Why do People Abuse Animals

Animal abuse can be defined as treatment meted out to animals that can cause harm to them. Animal abuse can be classified into two separate categories. One is an active form of animal abuse and the other is a passive form. Active form of abuse involves cruelty to animals. It happens when an individual is purposely trying to cause some harm to an animal, like hurting or beating it. Passive abuse includes lack of care or negligence towards pets. This happens as a result of inaction. Generally, it has been observed that such a situation arises when the pet owner is not aware of or does not bother to take proper care of the pet's needs for food, shelter, medical attention etc.

Why do People Abuse Animals

Studies on the reasons behind animal cruelty have exposed a number of motives on the part of abusers. These include giving pain and suffering to animals for some specific benefit or hurting animals for pleasure, apathy towards the suffering of animals etc.

Trading of Animal Meat: Most people relate to animals as their source of food. People associated with the trading of animals for human consumption, treat animals most cruelly. Animals in the rearing farms live in very poor conditions. Traders are least bothered, as they are more concerned with their profits. They compromise on the quality of living conditions of the animals, in order to provide meat to the consumers at the cheapest price.

Animals as Entertainment: Animals are used in several films. Animal abuse during the production of films is common all over the world, including some big budget Hollywood movies. Many a time it has been alleged that the kind of treatment given to animals during the process of film making, is objectionable. Serious harm has been caused to animals including death of some animals. Several snuff films are available on the internet, where videos of cruel treatments towards animals are shown for the purpose of fun.

Animals are badly exploited in circuses. The working conditions as well as living conditions in the circuses are not at all suitable for the health and survival of animals. Yet, there are no laws to ban the use of animals in circuses. Zoo animals are provided with natural conditions to live in. However, the zoo authorities mostly fail to give the needed care and quality of life that these animals require.

Purposeful Abuse of Animals: The activities related to intentional abuse have deep connections to some severe psychological problems. Surveys conducted on psychiatric patients reveal that people with psychopathic personality disorders have a tendency to torture pets and other small animals. This type of behavior is termed as zoosadism and such people may show similar aggression towards humans as well. It is often found that children and adolescents who show cruelty towards their pet dogs and cats have actually undergone some abusive behavior themselves or have witnessed some forms of abuse.

Animal abuse can be reduced to a great extent, if people stop treating animals as their personal property. They end up abusing animals more because of their attitude that animals are needed either as food or as companions or for entertainment.