Animal Cruelty Faced by Domestic Pets - Essay Example

Animal Cruelty Faced By Domestic Pets Introduction People often feel happy whenever they look at our pets. The culture of keeping pet animals at home is apparently a symbol of animal love. The general perception is animal lovers love keeping pets. Pets bring joy to a person’s life. Having pets gives the pet owner a medium to express the emotions of joy, fear and many complex emotions, which are difficult to express to another person. Some people also keep pets because of there exotic breed and the attention they provide. Whatever might be the reason to have a pet at home be it the love for animals or some frivolous fad, the fact still remains they are living beings. It is very important that pet owners realize the fact that a pet is not some exotic, cozy, furry crawling thing that has to abide taking orders from them. Neither are they some kind of soft toys kept at home to provide few moments of excitement and joy in their monotonous life. When somebody decides to own a pet, they must own up the responsibility that comes with them. Like any other living being, they have emotions and feel pain. They also like humans get hungry, fall sick, and more importantly grow old. It is not a very rosy picture when we take account of reality. Several reports of pet abuse from all across the globe, confirms the truth that pets are not always safe from animal cruelty. In various lanes and avenues of several cities, dead animals are often found. Their dead bodies go by unnoticed. Cases of domestic pet violence are on the rise. Some people take their anger and frustration out on their pets. Many pets meet their death due to cruel behaviour of human beings. In most cases, their angry owners themselves exhibit such inhuman behaviour. They kill their pets to express their frustrations and then dump their dead bodies in garbage bins. Some cruel pet owners indulge their pets in pet fights. With the purpose to win some money, the lives of these pets are placed in danger. People bet on the lives of these pets, who are trained to fight in rings. Then there are some eccentric celebrities, who endorse using pets as fashion statement. Very often, it has been seen that celebrities use pets as gift items or some cloth piece to wrap around. In suburban areas and villages, animals like donkeys and horses are used to carry loads and carriages. The owners of these animals often use whiplash to make them work faster. Very less care is given to these animals; they are not properly fed or given medicine when they are sick. Many of them die early due to malnutrition and some die due to severe physical strain. Like human beings, some animals unable to bear the trauma loose their sanity. They become hysterical and often end up being hostile. Lack of nutrition, physical torture, being chained whole day to one location make many pets go wild in their behaviour. There have been some bizarre cases where pets have been found imprisoned in car trunks or dark attics, locked all alone left to die. There have been some cases where pets were administered drugs, just for the mere sick pleasure of the owners. These are just a few examples to elicit, some of the brutalities that these animals are made to bear. (Hardcastle, 2008) Current Pet Abuse Scenario On March 29, 2011, an un-named Retriever was brought to the animal shelter of Guilford. The dog had suffered severe burns on his skins caused by some chemicals. The injuries were severe and the dog could not survive. The dog passed away the same afternoon he was brought to the shelter. The culprits are yet to be identified. On the same day, Noelle Stanbridge a citizen of Ottumwa was found guilty of abusing her pet dog. She had hit her pet dog 15 times with a club. The irony is Noelle Stanbridge is famous in her circle as an animal activist. In New York, alone 79 cases of pet abuse were registered in the year 2010, which accounts for only 8 percent of the total pet abuse cases registered in USA, which stands at 986 cases for the year 2010 alone. There are majority of incidents, which do not even get registered. To understand Animal cruelty one must understand the various reasons that lead individuals to abuse animals. Each kind of abuse sheds light on certain patterns of human behaviour, which leads them to commit such heinous crime. Animal cruelty is generally categorized into two categories. Active cruelty and passive cruelty, these are also mentioned as commission and omission acts respectively. Passive cruelty is defined by cases where animals are abused by lack of responsibility on the part of owners. They are often termed as cases of negligence. Such negligence by the owners leads to death of pets due to starvation, dehydration, infestation by parasites. There are some cases where the negligence occurs due to ignorance on the part of the owners. In such cases, authorities take personal efforts to train the owners. They try to educate the pet owners about pet care. The authorities keep a stringent watch on such owners. They revisit the homes of such pet owner on regular basis to assess improvement. In case the authorities realize the owners are not fit enough to take care of their pets, the pets are removed from their care and sent to animal shelters for proper medical care and attention. In cases where the abuse is acute it is mostly the deliberate intent of the pet owners to harm their pets. Many owners cause physical harm to their pets by beating them or ill-treating them in some manner. Non Accidental Injury (NAI) is cases where the malicious act of a person causes physical injury or any other kind of harm to the animals. Such behaviour should be taken seriously, in most cases these are people with psychological problems. These acts are often signs of a sociopath. Pet abuses in violent domestic environment are very common. Often the abusive person at home threatens to kill or harm the pets at home to prove a point. By harming the pets at home, they are able to establish their power on the other members. Victims of domestic violence often get intimidated and frightened by such acts and remain submissive to the abuses. To keep the victims silent about the abuses