Letter to the Editor

Fight against animal cruelty

Friday, June 2, 2023

Dear Editor,

Violence against animals that is intentional is considered active animal abuse.

Physically harming an animal on purpose falls under this category.

If an animal is not properly fed, hydrated or housed, this is considered passive animal cruelty. 

The most obvious harm caused by animal cruelty is the pain and suffering endured by the animal.

In contrast to what is often presented by the media, happy endings in cases of physical abuse and cruelty are often rare: the abuse is often ghastly, and victim animals are rarely returned to good health or adopted by a loving family. 

Some people believe animals don’t have rights or that even if they do, those rights should count for less than human wishes.

But that doesn’t give human beings a mortal OK to treat animals badly.

Even if animals don’t have rights, human beings may still have a moral duty not to mistreat them.

Causing pain and suffering therefore diminishes the moral standing of the human that caused it.

The HSUS has long led the push for stronger cruelty laws and provides training for law officials to detect and prosecute these crimes. With South Dakota joining the fight in March of 2014, animal cruelty laws now include felony provisions in all 50 states.

Given that a fraction of animal cases are reported or successfully prosecuted, we should be committed to supporting felony convictions in cases of severe cruelty.

Dogs or other animals cannot speak to let us know when they have been abused.

They suffer silently in pain, many times with wounds that are unspeakable, and leave animal lovers wondering why.

The mental state of some of these animals will be tortured until the day they take their last breath. 

So, yes, it is up to us to speak out on their behalf and fight the fight against animal cruelty.

Let’s make the world a better place.

Danny Landers

Sikeston, Missouri