Animal Cruelty Laws in North America

Animal cruelty law has changed dramatically and made great progress in the past few decades, but there is still a long way to go in the fight for animal rights. Many countries have developed laws that punish people who abuse animals, but in most cases the punishment does not fit the crime.

What exactly constitutes animal abuse? Many people believe that the term animal abuse refers only to beating your pet, but in North America, it also includes a requirement for animal owners to provide their pets with adequate food, water, and shelter. It also bans people from participating in or watching organized animal fights. It is admirable that Canada and the US have made amendments to the law to protect animals from these forms of cruelty, but unfortunately the punishments for these crimes are not substantial.

In Canada, a man was charged with animal cruelty for dragging his dog behind his truck for several kilometers, and then beating him to death until he died. If convicted, the maximum sentence he could receive is 6 months of jail time, or $2000 in fines. Not to mention the fact that only .25% of animal cruelty cases in Canada are even prosecuted. This is the exact same punishment that one would receive in Canada for shoplifting a $50.00 purse. Can stealing a purse a really be compared to taking a life?

In America, a man was charged with kidnapping a puppy, and eventually beating him to death. Although animal rights law is different in every state, generally it is considered a misdemeanor, and if convicted the maximum sentence he could receive is 1 year in prison, or a $1000 fine. American lawmakers enforce harsher punishments for seemingly victimless crimes like forging a signature or driving above the speed limit. How can torturing one of God's creatures be considered more acceptable than driving too fast.

If a person is willingly cruel and abusive to an animal, who is to say that they won't act this way towards another living creature, ie. a human being. If someone is lacking the psychological quality that tells him or her that it is wrong to treat an animal cruelly, there is a strong possibility they may not see that it is wrong to abuse a child. I would feel just as uncomfortable living next door to someone who brutally murdered their dog as to someone who stabbed their wife.

People are always less inclined to commit a crime if they know that the punishment will be harsh. Unfortunately a $1000 fine is hardly a huge deterrent. In order for people to start taking animal cruelty laws seriously, harsher punishments need to be put in place, before more innocent animals are made to suffer.