Tessa Johnstone

April 20, 2011

LA101H
Motivational Speech
Animal Abuse

I‟ve got 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 cows, one horse, and 17 chickens as pets at my
house. So I guess that would make me somewhat of an animal lover. If I were to
see one of my animals subjected to even the slightest mistreatment, I would be
outraged. As, I am sure, would all of you. So why is animal abuse such a huge
issue in our world? Cruelty to animals is illegal in all 50 states, yet we hear about
horrifying animal abuse stories all of the time. Animal abuse ranges from the
accidental mistreatment of animals because of a simple lack of knowledge to the
intentional slaughtering of animals deemed unfit to work. We all know about
Michael Vick and his infamous dog fighting, but what about the animals living in
your neighborhood which are being mistreated? Animal abuse is a completely
curable problem in the United States with a few simple educational steps which we
can all follow.
1. Equine neglect
a. Strider [picture] compared to
b. Neglected horse [picture]
i. Each year around 100,000 horses are sold to „killer buyers‟
according to the ASPCA (http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-
cruelty/equine-cruelty/auctions-and-slaughter.aspx)
ii. Racehorses with broken legs, etc sent to the auctions
iii. Workhorses who come up lame
2. Household pet abuse
a. How many of you have dogs?
b. Of those of you with dogs, how many of you know where they came
from?
c. Puppy mills
i. Puppy mills are commercial dog breeding centers whose goal is
to make as many puppies as possible
ii. Once unable to breed, females are often killed
 iii. Puppies are sold to pet shops, and often have severe diseases
like heartworm, eye problems, and respiratory infections
iv. Puppy mills have been around since the beginning of the 20th
century, but they have only recently been a public issue
v. According to the Animal Legal and Historical Center run by
Michigan State University, Virginia became the first state
require commercial breeders to conform to state business
standards
(http://animallaw.info/topics/tabbed%20topic%20page/spuscom
mercialbreeders.htm)
d. How do I stop this?
i. Most importantly, KNOW WHERE YOUR NEW PET IS
COMING FROM!
1. Don‟t buy from pet stores
2. Meet the breeders in person
3. See the facility
ii. Puppy mills only stay in business if you support them by
buying their dogs
3. Animal fighting for sport
a. Dog fighting
i. Michael Vick (duh)
1. Bad Newz Kennels
a. Operated on Vick‟s property by his cousin
2. Federal laws of conspiracy in interstate commerce/aid of
unlawful animal fighting venture
3. State (VA) laws of unlawfully torturing and killing of
dogs, promoting dogfights
4. Sentenced to 23 months in prison, 3 years probation
5. Reputation was ruined
b. Cock fighting
i. Even more disastrous than dog fighting
1. Dog fighting normally goes until one of the dogs is no
longer willing to fight, cock fighting goes to the death
ii. Much easier to conceal, and cheaper to finance
 iii. If you notice any signs for organized animal fighting, call your
local humane society and/or the police

Equine abuse, household pet mistreatment, and blood sports are some of the
leading causes of animal abuse in the country, but do not think for a second that
these issues are the whole of the problem. While anti-animal abuse laws are being
passed all around the country, the general populace needs to become more
informed so as to make smarter decisions about their pets. I highly recommend
watching the documentary, Earthlings, narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, which is an
earth-shatteringly emotional film about human‟s relationships with and
exploitation of animals. This film shows real footage of the brutal treatment of
animals around the world, and while it is not for the weak of heart, this thought
provoking film will change the way you look at the use of animals throughout the
world. Another simple way to educate yourselves about the mistreatment of
animals is by getting involved with numerous animal rights advocacy
organizations, such as the ASPCA, PETA, or the Humane Society. Each of these
organizations strives to better the relationships between animals and humans, and
their websites give many resources to stop animal abuse. German write Jean Paul
Richter put it best when he said, “Because the heart beats under a covering of hair,
of fur, feathers, or wings, is it, for that reason, to be of no account?”