“‘Cause the government, as cares for the lives of such man as you, as haven’t half the pluck of curs, lets a man kill a dog how he likes”, (Dickens 139) is what could be said in the Victorian era and, even with laws against animal abuse, is what is believed by some people today. From jabbing dogs with pokers in the Victorian era, to throwing a cat off a third floor balcony last year, animal abuse has always been a problem. The worst part is, animal abuse reports grow each year. Not everyone believes that animals can feel pain and grief the way humans do. In the historical fiction novel, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, Dickens shows that people in the Victorian era could beat and even kill their animals if they wanted. This is shown