Animal Abuse by Jenny Nguyen

Animal Abuse

Introduction:

Every day animals are beaten, mutilated, and neglected while most of us sit idly by. The beef you eat comes from a cow that has never seen the light of day. The makeup you put on has the story of an innocent rabbit being subjected to months of injections and suffering. The starving dog you see digging through the trash on your way to school has been subjected to months of torture before being abandoned and put on the streets to live the rest of its life as a stray. This type of pain and suffering happens every day and it is up to us to start making a change to end this vicious cycle.

History:

For hundreds of year animals have thought to not harbor any feelings, so many felt that they did not matter. Although some cultures considered specific animals to be holy; believing they are a gift from God himself. Such as in Ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped and revered with the penalty of harming them: death (“Why Ancient Egypt Worshipped Cats”). On the contrary, pigs were worshipped as well, but sacrificed as a peace offering to god (1).  Animals’ that are being used for food is fine as long as they aren’t unnecessarily killed. This type of behavior is seen throughout different cultures and countries such as China, India, Mesoamerican, and more. A pivotal moment for animal rights can be credited to a British philosopher named Jeremy Bentham who is the first person credited to speak out against animal cruelty in 1821 (Panaman). Bentham argued “The question is not, Can they reason? Nor, Can they talk? But, Can they suffer? (Bentham).”

Through Bentham’s use of utilitarianism, an ethical appeal which states that your action is right if it increases the happiness of the greatest number of people, people began to realize the emotions of animals (Bentham). This lead to the United Kingdom implementing The Cruelty to Animals Act in 1835; with its main purpose being to protect all animals from harm (Hamilton). The United Kingdom introduced many laws since The Cruelty to Animals Act such as The Performing Animals Act 1925, Cock fighting Act 1952, Abandonment of Animals Act 1960, The Breeding of Dogs Act 1973, The Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, The Zoo Licensing Act 1981, and The Breeding of Dogs Act 199I (“Welfare Law in the UK”). Although the United Kingdom implemented many acts since their first one, a lot of them were not enforced very highly and it wasn’t until 2007 when The Animal Welfare Act came into force, effectively replacing many of the acts used before (1).

Then, thirty years after the United Kingdom’s first animal protection act was put into place, over in America the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, was created (Bershadker). The ASPCA’s main purpose is to "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States” (1). Since the ASPCA was created, America has been through many controversial ups and downs concerning animal rights. After World War I, there was an increase in meat consumption, causing more intensive animal farming (Finsen). During this time there also was a vast increase in animal testing (1). Both incited riots and protests throughout the 1950’s, which caused pressure to the government (1). This proved to be successful though as Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 and Humane Slaughter Act of 1958 (1). Although a step in the right direction, just like the United Kingdom it took the United States to start taking the laws seriously. When the organization PETA was created in the 1980’s, they took it upon themselves to start using force to get these laws taken seriously (1). Their work has caused the shutdowns of plants, labs, and factory farms seen beating and abusing animals (1). Through their work, they have spared the lives of countless animals and pressured the US and other countries to follow suit.

 

Effects on Society:

            It has been proven that there is a strong link between animal abuse and violent crimes (Wright). One of the earliest signs of serial killers or a psychopath is the torture and abuse of pets or small animals (1). It has been noted as one of the earliest tells of a troubled childhood or a serious emotional disorder that can often manifest itself into a more extreme violence (1). Most of the most famous serial killers noted today have been known to harm their pets or small animals (1).

There is a reason psychologists see animal abuse as a warning sign in children. An exploratory study written by Jeremy Wright and Christopher Hensley explored the behavior of five known serial killers (Wright). Their studies revealed a strong connection between animal abuse and these five serial killers (1). According to Wright and Hensley, the purpose of why serial killers abused animals is that they go through an emotional turmoil that causes to have strong feelings of frustration and anger (1). Because these serial killers cannot retaliate towards their perpetrators, due to them having some type of control over them, they turn towards individuals who cannot hurt them in return(1).

