Dealing With Animal Cruelty

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Table of Contents

Animal Cruelty
Interview
Works Cited

Animal Cruelty

Controversies about animal cruelty

Animal cruelty is whereby one inflicts suffering upon an animal. In most cases, the harm is inflicted on them to gain from them. Animals have historically been killed for food, fur and other products that are beneficial to human beings.

However, humans overdid this and turned cruel. They fail to realize that such cruelty has an indirect effect on themselves. They suffer as a result of inflicting suffering upon animals. There are several ways in which animal cruelty is shown.

One of how animal cruelty is exercised is in the way they are used to obtain meat and eggs. For a long time, chickens have been used to obtain food. However, the need to commercialize this activity has led to their congestion in bureau farms (Akhtar 69). These animals are kept in huge numbers in relatively small areas such that the conditions in the confinements become unfavorable.

When animals are kept in huge numbers, it is difficult to manage the diseases that arise within the confined areas. Various strains of diseases arise in these areas and have the potential of becoming lethal to the animals. The H5N1 virus, for example, is highly contagious as it spreads fast. This leads to the death of birds in large numbers.

Another way in which animals are used for gain is in the fur trade. Millions of animals are killed yearly for their fur. These animals include the rabbits, chinchillas, minks and raccoon dogs.

The fur trade has sparked outrage from concerned individuals due to the inhumane way the animals are bred and killed. Most companies involved in this trade usually rare animals in cages. In such confinement, animals usually undergo stress due to the conditions in the cages.

Furthermore, certain activities (which inflict suffering) are done to the animals to preserve their fur. Some of these include the breaking of the neck, gassing, and anal electrocution. In China, cats and dogs have been used for their fur. They are turned into trinkets and trim. However, the conditions in which they are kept and the pain that is inflicted on them is unbelievable.

These animals are kept in bad conditions and then beaten, hanged and left to bleed to death. Some are strangled with wire nooses or skinned while still alive. The fur may then be mislabelled to deceive people that it belongs to other animals. This way, they may be sold to other countries.

Another way in which animal cruelty is shown is through animal testing. Some argue that animal testing is important when it comes to the advancements of medicine. They use animals to test certain treatments for humans. However, various campaigns argue against this unfair activity. It has been argued that human treatments should be done on humans instead. Every year, millions of vertebrates are used for these activities.

Even though the use of certain invertebrates for experiments is important and necessary, this is never regulated. Animals are used for research in medical schools, farms and other industries.

Institutions that support the use of animals for research argue that animals should be used for advancements in science to understand the relationships between cells, organisms and the surrounding environment. However, other organizations (PETA) argue that animal cruelty arises since these activities are not regulated.

Cruelty towards animals may also be seen in dolphin and whale slaughter. In Taiji, for example, several of these animals are trapped in coves and slaughtered in their hundreds. Seal hunting has also drawn media attention. This may be seen in the mercilessly killing (through clubbing) of the pup seals. Several countries such as Belgium have tried to combat this by banning the trade of seal products.

How to deal

In the case where animals must be used for experiments and other economic benefits, this should be done in a regulated manner. Statistical considerations should be done to ensure that the number of animals killed would not have an impact on their survival. Overkilling of certain animals may have an impact on their survival since they may not be able to reproduce at a rate as high as the rate at which they are killed.

This would lead to their reduced numbers and may cause them to become endangered. Certain animals are usually located in specific areas only (endemic). Such animals should be preserved rather than exploited.

Therefore, it is also important for those individuals exploiting animals for monetary gain to assess the sustainability of that exercise to ensure that the future generations would be able to utilize the same resources while ensuring the survival of the species.

In areas where animals must be used for fur, food or other products, the persons responsible should also ensure that animals are kept in good conditions. Caging many animals in a small area might lead to congestion and stress. Stressing animals inflicts suffering, and this is unacceptable.

Therefore, the conditions in the confinements should be conducive. The health of the animals should also be monitored frequently to ensure that the sick ones are quarantined so that they do not spread the diseases.

Another way of combating animal cruelty is through banning of trade of the products of certain animals. The sale of dolphin products and seal products, for example, could be banned. This would stop the merciless killing of thousands of these beautiful animals.

However, if certain countries wish to continue with this trade, they could strictly regulate the exercise. Akhtar argues that this could be done by coming up with regulations to ensure that only a specific number of adult animals are harvested (Akhtar 71). The killing of young animals may endanger the survival of the species.

How they affect

Animal cruelty also affects humans. It has been determined that the congestion of animals for commercial use may result in potentially lethal strains of avian viruses (Capua 361). For example, H5N1 has been determined (through research) to be a lethal and rear strain.

This pathogen also can spread among human beings. The congestion of birds in farms acts as a lab for the fast growth of the rare strain. Several attempts, including vaccination and culling, have been made towards reducing the viruses. However, research has argued that the H5N1 strain will continue to re-emerge for as long as the bureau farms are in existence.

Animal cruelty may also affect future human generations. As humans continue to kill a huge number of animals, they (animals) diminish at a high rate. If this is not monitored effectively, their numbers will be so low that they would not be able to serve future generations.

As animals become endangered, their use is strictly limited. Therefore, if the present generations do not take care of the animals or use them effectively, future generations may not be able to benefit from them.

It has also been argued that childhood development is severely impaired by exposure to cruelty towards animals. When children observe adults harm and abuse animals, their mental health is affected since they begin to think that cruelty and abuse (of animals) is a norm. Therefore, they become accustomed, and they may resort to violence in the future (Beirne 40).

Interview

What is your definition of animal cruelty?

Classmate: Animal cruelty is any activity that causes unnecessary harm to an animal.

Have you ever witnessed any form of animal cruelty?

Classmate: I witness animal cruelty almost every day. In the media, I see people kill thousands of animals for food, fur, and skin. Some are killed to use some of their body parts to make jewelry or medicine.

Do you support animal cruelty?

Classmate: On the contrary, I am strongly opposed to the act. This is unacceptable since the animals are treated ruthlessly. Animals feel pain as humans do.

What are you doing to help reduce incidences of animal cruelty?

Classmate: One way is by acting as an example. I have pets and treat each one with respect and dignity. I also advise my friends on how to treat them well. I am a big supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

What do you think the government should do to help?

Classmate: The government has the power to put in place policies to ensure that animals are treated well even if they are being killed for food or other purposes. There are better and humane ways of killing animals.

Works Cited

Akhtar, Aysha. Animals and Public Health: Why Treating Animals Better Is Critical to Human Welfare. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. Print.

Beirne, Piers. “From animal abuse to interhuman violence: A critical review of the progression thesis.” Society & Animals 12.1 (2004): 39-65. Print.

Capua, Alexander. “Animal and human health implications of avian influenza infections.” Bioscience Reports 27.1 (2007): 359-372. Print.

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