Strict Animal Cruelty Laws
Stricter Animal Cruelty Laws Needed
The abuse of innocent animals is a serious offense that can be avoided by the enforcement of policy changes and harsher punishment. The current laws regarding animal cruelty and mistreatment are in dire need of being strengthened. Animals are living creatures that deserve basic rights. They are unable to take the witness stand to defend themselves; therefore it is our responsibility as caring people to do something about it. According The Legal Dictionary animal cruelty is defined as, “The infliction of physical pain, suffering, or death upon an animal, when not necessary for purposes of training or discipline or (in the case of death) to procure food or to release the animal from incurable suffering, but …show more content…
Similar to slavery, animals were viewed as a person’s property; so causing harm to them was equivalent to harming an inanimate object. It wasn’t until the 1800’s that serious action to establish animal cruelty laws were attempted. The very first animal cruelty law to appear in the United States was in Maine in 1821. This law prohibited people from brutally beating horses and cattle. In 1892 New York passed one of the most influential animal cruelty statues in America, and therefore set the example for other states to follow. This law reads as follows: “Every person who shall maliciously kill, maim or wound any horse, ox or other cattle, or any sheep, belonging to another, or shall maliciously and cruelly beat or torture any such animal, whether belonging to himself or another, shall, upon conviction, be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor.” This law was more about the protection of people’s property, were not heavily enforced, and involved minima punishment; but it was a step in the right …show more content…
States such as North Dakota, Kentucky, and Wyoming do not require that offenders seek mental health evaluations or counseling. The tendency to have the urge to express assertive power and inflict physical harm to another living thing is a mental issue that can only be resolved by seeking professional help. It is very unlikely that a criminal will commit their offense only once so it is important that they receive the proper help and guidance. Mandating mental health evaluations and counseling will limit the risk of repeat
The abuse of innocent animals is a serious offense that can be avoided by the enforcement of policy changes and harsher punishment. The current laws regarding animal cruelty and mistreatment are in dire need of being strengthened. Animals are living creatures that deserve basic rights. They are unable to take the witness stand to defend themselves; therefore it is our responsibility as caring people to do something about it. According The Legal Dictionary animal cruelty is defined as, “The infliction of physical pain, suffering, or death upon an animal, when not necessary for purposes of training or discipline or (in the case of death) to procure food or to release the animal from incurable suffering, but …show more content…
Similar to slavery, animals were viewed as a person’s property; so causing harm to them was equivalent to harming an inanimate object. It wasn’t until the 1800’s that serious action to establish animal cruelty laws were attempted. The very first animal cruelty law to appear in the United States was in Maine in 1821. This law prohibited people from brutally beating horses and cattle. In 1892 New York passed one of the most influential animal cruelty statues in America, and therefore set the example for other states to follow. This law reads as follows: “Every person who shall maliciously kill, maim or wound any horse, ox or other cattle, or any sheep, belonging to another, or shall maliciously and cruelly beat or torture any such animal, whether belonging to himself or another, shall, upon conviction, be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor.” This law was more about the protection of people’s property, were not heavily enforced, and involved minima punishment; but it was a step in the right …show more content…
States such as North Dakota, Kentucky, and Wyoming do not require that offenders seek mental health evaluations or counseling. The tendency to have the urge to express assertive power and inflict physical harm to another living thing is a mental issue that can only be resolved by seeking professional help. It is very unlikely that a criminal will commit their offense only once so it is important that they receive the proper help and guidance. Mandating mental health evaluations and counseling will limit the risk of repeat