The Nightwatch Program, Inc. - Crime Prevention At Its Best

Animal Cruelty

In a perfect world, a pet is always seen as a position of happiness or success. The "American Dream" depicts a white picket fence, the mother the father, the boy , the girl and of course the family pet. Nursery rhymes like "how much is that doggy in the window" and phrases like "a boy and his dog" would make people think that in our society, we hold both domestic and wild animals alike at a level which would receive respect. This unfortunately, is not always the case. Animal cruelty is something not always taken seriously.

The internet can potentially be a breeding ground for animal cruelty. Websites such as bonsaikitten.com, which was shut down in 2001, was one of the most notorious. What's even more shocking is animal cruelty happens everyday. "Crush" videos generally "feature" a woman in high heels, stepping on small animals, mostly rodents and kittens, sadly, it does get worse.

The future isn't dark, however - the United States goverment is on our side in the fight against animal cruelty. "The Crush Act" institutes punishment to anyone displaying acts of cruelty and sexual abuse towards animals on the internet. The charges range anywhere from a fine to five years in prison, that is if there are charges filed. You see, the abuse actually has to be proven . Proving abuse can be tough, but states are becoming proactive. An increasing number of states are instituting cross training and reporting programs involving social service workers who are likely to see cases of animal abuse during the course of their work in domestic violence and child abuse. This development arises from the research validating the "link" between animal abuse and human violence. Organizations such as the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA work hard to put the sad reality of animal abuse behind us.

For more information about Animal abuse, please visit either the ASPCA at www.aspca.org , or PETA at www.peta.org .