For example, the case of Carroll Edward Cole. Carroll Edward Cole was convicted for killing at least 15 women between 1948 and the 1980’s (Greig). It started in Edward Cole’s childhood, in which his mother would beat him regularly (1). She also invited her friend to join her, and forced him to dress like a girl in public (1). This coupled with the bullying he experienced while in school, caused him to lash out at his dog and killed it in the process (1). Carroll’s behavior began to escalate further from here, with his first murder happening a year later after the fact (1). Animal abuse isn’t just a small problem, it’s a prevalent problem that we need to recognize if we’re going to reduce the number of violent crimes happening.

Not only are violent crimes a contribution to the social epidemic of animal abuse, but animal abuse is also affecting people who don’t even participate in that kind of behavior. The U.S. consumes about 270.7 pounds a year, about 99% of the animals killed for consumption have been raised in factory farms(“Farm Animal Welfare”). Factory farms tend to focus on quantity not quality, these come at the expense of the animals raised there and us, the consumers. Although factory conditions and meat quality have vastly improved since the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, that isn’t saying much. Many factory farms today are not properly maintained, even by the USDA regulations(1). The problem is that most of the USDA regulations have loopholes implemented within them.For instance, foods labeled as “free-range” require farmers to let animals roam freely outside, it does not state for how long, or how much space they can be given.

Although some people might not care because they think it doesn’t directly affect them, they should because animal abuse in factories affects meat quality. In fact, in July 2015, about 13.5 tons of beef products was recalled for contamination of E. coli (“How Safe Is Your Ground Beef”).  The most serious side effects linked to E. coli include abdominal cramps and “life-threatening kidney damage” (1). Animal abuse just doesn’t affect meat it also affects animal byproducts as well, such as milk. Cows produce milk to nurture their calves, but most cows are taken away from their mother once they are born (“Cow’s Milk: A Cruel and Unhealthy Product.”). Due to the high stress and diseases within the factory, most female cows do not lactate properly (1). Because they do not lactate properly, farms have taken it upon themselves to artificially impregnate them and attaching milking machines to produce more milk (1). These reasons are why many female cows develop painful inflammation of the mammary glands, or mastitis (1). Mastitis causes breeding grounds for many diseases, including E. coli (1). It also causes pus inside of the udder of the cow, which goes directly into the milk you drink now (1). So, the next time you eat meat or drink milk, think about the process it took to get it into your mouth.

 

Solutions:

Although it may not seem you can’t do much just as one person, every contribution helps. Going vegan probably sounds like too much, but it doesn’t hurt to participate in a rising trend “meatless Mondays,” which is exactly what the name suggests, not eating meat on Mondays (Riley). Not only is doing this helpful to to the environment but it also benefits yourself as people who consume less animal products have less chance of obesity, arthritis, and high blood pressure (1). You can also buy USDA certified organic or support local businesses and buy fruits and vegetables from them (“How Can I Help”). These are just small contributions going towards a bigger picture. If you wanted to be more proactive, you could even contact local newspapers to cover the ongoing abuse happening in these factory farms (Stidham). It could even be something as small as speaking to managers of supermarkets to switch to only selling free-range or suggesting only selling Animal Welfare Approved Standard meat (1). It doesn’t have to be as big as organizing a protest but contributions like these could pressure big companies to follow suit.

Finding a solution to the to stop the link between animal abuse and violence is a huge one and should not be ignored. Important steps you should take if you suspect or see children abusing animals is first to report to a child protection agency, as animal abuse is an indicator of something more going on at home (Weiss-Roessler). Some other preventive steps include being nice to everyone around you and treat others how you want to be treated; you never know what’s going on with somebody’s home life. Some serial killers have even cited bullying being a major source of their anger (Greig). So, the next time you make fun of somebody for something they probably can’t control, try to be friends with them.

Camus:

Albert Camus was an activist, philosopher, and novelist, whose work is most distinct for

their pessimistic views (Aronson). Camus’s belief is that “suffering is apart of life and we have to deal with it,” therefore if Camus was asked about animal cruelty as a social epidemic, he would believe that it should not be considered as such (1). This is very much in line with another belief of “there is no love of life without despair of life” (1). Meaning if Camus were to apply his beliefs to animal abuse, he would say that the suffering of animals actually makes people appreciate life more.

