Kiara Egiziano
2018-08-27 Certificate 4 – Tertiary Perpetration
Abolish Animal Cruelty
The current debate regarding animal cruelty is a crime, yet it is still a global issue in which many countries have no regard and or understanding of. Ducks are being stabbed in the head, cats shot with an arrow, and organised dog fighting rings are among the 5,200 cases of animal abuses reported to the RSPCA in South Australia in the past year (Jones, 2017). The number of abuse reports has doubled since 2012, when there were about 2,000 cases flagged, according to RPSCA chief executive Paul Stevenson. Nationally, there have been more than 70,000 animal abuse reports in the past year, with the RSPCA putting the rise down to more people capturing abuse on smartphones and sharing it on social media. According to Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (NSW, 1979), anyone who causes any unnecessary sufferings to the animals is considered as offensive in the title of animal cruelty (p.1). Reasons are accounted for this social issue: smuggling owing to people’s affection towards specific animal species, venting anger on abandoned animals, and the main factor is loose attitudes of the government and law executors. These factors imply that the issue of animal cruelty in Australia should be heavily investigated and exposed to the public to result in the explosion of this ethical issue. To combat this problem, various solutions including enforcing harsher laws, setting up animal police and education will be highlighted in the following paragraphs.
When properly researched, the definition of Animal Cruelty follows all sides of the spectrum, some meanings are specific and particular, others vast. In general, animal abuse includes both deliberate harm done to an animal as well as the failure to properly take care of an animal (Haak, 2018). In other words, animal cruelty is a method of association between specific inflictions on a defenceless animal. This uncertainty leads to unethical sight which then in turn follows the crime. First of all, the simple way to alleviate the problem is implementing stricter laws making it clear on the objective of animal cruelty. In accordance with the Law, ‘Crimes Amendment (Animal Cruelty) (Aus, Government no. 94', 2005), the maximum penalty for animal abuse is $200,000 and up to 2-5 years’ jail (P.3) However, with reference to “Half of the animal abuse cases fined only” (Daily, 2015), only half of the 18 convictions are penalized with fines in 2012, which is an equal to the amount of convictions in 2010 (with no fine cases). Despite the increasing number of successful conviction, there is a growing number of cases which is fined only, whereas none of them was fined above $10,000. Although the law now is strict enough to deter most people from abusing animals, the enforcer is not harsh enough to carry out the law. At the moment, “enforcement is poor and penalties for infringement [is] low” “Laws should be updated to save pets from abus...
