Animal abuse. We all know what it is, we've all heard stories, seen pictures and videos. We all know the dark secrets that hide in the corners of this earth, or maybe they don't hide. Maybe it's only disguised, but still fully out in the open. Or just plain old out in the open, with no one doing anything to stop it.
It's there, it always has been there, and unless we do something to stop it, it always will be there.
Everyday thousands of animals suffer at the hands of humans, everyday, thousands die.
How can you look into the eye of a dog, a cat, a bird, a rabbit, a horse, and hurt them. How can you look any animal in the eye and strike them down? Tear them apart? Experiment on them? Torture them? Find entertainment in it?
How?

There are many types of animal abuse, and it's near impossible to address them all. No animal is less important than another, no circumstances makes it right. But today, I hope to address four wide spread types of animal cruelty.

The first, and probably the most common to SEE, is Domestic Animal Abuse. The strays that wander the streets because their owners didn't spay or neuter their pet, or maybe the owner just didn't want that pet anymore and threw them out the car door as they drove away. We all see it, there's no escaping it. Not even the most ignorant can continue to deny it. Everyday, pets are beaten, starved and deprived of shelter. ogs are kept on chains and left otuside in freezing temperatures, in brutal storms and sweltering heat. With no shelter, it's only a matter of time before the conditions of the animals life kill it, slowly and painfully most likely. Small animals are kept in cages, left no room to run and play, fed rarely, and almost never given water. To starve is a fate we would wish on no human, but it's okay to do to an animal? How? Why? Horses and cattle are overworked, and when they fall down in exhaustion they are kicked, whipped and hit mercilessly until they die or struggle back to their feet, lashes all across their body.

Another type of animal cruelty is done in the food industries. The most well known being the killing of cattle, pigs, and poultry. These animals don't die quickly and with mercy, though some are lucky and do. Many though, many have to endure hell before they finally find peace in death. Before they even get to the factory, many have to travel hours upon hours without breaks, standing up in cramped conditions or walking longer than any animal should have to without food, water or rest. Those that die, they are the lucky ones. Those that fall, are forced back to their feet, and made to walk again. You fall in a transport truck, you get trampled by sharp hooves and most likely killed. Once you get to the factory, there are various ways for you to be killed, with mercy. A lot of times, you'll be strung up by your ankles, your throat slit open, and the blood will drain from you, and slowly, with much suffering that no human could even dream of, you die. Half the time, before the animal is even dead they're whisked away, still hanging, still bleeding, down the line, swinging about and thudding against hard objects before eventually dieing. Poultry is kept in cramped conditions, no matter where they are. Always in cages, rubbing up against wire and getting sores, loosing feathers. When it comes to being killed, they could very well be smashed against walls, their necks jumped on, they may get kicked around and thrown about.
Is anything about that right? Is anything about that okay?
No, never.

Science. We say it's for the good of humanity, we say it's to help us. We say that without the animals, thousands more would be dieing, and we get to sleep out night, because we know, it's not actually animal abuse. Thoughts of the ignorant. Thousands and thousands and millions of animals suffer and die every year because of 'science'. So, maybe there's a small chance it will help humans. If it doesn't, well now we know. And know a thousand innocent souls are dead. So what? They're not human. Animal testing is wrong, there is no denying it, not matter what you tell yourself, you know deep down, it's wrong. Maybe it does help humans, but what about the animals? Just because we're smart and know cruetly, that gives us the right to play god? We are not god, we are not better than any animal on this earth, no matter how small or seemingly dim. We never have been, nor will we ever be. Mutating and causing animal suffering for the sake of human growth is sick and disgusting.

Last, but certainly not least, entertainment. Maybe, we don't all know the details of how far this goes. We kid ourselves with lines like 'dogs were made to fight'. No, no they were made to survive just like every other living organism. Nothing was born to fight. Forcing dogs to brutalize each other is just as wrong as a human doing it themself. Bull fighting is unbelievable cruel. We go to it, thinking how cool will this be! We watch, and maybe we cheer, or maybe, some of us realise, wow, this isn't cool, this is cold. The animal isn't given a fair chance, oh no. It is stabbed at by men on horses until it's weak, others are sent in to weaken it even more with quick jabs, before finally the matador comes in. A sword his only weapon, how brave he is. Don't make me laugh. The bull by this point is so weak he can't put up much of a fight. The matador drives his sword in behind the bull's head, around the shoulders. Maybe he hits the heart, maybe the bull dies nice and quick. Then again, maybe he misses. And the bull dies slowly from his wounds while the crowd cheers and the matador gloats. Maybe.

Now, find an animal, look them in the eye, and tell them, 'I can hurt you, I feel no remorse.'
Tell me you can do that, knowing now, even such a small bit of what really goes on.
I don't think you can do that, and really mean it.

There are so many more stories, so many more types of animal cruelty. So much more wrong that happens in this world it's almost impossible to cover it all in one news entry.

It's sick, it's disgusting, and by doing nothing, you're helping it. You're just as bad as those that hit the dog, those that hurt the bull, those that try chemicals on rats, those that slit the cattle's throat.

RSPCA: [link]
WSPA: [link]
PETA: [link]
ILPH: [link]
WWF: [link]
DAFAC: [link]