Animal Cruelty

Animal Cruelty is defined as the infliction by humans of suffering or harm upon any non-human. Also know as animal abuse or animal neglect, it can be the causing of harm or suffering for specific achievement, such as killing animals for food or for their fur. There are a variety of opinions about the extent of cruelty associated with given methods of slaughter. The many different types and methods of animal cruelty include: neglect, fur farming, animal experimentation, dog racing, and farms for meat. Neglect encompasses owners forgetting to or refusing to take care of the animal. Fur farming is essentially based on skinning animals and then using the fur to create products for retail use. Animal experimentation is most common, as it a part of the process for many popular cosmetic brands such as Clinique and Estee Lauder. Animal experimentation is based on testing out new drugs and products on animals first to make sure they are safe for human use. Dog racing is has often been associated with dogs being abused to perform and run faster in order to create a profit for the owner. Farms for meat includes animals being raised with the sole purpose of being killed and sold for food later on. The most common victims of animal cruelty are dogs, cats, horses, and livestock. Those in power of inflicting pain upon innocent animals are generally people who are hoarding or breeding for money or rather just involved in a multitude of similar crimes. Some organizations that aid in preventing animal abuse and cruelty include the Best Friends Animal Society and the Humane Society of the United States.

1. Best Friends Animal Society

  • outreach nationwide with shelters, rescue groups and members to promote pet adoption and no-kill animal rescue

2. Humane Society of the United States

  • major campaigns target factory farming, animal blood sports, the fur trade, puppy mills, and wildlife abuse

  • works on a full range of animal issues (including companion animals, wildlife, farm animals, horses and animals used in research and testing)