in puppy mills. A puppy mill is a terminology used to refer to a facility, which is involved in the business of producing and rearing dogs, for the purposes of selling them to customers interested in pets, with the sole intention of making profits. Statistics indicate that there are approximately 4000 puppy mills in the US, which are said to be producing more than 40000 puppies every month, translating to more than 500000 puppies on yearly basis (Wrede 36). This business capitalizes much on the notable love that Americans in general have for pets, which creates a sustainable market and demand for puppies. It is notable that in these facilities, the welfare of animals is given little attention based on the fact that owners concentrate more on the amount of money they are making to the extent of overstocking such that every dog or puppy is left with a minimal space for movement (The Simon Foundation 2011). In addition, it may be found out that these facilities, in an effort to minimize the task of collecting waste, are built in such a way that the floors are raised from the ground and wire mesh is used such that all the waste produced by the dogs falls onto the ground, which makes it easier to collect after it piles over a long period of time. This makes them vulnerable to extreme weather conditions such as cold, which amounts to inhumane treatment of animals that should otherwise be protected by the owners under normal circumstances. The dogs also experience unwarranted injuries on their legs and paws due to accidents that may occur after they get stuck in the spaces within the wire mesh on the floor as well as other communicable infections arising from poor hygiene (The Simon Foundation 2011). Puppies are supposed to be introduced to solid food at the minimum period of 8 weeks. This is usually to allow them to suckle enough milk in order to enhance their immune system and also to allow for their development in terms of their ability to accommodate solid food in their digestive systems. However, it may be sad to note that puppies in puppy mills are cut off from their mothers, sometimes when they are as young as 5 weeks, as long as there is a customer or a broker willing to buy. Consequently, it has been observed that majority of these puppies i.e. more than 50% die on the way to their destination therefore raising questions on the business logic behind such an investment especially on the part of the buyers. This shows that these people do not value animal life as long as they are benefitting from their miseries. Most notable is the fact that female dogs are offered males each and every time they are on heat thereby transforming them into puppy bearing objects without regard to their health and the strength of the offspring. This is due to the fact that this process involves inbreeding, which results to offspring that have genetic defects especially in terms of size and productivity as well as resistance to infections (Kerns 51). In addition, the females, after breeding four times, are killed without considering the fact that animal rights prohibits the injuring or killing of animals if not only in self defense. Dogs, just like humans, are sentient and as such, they have the capacity to feel pain not withstanding the fact that they also have a right to life, which can only be compromised in the event of mercy killing or if their continued living would cause harm to others either in their own species or otherwise (Pacelle 38). However, this is a controversial right reason being that some are a source of food i.e. meat while others produce quality fur as well as hides and skin, which are essential in improving the quality of human life. On the other hand, dogs, especially those in puppy mils, have no such value and therefore, killing them may be seen as a desperate way of running away from the responsibility of caring for them. It s for this reason that the voices of animal rights activists must be heard and proper legislations put in place to govern this business in order to restore sanity and the dignity of these animals. The dog, of all other animals, is considered as man’s best friend as it has the capacity to deliver him from unforeseen dangers and their loyalty is unquestionable if only they are treated in the right manner. It is only fair for humans to reciprocate this by ensuring that all their basic needs are met, disregarding the notion that man is the superior animal and therefore he controls the fate and destiny of all other non human organisms in the earth’s ecosystem (Stevens 47). It has been put across by opponents of animal rights that rights belong to the humans since they are the only ones who are capable of thinking and carrying out responsibilities. However true this might sound, it would be important for them to think of those people who are incapacitated for example the mentally ill as well as babies, who possess neither of the above mentioned thinking capacity or responsibility (Pacelle 85). From this perspective, it would be concluded that these people rely on others for support but this does not make them less human to the extent of them being denied basic rights. In the same light, this point regarding animals becomes irrelevant and misinformed and therefore can never justify the kind of treatment animals in puppy mills are accorded. Conclusion Animal rights abuse has continued to exist over a long period of time despite the efforts being made by individuals and organizations to curb this. In puppy mills for example, the greed for money has been a major problem as it has totally compromised the welfare of animals in those facilities, which have continued to grow in number in the US. The rights to life and freedom from exploitation among others do not exist in these facilities as dogs are killed at will while their living conditions are in a total mess. Breeders are not allowed to bond with their offspring as they are separated at an early age of 5 weeks thus disregarding the fact that these animals have feelings. Some justify these actions by asserting that animals do not possess the capacity to think or carry out responsibilities but so do those humans who are incapacitated. Works Cited Kerns, Nancy. A Puppy from Hell: Its Not a Joke; Puppy Mills Produce Suffering. Belvoir Media Group, 2009 Pacelle, Wayne. The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them. William Morrow, 2009 Stevens, Lee. Regulate Puppy Mills. The Register Guard, 2008 The Simon Foundation. The Truth about Puppy Mills. 14 Sept. 2011 Wrede, Barbra. Before You Buy That Puppy. Barrons Educational Series, 2001 Read More