Imagine
driving home one day and you notice the car ahead of you is slowing down
slightly, you think they are having car problems so you slow down too, perhaps
you can offer assistance. But instead you see someone in the car throwing a dog
out of the window into the ditch and then speed off. Shocked and sickened you
pull off of the road and run over to where the dog was thrown. You can tell the
dog is alive and it appears that his back legs are broken so you carefully pick
him up and usher him to the vet. You breathe a sigh of relief when the vet
tells you he will make a full recovery. You find a home for him and now Rocket lives
happily in Southern California. Unfortunately not all animals who are victims
of animal cruelty are so lucky. It is difficult for us to comprehend anyone
causing such harm to any animal but it is far more common than we realize which
is why animal protection laws are so important.
We’ve come a long way in improving our animal
protection laws since 1641 when the first animal protection law was passed. Though
the laws at that time were directed more towards working animals it was at
least the start that would lay the groundwork for our current laws and we
continue to make progress. Prior to 1986 only four states had laws against
animal cruelty, now all fifty do. Illinois, Oregon, Maine, California and
Michigan are the states offering the most protection with the harshest
penalties while North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, Iowa and Kentucky are the states
lagging behind.
Animal
cruelty is not limited to a violent act towards an animal but also includes any
neglect and failing to provide for the animal’s general care and well-being. Most
of us are aware that there is a strong correlation between violence towards
animals and violence towards humans. This awareness has prompted law
enforcement to take these crimes much more seriously. Earlier this year it was
announced that animal abuse will now be considered a Group A felony prompting
harsher punishment and penalties. The ASPCA estimates that in this country an
animal is abused every ten seconds. Exact numbers are impossible to determine
because much of the abuse goes unreported.
Animals
offer us unconditional love and companionship, it is our responsibility to
ensure they are protected and cared for which includes reporting any incidents
of animal cruelty or neglect. Please take the time to check into your state and
local animal protection laws to make sure the laws sufficiently guard against and
punish animal cruelty. If they don’t offer adequate protection be the voice for
those that don’t have one.