The Shocking Reality of Animal Cruelty

Did you know that less than 0.01% of animal abuse cases actually get reported (USA Today). That means about 99.99% of these cases aren’t reported, and the person doing it usually gets away with it. When I talk about abuse, I mean physical abuse, like hitting or kicking animals.

Most of the time, people who abuse animals just get a small, harmless fine. They don’t go to jail, and they can still own pets in the future. People seem to think that if something doesn’t hurt humans, it doesn’t matter. This is completely wrong - USA Today says around 70% of people who’ve done domestic violence also abused animals. Clearly, there is a direct link between hurting animals and being more likely to commit crimes and domestic violence towards humans.

People abuse animals for all sorts of reasons, often because of psychological, social, and situational factors. Some do it because they enjoy feeling powerful and in control, others because they lack education and awareness. Some people learn it growing up—maybe their parents abused animals, or they saw it normalized in their community.

I think people should take animal abuse way more seriously. Some stats are really heartbreaking—according to Shelter Animals Count, every 60 seconds an animal is physically hit, or abused in the US. If that same stat applied to humans, people would probably react strongly. Unlike humans, animals can’t speak up for themselves or even use basic self-defense. There need to be more laws against animal abuse. For example, if someone abuses an animal, they shouldn’t be allowed to own another pet in the future. And in most cases, depending on how bad it is, they should go to jail.