Weve all been driving down a residential street and seen a dog in the back yard all

alone. If its nice outside you think nothing of it unless you see a big heavy chain or any other
signs of abuse. What do you think if you see a dog like this NEXT? Its below freezing and
theres snow all over the ground. Do you say to yourself Ill take the same way home and see if
hes still outside, hes probably just out to use the bathroom. What happens when you drive
back by later and hes still out? Is it just a coincidence? Do you tell yourself this is none of my
business. Well, what you dont see is that this dog didnt get let back in. This dog wasnt called
in by his owners to lay by a fire or cuddle up in a bed. This dog will look something like this

NEXT that night. That is the sad truth about animal abuse and neglect. So many dogs, cats,
and even exotic animals are not properly cared for. I strongly believe that an increase in
punishment for animal abuse or neglect cases will decrease the amount of animals living in
horrifying conditions. You might wonder who the most common abusers are, if circuses and
zoos meet the governments regulations, and what the current punishments are for abuse and
neglect. I will be answering those three common questions today.
First, lets discuss the type of person who is likely to abuse or neglect animals. Someone
you know may abuse or neglect their animals and you dont turn them in, there are quite a few
reasons why you should reconsider and call an animal shelter or the police. According to the
Human Society of the United States, there is a strong correlation with between abuse of animals
and violence towards people There is also a correlation between neglect of animals and mental
illness. There is also a correlation between neglect of animals and mental illness. The people
you see abusing and seriously neglecting animals are not typical, everyday people. When you
notice someone abusing an animal, think to yourself that not only is that person causing harm to
their pet, but could possibly be doing the same to his or her family. Data published by the
American Humane Association has shown that 71% of women who leave abusive homes claim
that their abuser had also been abusing their pet, and 70% of animal abusers have a record for

other criminal activity. Turning this person in can save the pet a lot of harm, as well as
potentially reveal domestic or child abuse and put that to an end as well. The Human Society of
the United States also says that most cases of serious animal neglect are from women over the
age of 60. These women are often animal hoarders and cannot care for all the pets they take in.
While their intentions are normally very good, they end up giving these pets bad homes. Either
they physically or mentally cannot take care of pets, and these women deserve help. Now that
you know the two most common types of abusers, I hope you will consider turning them in for
the well-being of the animal, as well as for themselves and their families.
Now we should discuss circuses and zoos. While I feel that zoos can be educational and
important, I think that they need to have stricter regulations and have regular checks to make
sure they are taking care of the animals properly. Right now, it is acceptable for an animal to be
contained in a space that is far too small for them, as long as they have interesting things in
their space. For example, a monkey can be put in a small space, as long as there are trees to
climb on. In the document provided by the USDA, they compare this to living in a large, empty
warehouse to a small furnished house and saying that the small furnished house is preferable.
However, I feel that both space and furnishings should be necessary. We have all heard the
debate on Seaworld, this is why you should care. This photo of Tilikum and the following
statistics are provided by The Danegeld. Tilikum has lived in both Sealand and Seaworld. He
has killed experienced trainers at both parks due to frustration. After killing an experienced
trainer at Seaworld, the owners skewed the facts and actually blamed the trainer for the
incident, they then moved Tilikum to the tank you are seeing him in here. He would be bred
there, brought out at the end of shows, and then sent back to his lonely prison. Killer whales like
Tilikum swim an average of 100 miles a day in the ocean, and not just in continuous laps. So,
why is it not required that these whales be contained in 100 mile long facilities? The facilities
that whales are kept in are equivalent to us living in an average bathtub, and research shows
that these whales literally go insane from being in such small spaces. Killer whales were not

made to be in captivity, and yet here we are shoving them into far too small tanks and making
them breed and do tricks for our entertainment. As for circuses, I see no reasonable use for
animals. There are currently few regulations put into place, and those regulations are hardly
ever enforced, says Michigan State University author Anastasia Niedrich. It is difficult for a
governmental agent to check in on circuses, because they often move around and change
trainers. It is well known that circuses train animals to do unnatural things, such as jump
through rings of fire or stand on chairs. What we as viewers dont see, is that these animals are
trained using negative reinforcement, meaning they are severely abused for making a mistake.
They are often beat, kicked, and even shoved in dark boxes for hours at a time. This is not a
question of punishment for the zoos and circuses responsible for these actions, but a question
of the laws put in place. What i have shared is not kept secret, but still these parks are open and
running and torturing these animals. Zoos should be held to higher standards, and the use of
animals in circuses should be illegal, because elephants dont line dance willingly.
The final question I will be answering is what are the current punishments for animal
abusers? I would like to start by noting that often only the most severe cases warrant enough
evidence and sympathy necessary for a prosecution, as stated by the American Humane
Association. According to The stray pet advocacy, the state of Indiana defines animal abuse as
the intentional beating of a vertebrate animal, however exceptions are made for training
purposes, which is the first problem I see with this law. If someone happens to get prosecuted
for this, the most punishment they will get is a $5000 fine or up to one year in prison. In other
words, someone who leaves their dog looking like this who gets caught, might only pay a fine. If
someone is convicted twice, the maximum goes up to a 10,000 fine and up to 1.5 years in
prison. Animal neglect is different, though. It is common in neglect cases for someone from the
humane society to visit the home and offer advice and help to care for the pets. If nothing
improves, the person will be prosecuted. Unless the neglect is severe and considered torture,
the pets are often confiscated with no other consequences for the person neglecting. This is

considered simple neglect according to the ASPCA. This is the common neglect that we see
regularly and looks something like this. Severe neglect, however, is often a misdemeanor in
Indiana, and can look more like this. The person who allowed either of these dogs to get
severely matted or become a skeleton may only face a maximum of 6 months in prison, but will
likely only receive a fine. The same punishments are applied to zoos and circuses who abuse or
neglect their animals, if they are caught doing so. Again, I would like to stress that most abusers
are never prosecuted.
We are not hopeless. There is so much we can do to prevent animal abuse and neglect.
First, I encourage you to report suspicious activity. If you see an animal out in the cold, on a
heavy chain, or that appears to be starving, do not hesitate to call a local animal shelter. The
biggest thing we can do to prevent animal abuse and neglect is to try to change the laws
currently in place. It is not hard to get online and find hundreds of petitions to increase laws or
prosecute certain people for animal abuse, neglect, and even fighting. You can write to local
papers and news stations about the abuse you see around your home state, and possibly they
will pick up your story, allowing for more people in the community to see what is happening and
help you fight it. Also, i strongly encourage you to write to your senator about what you would
like to see done about this growing epidemic. No animal deserves to be beat or neglected, when
all they want is a warm, loving home. Do not let a smiling face like this, end up like this. Thank
you.