Alexander 1

Irelend Alexander

English II Honors

Mrs, Harrell

February 21, 2018

Animal Abuse Awareness Speech

What would you say if you saw an animal getting abused? Everyday in the United States,

animals are beaten, neglected, and forced to struggle for their own survival. There are many

environmental and physical signs showing how the animal has been treated. Most people believe

that they would never harm their pets, but it is very common that some people are cruel to their

animals. There are many different types of abuse, such as simple neglect, intentional abuse and

neglect, and testing cosmetically on animals. Animal abuse is a growing problem in today’s

society and should be stopped immediately.

There isn’t just one form of animal abuse; a few include neglect, dog fighting, intentional

abuse and torture, fur farming, and also animal testing. No matter what type of abuse it is,

hurting animals is not okay. Across the united states 70.1% of animal abuses cases involve dogs,

20.9% involve cats, and 24.1% involve other animals (“Animal Cruelty Facts and Stats”). The

most common type of animal abuse is neglection, neglection is the failure to provide an animal

with the basic necessities of life, such as food, shelter, or water (What Constitutes Animal

Cruelty). There is many signs that can tell you when an animal is being abused. Some physical

signs of animal abuse include tight collar, open wounds, visible bones, weakness, and extreme

drowsiness (“Recognizing Cruelty”).

 Alexander 1

The animal cruelty in the United States goes beyond the abuse from the owners, animals

can also be abused by animal testing. ​Each year, more than 100 million animals are killed in U.S.

laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and

chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing (“​Experiments on Animals”). Is testing animals even

worth it? 92% of experimental drugs that are safe and effective in animals fail in human clinical

trials because they are too dangerous or don’t work (“11 Facts About Animal Testing”). When an

animal is tested they suffer an unspeakable horrors before they are finally relieved by death.

Some people do not have the time to take care of a household animal, but still believe

they should be able to own a pet. When someone doesn't have time to take care of their own pet,

they think it is okay to leave them alone and not give the animals a basic necessities to live.

Intentional cruelty to animals is​ strongly correlated with other crimes​, including violence against

people (“Animal Cruelty Facts and Stats.”). I believe that when a person has already harmed

other people they will harm animals without thinking. According to the humane society, most

abusers are men under the age of 30, and most hoarders are women over the age of 60.

Citizens in the United States should put a halt to animal cruelty as soon as possible to

help save lives of many animals. There are hundreds of animals that die each year as a result of

man's thoughtless acts​.​ Animals have feelings, just like humans, and should be treated the way a

human would. The laws about animal abuse need to taken into greater consideration and be used

properly. It is our job to speak up for the animals that cannot speak up for themselves.
 Alexander 1

Works Cited

“11 Facts About Animal Testing.” ​DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change​,

www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-animal-testing.

“Animal Cruelty Facts and Stats.” ​The Humane Society of the United States​,

www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/facts/animal_cruelty_facts_statistics.html.

“Experiments on Animals: Overview.” ​PETA​,

www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animals-used-experimentation-fact

sheets/animal-experiments-overview/.

“Recognizing Cruelty.” ​Animal Guardians of South Carolina​,

animalguardiansofsouthcarolina.com/index.php/home/recognizing-cruelty/.

“These Animal Abuse Statistics Are Sure to Shock You to the Core.” ​Animal Safe​,

animalsake.com/animal-abuse-statistics.

“What Constitutes Animal Cruelty?” ​Petfinder​,

www.petfinder.com/helping-pets/animal-cruelty/aspca-animal-cruelty-fact/.

https://thereisnoexcuse4abuse.weebly.com/