at home, the abusive members often kill their pets, just to reinstate their point that they may have to bear the same consequences. Such heinous acts of cruelty confirm the mental instability of the owners and must be looked as criminal conduct on the part of the owners. Pets are physically and mentally abused in such violent homes. Often kids and victims themselves take their anger and frustration out on their pets. Several cases of pet abuse in violent homes have established the fact that there is direct link between pet abuses and domestic violence. (Animal Cruelty, 2011) In US alone, 71 percent of women who own pets and were brought to the women shelters confirmed that their batterers caused physical harm to their pets for taking revenge or to mentally control these victims. Around 32 percent of these women reported that their pets were harmed by their children, who have been witnessing abuse at their home. 87 percent pet abuse at violent homes took place in front of the women and 75 percent of them in front of the children. In both cases the assaulters tried to flex their power and control. Around 13 percent of animal abuse registered as intentional harm caused to the animals are cases of domestic violence. These statistics state a very strange fact, especially when we compare it to the fact that more households in America have pets rather than having children. The population of dogs in America is much higher than the human population in many countries of Europe. A child in America has more possibility to have a pet than a father living at home. In many cases of domestic violence, pets also give the victims emotional comfort and security. Many battered women have known to live in their cars with their pets. Pets give them a feeling of security and love which help them to overcome their trauma. (American Humane Association, 2011) Abusers tend to batter pets to reinforce the fear in their victims, to isolate their victims, demand submission from their victims and to prevent them from walking out of the situation. Many women stay back, because their worried that their pets will be harmed if they leave their batterers. In such cases, the efforts of Animal shelter and various human right organizations come to play. Animal shelters must reach out several domestic violence shelters and formulate efforts to shift pets from such violent homes to safer homes. A proper network of foster care agencies for pets in distress should be formed to rehabilitate pets in distress. Awareness spread among children in schools regarding treating their pets with respect. Children from young age must be made aware of the responsibilities they must carry out, if they choose to have a pet. (Nash, 2011) The Hidden Facts behind Puppy Mills For most of us, it is indeed hard to resist the cute puppies and kittens displayed in the pet store. They look such cute and cuddly that we for a moment do not even realize that we have made them a commodity for sale. A closer look at the operations behind the pet stores, reveal facts, which are by far anything closer to the happy picture we all want to have. The cost these cute doggies in the window have to pay to make us feel happy is very harsh in reality. Most of these adorable puppies and kittens are produces from puppy mill. Puppy mills are kennels specializing in breeding. In these kennels, dogs are raised in cramped, filthy, and harsh confinements. Majority of these puppy mills are in Mid-west but their network is well spread all across the other countries. The harsh effects of constant confinements and in-adequate veterinary care can be seen in these puppies. These mills consist of anything ranging from small cages made of thick wood and entangled barbwires to dirty trailers. Female dogs are forced to breed twice a year and once they are unable to breed, they are killed. The new mothers and their puppies often suffer from in adequate medical care and malnutrition. These puppies are separated from their mothers and are sold to brokers. The brokers pack these puppies in small crates and sell them to the pet stores. Puppies are often confined in these small crates for hours during transportation. They have to travel in their packed up state for miles. They are transported by trucks, ships or even airplane. These puppies make these journeys mostly without proper food, water, and ventilation. Once these puppies reach their destination they are often too traumatized and become disoriented. The young pups who some how survive this gruesome ordeal rarely get the care and understanding they want to become better companions to their owners. Be it the breeders, the brokers, or the pet storekeepers all of them to ensure maximum profit cut down on the essential expenditures required on these pups. The young ones are not fed properly and rarely given any medical attention. Some of these puppies are unable to adjust with their new owners due to their inability to socialize which in turn is a direct impact of the isolation in which they are kept in these kennels. Pet owners often get frustrated by the inability of their new pets to get acclimatized to their new homes. This frustration often leads them to abandon their new pets increasing the stress on animals and increasing the population of stray pets. Some people influence by the shows on television buy pure breeds as a pet, even though they might not have the adequate knowledge about the breed. Swayed by the dogs in the movies like 101 Dalmatians and Beethoven etc, the owners expect their pure breeds to behave the same. The pet owners forget like humans, animals also have individuality. No two animals should be expected to behave the same way. “Every time Hollywood makes a dog movie, the breed goes to hell,” quotes one of the caretakers of Bouvier des Flanders dogs. (PETA, 2011) Laws to Protect Domestic Pets Unfortunately, the victims of the domestic violence chose to remain in their dangerous surroundings to keep their pet safe. A study has shown women seeking shelter often opt out of it for the well-being of their pets. Several states in US have recognized this cause and have passed necessary laws. These laws give the judge the authority to include domestic