Should Animals Be Protected Against Body Modifications?

A cat getting kicked does not mean more to the everyday man then if you got kicked again. You know that you should not go to jail because the court could spend their valuable time on cases that have everlasting effects on us like murders or rapes. That many things throughout the internet are taken far out of proportion, and the fact that the line of what is classified as animal abuse is very much a grayed line that is all in perspective. Next time you hear of an animal getting kicked, just imagine if that was a family member instead, would there be as much of a social

The euthanasia of animals is a very problematic social issue in the world today. Approximately there are about 7.6 million companion animals that enter animal shelters each year. Of those, about 2.7 animals are euthanized, and cats have the highest rate, according to “The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals” (2017). When you hear the term euthanasia in reference to animals, you think of a painless process that ends the countless suffering your pet had to endure over the span of their lives. There are many reasons for which these animals are “put to sleep.” When most pet owners put their pets to sleep it is because their pets have incurable disease, painful illness, behavioral problems and are of old age. When an animal is suffering and is no longer able to recover, this process may be the most humane thing to do. However, euthanasia turns into murder when perfectly healthy animals are killed. Since there is an overpopulation of animals there are many animals left on the street wandering alone. When there isn’t any room for all these new animals being brought in from off the streets, shelters have no other option, but to euthanize. Each year more and more dogs and cats are born and sent into shelters, but for every animal being born another one has to leave and once the animal leave they are most likely going to be euthanized. No matter the situation animals are losing their lives for no clear reason.

Murder and abuse cases never fail to startle society. Moral codes are flouted with unmatched rigorousness by these indubitable egregious crimes. Sufferers in these cases are often people. Nonetheless, these callous obscenities should not be seen as less important when animals are the victims. Animals undergo horrendous abuse due to barbaric individuals, greed, and unnecessary lab testing.

An hour-long public hearing done a week earlier has presented numerous emotional appeals that are convincing the council to outlaw declawing, yet a number of pet owners objected the proposal by saying that the pain that cats experience was just temporary. They also justified that the procedure has improved the cats’ indoor behavior.

A former UW-Madison veterinarian who oversaw the treatment of Double Trouble and other cats used in this laboratory recently issued a letter confirming this abuse, stating that many of the cats "suffered unnecessarily." However, no peer-reviewed papers have been published in any scientific journals as a result of the suffering that Double Trouble endured. Correspondence between UW experimenters and their collaborators acknowledge that there was a problem with Double Trouble's surgery; the experiment was a failure.” (PETA)

Animal shelters provide protection and care to animals in need, but sadly have to kill animals from time to time. Ending an animal’s life with minimal pain is called animal euthanasia. No animal shelters practice euthanasia by choice, but most consider it a necessary system. Some reasons for euthanasia are lack of resources and funding in shelters, but the biggest contributor to why euthanasia exists is overcrowding. This problem can be traced to owners allowing their pets to have multiple litters of kittens or puppies without taking the responsibility to properly give them a home. This carelessness creates a huge domestic overpopulation problem. The consequences of overpopulation results in large numbers of animals being sent to humane societies. Animals are then euthanized to avoid overcrowding. Euthanasia is unethical and cruel; it should be banned from shelters.

Myths of fixing your animals can stray people to think it’s not good. There are many myths out there and all of them are miss leading. One popular myth is “It's better to have one litter before spaying a female pet.”("Myths and facts," 2009). The truth is its not you might find a home for all the puppies your dog has to a home, but what happens to those puppies grow up do they get spayed? Even though they have a good home they may be bread for puppies and those puppies who don’t get homes might be taken to the pound. Some dogs have had litter and then been abandoned because they now have a new dog to love. Another popular myth is that owners say, “I don't want my male dog or cat to feel like less of a male.” ("Myths and facts," 2009). Your pets do not know there sexual identity, once they have been fix they do not act any different and they do not know that there any different than before. One of the last popular myths is “My pet will get fat and lazy.”("Myths and facts," 2009). They do not become fat and lazy because of the procedure they become fat and lazy because they are feed too much and then they

