What is Animal Cruelty

It was a few years ago that I came here. It's been blissful since then. And before that you ask? Well, if you believe in afterlife and the concept of heaven and hell, then I had a sneak peek of what hell looked like. My mother was famous in the movie world. She was a part of several successful films and it was passed on to us, her kids, as our inheritance. While my siblings were overjoyed at being a part of this glamorous world, something always told me to stay wary. And I wish I had been wrong. Terrible atrocities were in store for us. From being bled from our necks to collect samples of blood to be used as make-up for violent scenes, to having friends strangulated to death, we witnessed several brutal, inhuman acts. But it all was nothing when matched to the instance where one of my siblings was blown into pieces by dynamite, all in the name of shooting a battle sequence. It was then that the American Humane Association (AHA) intervened, and we were rescued.

If one of the horses from the sets of Heaven's Gate could express what it went through and write down its experiences, it probably would have a passage like this, just more heart-wrenching. A thought that constantly haunts me when I read about instances of animal cruelty is that when will we realize that just because animals are mute and cannot express the trauma that they suffer from when oppressed, does not mean that they do not feel anything. But then considering that many of us are not even aware of what animal cruelty is, it is difficult to expect any form of empathy. This article tries to explain what animal cruelty is, and what can be done and is being done to protect innocent animals from unwanted acts of mercilessness.

The Blatant Reality of Animal Cruelty

Defining in specific terms what animal cruelty is, is difficult simply because of the many divergent viewpoints held by people all over the world. In simple terms, it is when you inflict harm upon animals for some gain other than self-defense, or cause harm to the animal by negligence. Most instances of animal cruelty throughout the world can be attributed to the process of procurement of food, fur, and other animal products. Animal rights experts around the world bifurcate acts of cruelty to animals as passive animal cruelty or acts of omission, and active animal cruelty or acts of commission. If you look up facts about animal cruelty, you will learn that while passive cruelty is not given as much media attention, it is responsible for as much pain and trauma to animals.

Acts of omission or passive animal cruelty can be understood simply by understanding cases in which the animals in a human's care are subjected to extreme neglect. While there is no act of cruelty that the animal is put through, neglect can cause severe pain and suffering. Examples of owners who leave their pets at home for several days at end without catering to the needs of the animal and leaving someone responsible for their care, are all instances of animal cruelty. In several cases, this negligence can cause diseases in animals and lead to fatality. Failure to bring the animal to a veterinarian when it needs medical care can also be an instance of animal cruelty. It is in such cases that it becomes important to educate the owner of the responsibilities that he has, and in worst case scenarios remove the animal from their care immediately.

Acts of commissions or active animal cruelty are instances that we are more familiar with. It is an act in which deliberate harm is caused to an animal for personal gain or because there is a certain sadistic pleasure that is derived from the act of inflicting harm upon a helpless being. Often referred to as non-accidental injury, it is often an indication of some deep rooted psychological or sociopathic problem, or in some cases, an unnatural greed. What are the most common acts of active animal cruelty? Given below is a list of those instances in which malicious acts of cruelty are heaped upon animals.

• The use of animals for purposes of entertainment is one that has been a part of human history. From gladiators fighting lions during the era of the Roman empire to present day bullfights in which animals are speared and tortured, to use of animals in movies without proper care, are all forms of cruelty for the selfish reason of entertainment for human beings.
• While experimentation for the purpose of development is understandable, doing so at the cost of causing harm to innocent animals is not. Look up any list of animal abuse facts and statistics and it will tell you that as many as 70 million animals die an unnatural death in labs every year, all in the name of research and testing.
• Every year as many as ten billion animals are killed for consumption by human beings. The cruelty shown to them becomes bigger, when you consider that they are forced to inhabit cramped spaces and are subjected to artificial treatments to increase their productivity.
• The methods used to trap animals and the conditions in which animals are harvested for their fur, are all instances of animal cruelty.
• All over the world, there are many laws that have been passed to protect animals against hunters and poachers, but they remain prey to human beings who sell their hide, bones, fur, etc on the black market.
• A sociopathic instance of animal cruelty is when animals are abused in violent homes to show their strength or power to members of the household.

Look up the laws of different countries and you will learn that the laws stated by the jurisdiction differ greatly. Animal welfare activists state that as long as the conditions used are humane and the pain caused minimal, there is nothing wrong in using animals for research, entertainment, and other human needs. Animal rights activists shoot down this argument by stating that humane and minimal are words or concepts that are subjective and therefore, interpretation may vary widely. The only way, according to them, for prevention of animal cruelty is to stop using them as a commodity. As human beings, we tend to be selfish, putting our needs above the needs of any other being. We tend to believe that the size of our brains and the sheer power of communication that we possess makes it okay for us to rule over others. The day we realize that every power that we possess is temporary and that George Orwell's Animal Farm could might as well be prophetic, maybe, we will learn to be more sympathetic to the needs of those beings whom we share our world with.