BY RHIANN MOORE
Animal cruelty is a major global problem. While it’s generally understood that factory farms and the fur industry can be cruel, the lack of detailed knowledge results in people still consuming their products without fully understanding how their position as a consumer can help change things. There are a lot more than just five shocking and disturbing facts about animal cruelty, but here are some to start you off on your journey to understanding why it’s crucial that we start treating animals better.
Meat Industry
While there are many farms and facets of the meat industry that engage in extremely ethical practices, the vast majority fail. Not only is this bad for the animals, but factory farms actually emit more greenhouse gas into the world than all transportation on a yearly basis. If that doesn’t put you off your dinner, think about how they treat the actual animals. In factory farms animals are so cramped that they are unable to turn around, lie down or stretch their limbs.
Puppy Mills
Puppy mills are the scourge of the pet community. Instead of adopting from the Humane Society many people get their puppies from pet stores and breeders – those who get their animals from puppy mills. These horrifying places overbreed their animals in order to serve profit, prioritizing money over the health of the animals. While it’s understandable that many people want to save animals from this kind of life, by giving money to these places they are feeding the industry so that it never ends.
Abuse in the Home
In one study of families under investigation for child abuse, researchers found that 88 per cent of these people were also abusing their animals. The cycle of abuse can only end if we step up and take action to protect all those affected by domestic abuse. Here’s what you can do when you see animal abuse take place in front of you, remember that reporting that person could mean helping their entire family as well as their pet.
Racing
Horses and greyhounds alike are raced for betting and competition all the time. Unfortunately due to a cruel process known as “selective breeding” most of the animals produced are seen as unfit to race (AKA the breeding process has caused them to be born in poor health) and killed or abandoned as a result. Those who do make it onto the racetrack are raced until injury or death, unable to enjoy any of their life.
Animal Testing
Animal testing kills 115 million animals a year around the globe. Thats 115 million dogs, cats, mice, monkeys, birds and more. All these deaths are completely senseless because it has been proven time and time again that animal testing is inaccurate, expensive and has many viable alternatives.
If you would like to help animals, consult the Humane Society International and Animal Aid for ideas on how to take action and donate money when you can.
