Since Michael Vick was sentenced in 2007 to 23 months in prison due to his involvement in a dog fighting ring, the topic of animal cruelty has surfaced as a major point of discussion. The incident has put animal welfare back on the table once again and has had citizens and lawmakers discussing the proper recourse for dealing with offenders such as Vick.
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But the laws that currently govern the definition of animal cruelty and punishment for offenders are complex and vary from state to state. Therefore, we’ve decided to give a painless break down of animal cruelty laws.
Animal Cruelty Laws
Without the proper definition of animal cruelty laws, one could find themselves behind bars for trapping a mouse or hurting a fly. But it should be known that in modern law, there is a big difference between Tom and Jerry. Mice, rats, and birds make up about 90% of the animals used in laboratory experiments and these creatures are usually where the line is drawn with regards to laws concerning animal abuse. That means that you’re not going to find yourself in trouble just because you stepped on a pigeon. However, certain larger birds such as ducks and geese do tend to fall under the law. So ultimately it seems that all these years, Tom was always much safer than Jerry, at least in a legal sense.
Additionally, what actually constitutes as “animal cruelty” is open to interpretation in many places. Most consider cruelty to be defined as inflicting pain for the sake of it, rather than for any real benefit. Therefore, if one is deriving a benefit from the hurting of an animal, than it may be considered legal. While this obviously includes self-defense purposes, many jurisdictions extend it to mean that it is legal to harm an animal if it’s for the sake of food or clothing as well. On the flip side, many jurisdictions have banned the harvesting of so-called “companion animals” for the sake of eating them, which is why we so rarely see dog meat being sold at the local butcher. Companion animal is a fancier word for “pet” and also includes cats, horses, and several species of birds and reptiles.
The social taboo associated with the harming of a “companion animal” is one of the reasons that dog fighting is treated so seriously in the United States and it is why Michael Vick was sentenced to such an extensive term in prison. However, that is not to say that there is unanimous agreement as to the fairness of his punishment. While 46 out of the 50 states possess felony charges for certain acts of animal cruelty that can land you in prison, a few states refuse to recognize the offense as a felony, instead categorizing it as a high-end misdemeanor.
Furthermore, the punishment for animal cruelty varies greatly across state borders. Some states take the offense very seriously, while others brush it off. Colorado has a maximum fine of up to $500,000 and a 6 year sentence while a state such as Mississippi has a maximum fine of $1,000 with a maximum prison sentence of 6 months. Similarly, some states mandate animal cruelty offenders to attend counseling or prohibit violators from owning an animal, as is the case with Michael Vick’s sentencing.
But despite some states’ reluctance to accepting animal cruelty as a serious offense, there is good evidence that the law should be taken more seriously. For instance, it is widely believed amongst forensic psychologists that animal cruelty can be the first indicator of a budding psychopath. They argue that the indifference towards inflicting harm on a living creature hints to the diminishing of ethical behavior that could ultimately lead to dangerous interactions among ones human counterparts. Also of concern is the statistic that suggests that incidents of animal cruelty rise during periods of economic hardship, though more due to financial constraints rather than intentional inflicting of harm. As the recession has worsened, people have been less and less able to properly feed their animals, sometimes going as far as to abandon them. However, it is important for people in such circumstances to know that there are organizations and shelters that are required by law to take in an animal, and therefore there should be no excuse for neglecting an animal to the extent in which it becomes cruelty.
Ultimately, while all cases of animal cruelty are tragic and shocking, they should also serve as a wake-up call to the world in order to inspire more dialogue regarding the ethical treatment of animals, since the way society treats other living creatures reflects on the way in which we treat each other.
