Animal cruelty is a universal issue that exists in countries all over the world. The issue is legally defined as “any act of violence or neglect that inflicts suffering or death on an animal” (Animal Cruelty 1). Throughout the world, animals are abused in many different ways; direct harm, puppy mills, hunting, mass production, oil spills, animal testing and pollution. According to the Voiceless Animal Cruelty Index, more than 70 million animals are killed in farm slaughterhouses yearly purely for the satisfaction of the human (The United States Ranks Second Worst in a New Farm Animal Cruelty Index 1). This abuse causes animals to suffer tremendously no matter how the abuse is induced. Whether or not animals should be treated as equally as humans is a clearly debatable …show more content…
She makes a strong point about animal rights: “animal rights and human rights go hand in hand. Lack of respect for other species often translates into insensitivity and cruelty towards our own species” (Poorva Joshipura 4). Animal rights is the idea that animals should live free of humans taking advantage of them (“Animal Rights” 1). According to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, “cruelty to animals is one trait that regularly appears in its computer records of serial rapists and murderers” (Joshipura 4) Additionally, the American Psychiatric Association classifies cruelty towards animals as an indicator of a mental disorder (Animal Cruelty 2). Joshipura’s point of view shows why animals should not be harmed. Although animals can not express their feelings verbally, they have them. They feel pain and there should be no debate over whether or not animals should be treated fairly. Animals are not as intelligent as humans are, therefore, they have no control over what happens to them. Since humans are such a superior species, they believe they can do whatever they want to other