Say NO to the Mistreatment of Animals

Some advances against the mistreatment of animals

If you take a minute to recall, you’ll realize that it wasn’t that long ago that animals were the main attraction at the circus. You yourself may have even witnessed monkeys, elephants, bears or lions performing tricks under the big top. As a child, you may not have stopped to think about the threatening presence of the trainer.

In the not too distant past, it was also a symbol of pride and social status to dress in clothing made from animal fur. In fact, this is still a sad reality today.

Without a doubt, important changes in the conscience of a large part of the population have produced positive changes.

Preventing animal abuse, a clear objective

However, even though there are more and more citizens saying NO to animal abuse, the struggle can be discouraging. This is due to persistent legal and illegal actions that continue to cause suffering to voiceless animals around the world.

Just a few years ago, news broke out about the big game hunting expeditions in Tanzania. The expedition company claimed the expeditions actually aided in conservation, but video footage reveals the cruel reality. One of the hunters included an Emirate Sheikh who owned almost half of the company.

And speaking of hunting, we can’t overlook the suffering of dogs, especially greyhounds. These animals are used and discarded in this activity that is supposed to involve good practices.

Also, in various countries around the world–especially Spain–bull runs and bullfights are a popular cultural pastime. People come by the thousands to witness and take part in the spectacle. However, none of them stop to question the intense suffering that bull-running causes to animals.

Reasons to continue the fight against the mistreatment of animals

Despite advances, we can’t fool ourselves. There’s still a long list of reasons to continue raising awareness and advocating against the mistreatment of animals:

• The abandonment of animals, including exotic animals.
• Dog fights and cockfights.
• The overworking of horses and other mammals to plow fields.
• The use of animals for experiments and laboratory testing (medicines and cosmetics).
• The trafficking of exotic species.
• Overcrowding of animals for different reasons (breeding, fur trade, the food industry, etc).
• Chaining and lack of proper shelter or shade.
• Lack of sufficient or adequate food and water.
• Violence and other cruel treatment, which can even end up on social media as a sort of impressive feat.

Humanizing pets, another type of mistreatment

When we talk about animal abuse, we can’t forget about the humanization that many pets suffer.

It’s a fact that many pet owners treat their animal companions as if they were small children or babies. In short, they refuse to respect the nature of their pets. When we talk about the humanization of animals, we’re referring to the following practices:

• Dressing cats in clothing and accessories, including jewels.
• Giving into them as if they were spoiled children.
• Feeding pets food that is destined for human consumption. They may even seat their pets at the table during meals.
• Submitting animals to long grooming sessions involving special beauty products and specialized hairdressers.
• Celebrating birthdays with balloons, candles and special menus. Some pet owners even organize and celebrate weddings for animals, dressing them like a bride and groom for the occasion.

In these situations, health and behavior problems are quick to follow, which is quite logical. Therefore, it’s important to be on alert. The mistreatment of animals comes in all shapes and sizes. And it’s important to take a stand against every type of animal abuse.

Source of featured image: José María Pérez Nuñez