            However, Camus would appreciate the people protesting big businesses testing on animals, as Camus was a big believer in “act of rebellion is extended to something that transcends the individual in so far as it withdraws him from his supposed solitude and provides him with a reason to act” (Popova). Because people are protesting for someone other than themselves and are providing them a “reason to act,” people protesting for animal rights would fit Camus’s view of a true act of rebellion. Camus’s idea of a true rebellion involves more than not eating meat but taking affirmative action.

            In contrast however, Camus’s view on “life is meaningless,” only applies to humans as he clarifies that “there can be no absurd outside the human mind” (Camus) Perhaps Camus meant to apply this to all of his beliefs, but nonetheless Camus was an existentialist who would often personify many of his own characters with negative traits of animals. For example in “The Plague” Camus points out that the cause of the black death was the fault of disease-bearing rats (Camus). Although Camus believes in equality, through his descriptions of animals in his book it is clear that he is disgusted by animals.

Conclusion:
            Animal abuse is real, and it is up to us to start recognizing the signs and preventing future abuse to protect not only us but for our future. Animal abuse is one big cycle of pain, but it's not impossible to stop it. If we can all band together to make our small contributions, like buying groceries from local food markets, or going vegan, it’s possible to start making a big change, and change the face of the meat industry. It is also important to recognize people emotions around you to see if there are changes, to be there for someone. Although one person might not seem to make a big difference, you never know the effect you could have on someone.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Works Cited

 

Aronson, Ronald. “Albert Camus.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 10 Apr. 2017, plato.stanford.edu/entries/camus/.

Bentham, Jeremy, and Wilfred Harrison. A Fragment on Government ;and, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. B. Blackwell, 1967.

 

Bershadker, Matthew. “We Are Their Voice.” About Us,www.aspca.org/about-us.Consumer Reports.

 

Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus, and Other Essays. A.A. Knopf, 1955

“Cow's Milk: A Cruel and Unhealthy Product.” PETA,

www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/animals-used-food-factsheets/cows-milk-cruel-unhealthy-product/.

 

“Farm Animal Welfare.” ASPCA, www.aspca.org/animal-cruelty/farm-animal-welfare.

 

Finsen, Lawrence, and Susan Finsen. The Animal Rights Movement in America: from Compassion to Respect. Twayne, 1994.

 

Greig, Charlotte. Evil Serial Killers: in the Minds of Monsters. Arcturus, 2016.

Hamilton, Susan. “On the Cruelty to Animals Act, 15 August 1876.” BRANCH: Britain, Representation and Nineteenth-Century History. Ed. Dino Franco Felluga. Extension of Romanticism and Victorianism on the Net. Web.

 

“How Can I Help?” Compassion in World Farming, www.ciwf.com/farm-animals/cows/dairy-cows/how-can-i-help/.

 

“How Safe Is Your GroundBeef?” Consumerist, 31 Aug. 2015, consumerist.com/2015/08/24/how-safe-is-your-ground-beef/.

 

Panaman, Roger. “Jeremy Bentham & Animal Rights.” HowtoDoAnimalRights, Apr. 2008,www.animalethics.org.uk/bentham.html.

 

Popova, Maria. “Albert Camus on What It Means to Be a Rebel and the Heart of Human Solidarity.” Brain Pickings, 17 June 2016, www.brainpickings.org/2016/06/17/albert-camus-the-rebel/.

 

Riley, Michelle. Start the Week off Right with Meatless Monday. www.humanesociety.org/issues/eating/facts/meatless-monday.html.

Stidham, Bruce E. 55 Ways to Help Animals : The Humane Society of the United www.humanesociety.org/action/55_actions_to_help_animals.html.

 

Weiss-Roessler, Josh. “How to Stop Animal Cruelty.” Cesar's Way, 29 Sept. 2015, www.cesarsway.com/get-involved/rescue/how-to-stop-animal-cruelty.

 

“Welfare Law in the UK.” Animal Welfare Legislation,www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/defending/legislation_1.shtml.

 

“Why Ancient Egypt Worshipped Cats.” Petcentric by Purina, 27 Nov. 2012,www.petcentric.com/articles/care-and-grooming/why-ancient-egypt-worshipped-cats/.

 

Wright, Jeremy N. From Animal Cruelty to Serial Murder: Applying the Graduation Hypothesis. 2001.