When it comes to Human Rights, there is a group on every corner defending their own views, but when it comes to Animal Rights, the victims (the animals) can't stand up and advocate for themselves. There are organizations like The Humane Society, ASPCA, and PETA doing an amazing job advocating for Animal Rights and rescuing them from cruel living conditions, but it is not enough. The problem is that most people convicted of animal cruelty (if they get convicted) face minimal consequences, oftentimes even for heinous offenses. Aside from the worst case scenarios where people make no effort to hide their abuse or neglect and get reported, there are millions of animals suffering through unacceptable treatment who will never be rescued or receive the help they so desperately need and deserve. When advocating for dogs and fighting the "War on Animal Cruelty", you are fighting a cancer that needs to be destroyed at its root through education, legislation, and regulation.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, education is the first important step to snuffing out animal cruelty. The full legal definition of animal cruelty and the legal consequences in Illinois can be found here. Oftentimes the only person who can save a dog suffering from abuse or neglect is a passerby who sees their conditions and chooses to do nothing; become a part of the solution by educating yourself on the signs of animal abuse and how to report it. Some common things to look out for include:
- Physical abuse of any kind
- Wounds, injuries, or illnesses not being treated
- Extremely underweight
- Tight collar causing a wound
- Tied outside for long periods without food, water, and/or shelter
- Kept in kennel or small space for extended periods
Always give a name when making a report and testify in court; anonymous tips accomplish little to nothing. Never hesitate because YOU are the person who needs to save that dog's life.
As much as I wish educating the public alone would solve the problem, it won't. That's why the second step in winning the "War on Animal Cruelty" is modifying or creating new legislation. The current legislation is far too lenient, doing little to prevent first time and repeat offenses. The main reason for these issues revolves around how we legally define an animal as property and not a living thing. This means, for example, if a dog dies on an operating table due to malpractice, the veterinarian in the case would only be liable for the monetary value originally paid for the dog. The way the laws are currently structured also means that humane societies, rescue organizations, and volunteers have to take on the short and long term financial responsibilities of rescuing, rehabilitating, and re-homing these dogs because of someone else's mistakes. These cases can end up costing millions of dollars like the raid and rescue operation conducted by The Humane Society in Alabama back in 2013 that resulted in the rescue of 367 pit bulls and pit bull mixes from dog fighting rings. Laws need to be far stricter against first time offenders, making it a felony and adding their information to an Animal Abuse Registry (akin to the sex offender registry). This way the public can do background checks before adopting a dog out to a bad home, and people who suspect animal abuse can do a check if someone at that address has a prior offense. Repeat offenders and heinous offenders should suffer serious felony charges, and any offender needs to be financially responsible for 100% of the expenses associated with rescuing, rehabilitating, and re-homing any dogs involved in the case. Most importantly, dogs need far better rights as living beings, rather than being considered property. Germany, Switzerland, the U.K., and Hong Kong have all provided far better legal rights for animals from 2002-2008 leaving the U.S. behind on a critical moral issue.
The final step to winning the "War on Animal Cruelty" is regulation; which would come in the form of a government agency dedicated solely to animal rights and welfare, or bestowing more legal power on preexisting agencies like local police, humane societies, and animal control to name a few. Give them the ability to do things such as probationary check-ins to make sure an animal abuser hasn't brought home a new animal/victim. In situations where animal cruelty is suspected, dedicated teams would have much faster response times and the ability to remove animals with evidence of abuse immediately, without a court order. These agencies should be able to pull funding from convicted offenders to cover shelter, medical, and general expenses for their rescued animals.
The best way we can win the "War on Animal Cruelty" is through education, legislation, and regulation. We need to educate people on what animal cruelty is, how to spot it, and how to report it. Animals need to be given more sufficient constitutional rights; countries like Germany, Switzerland, the U.K., and Hong Kong have all enacted laws from 2002-2008 providing animals with far greater rights (leaving the U.S. behind on an important moral issue). And we need a government agency dedicated solely to animal rights and welfare, or preexisting agencies like local police, humane societies, and animal control need to be granted more funding and power to prevent animal abuse and put a stop to any already occurring. The key in all of this is to be proactive rather than reactive, and create an environment where people think twice before abusing an animal. Creating a nationwide lookout for animal abuse, more severe legal consequences, and funded task forces will go a long way in the "War on Animal Cruelty".
