Bruno was a dirty uncared for Doberman being used as junkyard dog until he was put up for sale due to his lack of aggression. He was bought by a new owner who constantly beat him with a club until his head hung to the ground. The innocent dog was then tied to the middle of a dog fighting ring and was used as bait for savage fighting dogs to practice on him. Bruno was found with over 100 scars and a number of life threatening injuries. His face was severely mangled with his nasal cavity open exposed all the way up to his eye sockets and half of his ear torn off. Thankfully, Bruno was rescued, but many in his place don’t get a second chance.

Thousands of innocent and defenseless animals like Bruno are suffering in bloody dog fighting scenes, sitting in crammed cages waiting for their next procedure to be tested on, being forced to breed with no rest time in between litters in puppy mills and getting brutally slaughtered in factory farms. Animal cruelty is infuriating and is completely unethical for many reasons. According to the RSPCA animal cruelty caseload, Almost 150,000 cases of animal abuse are reported each year and calls to its 24-hour cruelty hotline rose by nearly 4%, averaging one every 27 seconds. Whether they are pets, farm animals, or circus animals, animals have every right to be respected.

Although there are anti-cruelty laws against animal abuse, many get away with just a misdemeanour, small fine, or a short probation. Even though there is some punishment for these acts, they are not harsh enough. Only the most extreme cases of animal abuse are reported, and few are ever prosecuted. For example, Lucy, a pug mix, ran onto next door neighbors property when Larry Washington grabbed her and viciously struck her a number of times with his hand and then fed her antifreeze, instantly killing her. Washington was posted only a $1,000 bond on the misdemeanor charge and was released the next day.

Many criminals have a history of animal abuse including serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer and Parkland shooter Nikkolas Cruz. Violence towards animals is a red flag for bigger crimes and according to the Humane Society, Seventy one percent of women who have suffered from domestic violence have reported that their abuser had killed, or abused family pets. This kind of behavior begins with animals because the abuser can manipulate and feel in control killing the animal, who is unable to fight back, making it a perfect test for people that find pleasure in killing. If these criminals had more punishment for their cruelty towards animals, it’s less likely for them to advance to humans. They could receive a felony and jail time so that they’re aware how sickening these acts are, therefore not yearn to get this sort of punishment again.

Animals can feel and hurt just like humans do, both physical and emotional. With this being said, neglecting an animal is very comparable to a human. They bruise and bleed and can also feel betrayed and neglected. However animals cannot defend themselves simply because they much smaller and weak and are no match for the human. Not only can they not fight back, but these innocent animals can’t speak and say how they feel, or beg for help. Just like a child who is not able to speak, this would be inhumane. Instead they are forced to endure the torture.

Ultimately, it’s clear that animal abuse should be taken a lot more seriously than it is now. While many will get away with a fine and a ban on pet ownership for a few years, some get even less than that. In order to prevent future violence, laws must get tougher.