The silent and the helpless
Animals have helped humans survive and prosper since the first time
we first started to domesticate animals, but why are many of them treated as
if they were mere toys we could just throw away whenever we wished?
However we must remember these animals can feel what happens to them
even though it might not seem like it. Although animal abuse is can be found
in many different forms, the most know are animals abused for industrial
means, personal reasons, and sometimes for carelessness including the lack
of sympathy.
Many people view animals as companions and some as a part of their
families, however others view them as something they can release their
anger on, or as a form of entertainment. For example, “each year 10,000 bull
dogs die in bull fighting.” (www.nowpublic.com). On the other hand, some
animals are used as leverage against women who suffer from domestic
violence. For instance, “13 percent of animal abuse is related to domestic
violence.” (www.nowpublic.com). However, some animals suffer from
neglect and abandonment which leads many of them to go to animal shelters
where some have to be put down.
The silent and the helpless
Another example of animal abuse would be how the industry
inhumanely slaughters pigs, cows, and chickens for their meat. For example,
“due to genetic manipulation 90 percent of broiler chickens… have trouble
walking,” (www.dosomething.org). Many animals that are harvested for
meat are kept in small confining cages that barely allow them to move
themselves. Another good example of industrial abuse of animals is how
they are used in labs to test chemicals that often cause immense pain and
suffering for them. One example is, “In the united states alone 1.13 million
animals are used in testing and research every year” (www.nowpublic.com).
Although the testing and harvesting of the animals help humans significantly
we should still take in consideration how they are treated and handled for
they have helped us thrive across human history.
Other examples of animal cruelty can be seen when the owner of a pet
or caretaker of an animal in the food industry is too careless to notice any
bad symptoms an animal may get when they are sick. Also, they could have
improper training on how to properly take care of the animal. However,
there are pet owners who sometimes don’t know they are harming their pets.
One example is “types of animal abuse: 32% neglect or abandonment, 12%
hoarding, 11% shooting, 9% fighting, 7% beating,”
The silent and the helpless
(www.humanesocietyhallcounty.com). There are also people who hoard
animals in great amounts and keep them in confined areas. Sometimes
animals that are hoarded don’t have enough food or shelter because their
caretakers don’t have enough resources to take care of them properly. In
conclusion, some animal abuse is sometimes done out of sheer carelessness
or improper resources to take care of a significant amount of animals.
Overall, animal abuse can come in different type of forms like
carelessness, for harvesting, and from problems that the abuser has, although
animal abuse can be found throughout the world, many people combat it by
helping animal shelters or by protesting the inhumane ways industries and
research companies treat animals. Therefore, we should remember that
animals can be faithful companions but also need our help to defend them
because many of them are defenseless and often suffer in silence.