To bring awareness I am going to point out how important an animal’s life is just as important, they have feelings. They feel pain, fear, as well as abandonment. People think that because they have fur that they should be treated differently.Their lives are just as important as ours. Cruelty and neglect cross socio-economic boundaries, and media reports suggest that animal abuse is common in both rural and urban areas. (Humane society of the United States, 2016)

“It is quite clear that in abusing animals we abuse our relationship with animals, and that we abuse ourselves. We become less human to the extent that we treat any living beings as things” (R.D. Laing). There is a very evident connection between animal cruelty and cruelty to other humans. In studies conducted between 1983 and 2004, 60% of children who met the criteria for child abuse/neglect had families that were cruel to their pets. In 88%

It is the veterinarians’ obligation to educate owners about feline declawing; how it will be performed, what method is recommended or will be used, alternatives to declawing, proper pain management, and of course the risk and benefits that come along with the surgery. Onychectomy is a controversial procedure due to the plethora of short and long-term complications. Short-term complications occur in about 50% of cases, and these complications include: pain, lameness, hemorrhage, decreased appetite, personality change, infection, lethargy, and cystitis. Long-term complications are infrequent, and include: claw regrowth, chronic pain, sore paws, flexor tendon contraction, increased biting, and behavioral

Natalie Angier, discusses that we spend a lot of money on cats; yet cats are wild at heart. Peter P. Marra and Chris Santella authors of Cat Wars, view cats as “cuddly killers.” Cats are viewed as invasive species as a contamination to the environment. Outdoor cats are a threat to wildlife as predators. Also cats are a danger to human health from different types of illnesses. The Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), view cats as human alternative to euthanizing strays.

Over the centuries, animals have suffered from cruelty from humans. In the United States, animals are beaten, neglected, or forced to struggle for survival. Animals have been inflicted with pain from humans for reasons other than self-defense. They have been slaughtered for their food and fur for personal gain in profit. In a majority of cases they have even been abused for someone’s own personal amusement or out of rage filled impulses. In some cases animals are found and rescued. They are given the second chance in life to experience what life should be like compared to what they once had.

Animals are an important and valued part of many families and cultures. In many households, animals are considered members of the family, receive Christmas and birthday presents, and are cared for just as a human child would be. Opposition to animal cruelty has even become a sort of universal value in American culture(Kordzek 604). But animals are uniquely vulnerable to abuse, and despite this they still do not receive much needed protection from the law. The penalties for animal cruelty are not frequently severe enough to even deter one from harming an animal. This is dangerous not only for animals, but for human beings too. Animal cruelty and domestic violence have been proven to correlate in countless ways, and recognizing animal cruelty as a serious criminal offense and a form of domestic violence would serve to protect both animals and human beings from needless acts of violence. Instituting stiffer criminal penalties for animal cruelty and increasing the protective measures for victims of abuse is necessary to further the protection of both animals and human beings.

Each year, the most extreme cases of animal abuse receive media attention. Yet, the animal cruelty problem is more widespread than is reported in the media. Animal abuse and neglect is a nationwide issue, affecting thousands of animals nationwide. Cruelty to animals is defined as the infliction of physical pain, suffering or death on an animal, beyond what is necessary. There is a need to stop abusers from acting in such a horrific manner–preventing the neglect and suffering of the animals. What causes animal abusers to act in such a cruel way towards animals? How are cases of animal abuse being managed, and how should cases be handled? Finally, does the status of animals in society contribute to the rate of their abuse?

In the last decade, the views and forms of animal cruelty have changed. Many people have different views of an animal’s rights or purpose. Some people believe that animals have no rights and are a piece of property to be utilized by humans. To others, animals can still be used by humans, but they have emotions as well. A few people consider that only certain animals with high intelligence like chimpanzees or monkeys, should not be used by man, and they should have all the rights that man has currently (“Animal Rights” , 2009). Domestic violence has a correlation with animal abuse. In a survey, 71% of domestic violence victims also reported that their abuser also targeted pets/animals. The most common animals who are abused are cats, dogs, horses,