pets under protection from domestic violence. They also give the police the authority to recognize any harm done to the pets as domestic violence. (ASPCA, 2011) Anti cruelty, laws have been made in all U.S states to prevent unnecessary killings and abuse of pets. These laws provide strict actions against killings, neglecting, abandoning animals, torturing, mutilating, and depriving animals of proper shelter, food and water. In US, animal-cruelty cases are looked into by SPCA or animal control agency. In areas where SPCA or any other organization is not present, police have the authority to investigate. If the investigation leads to enough substantial evidence, charges are brought against the accused. Unfortunately, a handful of these cases lead to conviction. (American Humane Association, 2011) The UK has been very stringent with it laws to protect animal rights. Richard Martin’s Act pertaining to prevention of cruelty and improper treatment of the cattle was passed by the parliament in the year 1822. This act was the first legislation made for animal welfare in the entire world. In the year 2006 the Animal Welfare act was passed, it is regarded as a significant law for animal welfare. This act also secures the well fare of performing animals. The training and the treatment of these animals are close monitored by the authorities to prevent any kind of abuse. The Companion Animal Welfare Council (CAWC), which was formed in 1999 as an independent advisory committee to all parties, which is inclusive of central government also. They have the authority to give suggestions regarding animal welfare legislation. One of the main aim and principle of CAWC is to assess the current legislation affecting the well-being of companion animals. The Pet Animals’ Act 1951 protects the rights of animals who are sold as pets. The act demands any one running a pet shop to acquire license from local authorities. The local authorities inspect the facilities of the pet shop before issuing license. The pet shop must have proper clean accommodation to keep the pets. The pet must be fed properly and regularly. All pets must be given proper medical attention. Only once the authorities are satisfied about the well-being of the pets in the store they are given the license to run pet shops. The authorities also keep inspecting the pet stores after issuing of lisence to ensure proper functioning of these stores. The breeding and sale of dogs act 1999, protects the welfare of dogs used for breeding purpose. According to this law, anyone who runs a breeding establishment must obtain a license from authorities. This license is obtained only when the authorities are assured that the dogs are not being harmed or abused in any manner. (DEFRA, 2011) Concluding remarks It is time that the pet animals should also be acknowledged as living being with rights. The cruelty against animals must be taken seriously. Like any other heinous act of physical injury and killings, animal killings and abuse also needs to be noted as a criminal activity. The act of pet abuse is a good indication of the violence a person is capable of causing. The awareness amongst people is required to encourage people to report pet abuse when they see one. Animal abuse can occur in any area, home there is no economic or social boundary, and it must be reported. Stringent laws regarding the well fare of animals must be made. These laws will give police and all the animal welfare agencies authority to act in the best interest of the animals. The pet owners will also be able to understand the seriousness of the situation. They will regard owning a pet as a responsibility not as a trend. Proper shelters and laws will encourage battered women to walk out of their violent homes. If women and children are assured about the safety of, their pets they will get the courage to act against their batters. Stringent laws will also provide pets relief from unkempt kennels and pet stores. Trafficking of animals in an inhumane way will also stop, once awareness is spread amongst the people. People with commercial interest in pets will become more careful towards the conditions in which the breed and keep these pets. Children are the main instruments in spreading awareness about pet well-being. A child must be educated from an early age itself to be kind to their pets. People should act as a community to increase the awareness amongst others about the link between animal cruelty and human violence. Domestic pets are the responsibility of their owners. The owners must provide them with all the facilities essential for their well-being. The owners should also take keen interest towards knowing, the source from which these pets are being bought by the pet stores. Pets like any other living being deserve to be treated with respect and it will be a failure on our part as humans, if we cannot provide them with the love and care they deserve. Referencing ASPCA, (2011), The Connection between Domestic Violence and Animal Cruelty, available at: http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/domestic-violence-and-animal-cruelty.aspx (accessed on April 08, 2011) American Humane Association, (2011), Facts about animal abuse and domestic Violence, available at: http://www.americanhumane.org/interaction/support-the-bond/fact-sheets/animal-abuse-domestic-violence.html (accessed on April 08, 2011) Animal cruelty, (2011) available at: http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/17641/NC (accessed on April 08, 2011) DEFRA, (2011), Protecting pets from cruelty, available at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/cruelty (accessed on April 08, 2011) Hardcastle .J (2008), Faces of pet abuse, Pets, and animals, available at: http://contentdig.com/pets-and-animals/faces-of-pet-abuse.html (accessed on April 07, 2011) Nash. H (2011), Animal cruelty and domestic violence, Peteducation, available at: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=0+1278+1495&aid=3120 (accessed on April 08,201) PETA, (2011), Puppy Mills: Dogs Abused for the Pet Trade, available at: http://www.peta.org/issues/Companion-Animals/puppy-mills-dogs-abused-for-the-pet-trade.aspx (accessed on April 08, 2011) Read More