Definition

Animal abuse is a worldwide silent epidemic that goes largely unnoticed

until it is too late. The definition of animal abuse is the act of intentionally
causing the deprivation of shelter, water, food, socialization, medical care
or even
maiming, torturing, mutilating or killing an animal. Animal cruelty covers a
vast range of behaviors that are harmful to animals. Cruelty ranges from
neglect to malicious killing of animals
In some cases animals are used as test subjects for different chemicals
and substances that will eventually be used on humans. This type of
treatment of animals is legal although there are many groups trying to
stop it and make it
illegal.
In other cases people have deliberately abused and tortured an animal for
the purpose of making the animal fight for gambling and "entertainment".
This is highly illegal and there are serious punishments that go along with
this type
of animal abuse.
CAUSES
The most common cause of animal neglect is irresponsible owners who
do not spay or neuter their pets despite the free clinics and financial help
offered by animal-aid non-profits and who often then end up with
unwanted baby animals that eventually are neglected, stray or dead from
diseases or automobiles.
1. Ignorant pet owner believes that the best way to train an animal is
to punish it when it does something wrong. It can also happen in
the performing animal business, where a few bad trainers abuse the
animal when it fails to perform the required action. The result is that
the animal eventually performs the requested action out of fear of
being abused.
2. To retaliate against an animal: For example, a dog bites a person
and is abused by the victim to get revenge. Be careful no to get
this confused with self-defense (actions performed to protect the
victim, and not for the sole purpose of harming the animal).
3. To retaliate against another person: A person holding a grudge
against another person may torture the other persons pets to gain
revenge on them.
4. To satisfy a prejudice against a species or breed: A person who
hates cats for whatever reason may attempt to kill them.
5. To express anger through an animal: The fact that domestic animals
are usually close by and cannot tell anyone what happens to them
sadly means that they can be used as living punching bags.

6. Some people feel that abusing animals is a sign of strength and

toughness.
7. To shock people for amusement: This happens on the internet a lot.
These people are some of the sickest kinds. They torture animals
just to make other people feel uncomfortable, and they derive a sick
pleasure from it.
8. To displace hostility from a person to an animal: If a person is
angry, he may try to take it out on his animals to give them a taste
of what he feels like.
9. To perform non-specific sadism: These freaks abuse animals
because they get a sick sense of pleasure by torturing others. Other
common excuses for animal abuse are the belief that the animal has
no feelings and cannot feel pain or sadness, that God gave man
10. Complete dominion over animals, meaning that it is okay for an
animal to be treated poorly. None of these reasons are right, but
they are common excuses.
CONSEQUENCES
Animals that are abused often become aggressive and end up in
shelters because they have exhibited hostile behavior and their
owners do not want to be attacked. Death row might be the fate of
an abused animal because potential animal owners do not want an
aggressive animal as a pet. Most animals are not aggressive by
nature and usually bite out of fear not aggression, because of the
abuse they have endured (Morris). It is often difficult to teach an
abused animal to trust humans again, but not impossible. It would
take massive amounts of patience on the humans part to gain an
animals trust and reverse the effects of the abuse.
In fact, due to the fear an animal obtains from abuse, the
effects done to the animal are usually irreversible (Robinson).
Many animals gain scars and amputated limbs due to the amount of
physical abuse the animals received. There have been cases of
dogs that were burned over most of their body from chemicals
being poured on them resulting in large amounts of scars all over
the victims body (Morris). Another form of abuse that affects
animals is puppy mills, where dogs are bred over and over in order
to produce a large supply of puppies to sell. The dogs and puppies
are usually placed in cages and are neglected. They are not cared
for properly and are often kept in unsanitary conditions. When
rescued, they usually are malnourished and diseased. In addition,
they do not have much contact with people, and as a result, they
fear humans and are difficult to train and interact with people and
children.

Abuse has a tremendous effect on animals. It causes

animals to either be aggressive or reserved and frightened.
Shelters take in massive amounts of abused dogs that will probably
end up on death row, because the permanent effects make the
potential owners unwilling to adopt the pets. Abused animals are
more likely to lash out at any time for any reason, while reserved
and frightened animals are not willing to interact. Many dogs can
be saved but require ample time and money that the shelters do not
have.