Care about Animals - Essay Example

 «Care about Animals» Animals other than human beings are as much vital to Mother Nature as we are. It has been long that animal activists are formulating a cumulative platform to fight against animal cruelty. It is their effort that has compelled many governments around the world to form a set of effective policies and laws combating animal cruelty and protecting animal rights. Depending upon the efforts of the government and level of penetration of the animal rights agencies in level of awareness generation among people has reached different heights in different countries. The merit of the preceding statement might be verified in terms of a carefully lead investigation on the issue in two countries United States of America and Saudi Arabia. Umm Abdullah a die-hard animal lover and a Saudi national, expresses her experience with great regret. She saw a group of kittens dying bereft of food on a roof after they have lost their mother from poisoning. She made a call to the civil defence and asked to get them down with a ladder only to get refused and advised to call the municipality for further help. Adding to her agony the municipality told her that they would get them down only when they are dead. The inhuman nature of some of the residents of the same locality gets highlighted when she refers to a local man who is responsible for the death of the kitten’s mother. Umm Abdullah also blames the waste management strategy of the municipality that has boosted the population of such stray felines. Lana Dunn a veterinarian expressed severe regret on the repeated violation of animal rights in Saudi Arabia. According to her, lack of education among the population, negligence of the government and lack of a central authority catering and monitoring the interest of the animals are the main causes that have put the country into a bleak state regarding animal right and protection. She refers to a particular incident regarding iguanas sold in a pet shop ““He told me to give it only water since iguanas don’t eat, and he also said that iguanas don’t live for more than a few months”… This is awful. Not only are they starving the iguanas to death but they’re telling buyers to treat them same way.” (Lakkdawala) Naeem an animal lover states that fate of exotic animals like cheetah is no exception as they soon gets thrown on the road all caged after the responsibilities involved with the possession get revealed to the owner. The same happens to be true for other exotic animals like “vultures, porcupines, monkeys, and baby crocodiles” as said by Marcela another animal lover from the same country. (Lakkdawala) In sharp contrast with Saudi Arabia, USA seems to be at the zenith of protecting the animal rights in their country “The growing influence of animal rights activists increasingly is affecting daily life, touching everything from the foods Americans eat to what they study in law school, where they buy their puppies and even whether they should enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride in New York’s Central Park.” (Copeland) According to David Favre, law professor, Michigan State Law University and Michael Markarian executive vice president of Humane Society of the United States awareness regarding animal rights is in high tune in USA society nowadays. As referred by the Humane Society it is expected that ban on dog fighting, and cock fighting along with puppy mills and mass dog breeding would be considered in a more serious way by different state legislatures in USA. Greyhound racing is expected to be eradicated by the end of the 2010. From 2005 to 2008, 330 colleges have witnessed a sharp fall in egg consumption generating out of battery cages. Retailers like “Burger King, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr. and Ben & Jerry’s” have shifted from caged egg production to that of cage free hens (Copeland). Mepkin Abbey a monastery that has sustained on caged egg production for the past 50 years has abandoned egg production following pressures from PETA. The strict USA law regarding animal rights can be well grasped from different laws and legislatures regarding this issue. According to 2008 State Animal Protection Laws Rankings California, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Oregon are the top five states regarding the stringency of the animal protection law (Animal Legal Defense Fund) In California cruelty towards animal can result into a fine up to $20000 and an imprisonment up to one year. In Illinois any neglect related to Owner’s duty is subject to a fine equalling $ 1500 or an imprisonment of six months. Cruel treatment will bring a fine of around $2500 or an imprisonment for one year. Any sort of aggravated cruelty will lead to a fine of $25000 or an imprisonment up to one to three years. Direct animal torture will lead to $25000 as fine or two to five years of imprisonment. In Maine cruelty and aggravated cruelty will bring up to $2500 and $10000 as monetary fine respectively. In terms of period of imprisonment the number stands at one year and five years respectively. For Michigan animal cruelty will attract a fine of $1000, imprisonment of 93 days and 200 hours of community service. For severe cruelty the fine rose by five fold with four years of imprisonment and 500 hours of community service. In Oregon any kind of animal abuse will attract a monetary fine of $2000 and imprisonment of six months; a first-degree abuse will bring $5000 monetary burden and imprisonment of one year. An aggravated abuse will impose a fine of $100,000 and an imprisonment of five years (Stray Pet Advocacy). No doubt that USA is far ahead than Saudi Arabia in terms of protecting the animal right and public awareness on the same. However a positive development has already taken place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia addressing the animal welfare. A campaign has been launched to teach people about a more humane handling of pets and that is expected to change the scenario there by making people more aware and educated on handling of pet animals. (Morse) Works Cited 1. Animal Legal Defense Fund, “2008 State Animal Protection Laws Rankings”, December 16, 2008, available at: http://www.aldf.org/article.php?id=786 (accessed on October 12 2010) 2. Copeland, Larry, Animal rights groups pick up momentum, USA Today, available at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-01-27-animal-activists_N.htm (accessed on October 12, 2010) 3. Morse, Sherry, “Teaching Compassion For Animals In Saudi Arabia”, Buzzle, 2010, available at: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-18-2003-46653.asp (accessed on October 12 2010) 4. Stray Pet Advocacy, Cruelty Laws, 2010, available at: http://www.straypetadvocacy.org/cruelty_laws.html (accessed on October 12 2010) 5. Lakkdawala, Arjuwan, “Animal lovers lament lack of law against cruelty”, Arab News, March 12, 2009, available at: http://archive.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=120170&d=12&m=3&y=2009&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom (accessed on October 12 2010) Read More