The Fur and The Furless

Zoe Paige, Arts & Entertainment Editor|February 6, 2015

According to the Humane Society, animal abuse is when the owner physically abuses or completely neglects their pet. There are many forms of animal cruelty as well, such as animals being used for their fur, medicine, meat, fighting and other talents like racing. By 2007 there were almost two-thousand cases reporting animal cruelty. Over sixty percent involved dogs; twenty percent cats and the rest were other animals such as pigs and horses. Millions of dogs are rescued from shelters but not every animal can be rescued. So to reduce the amount of cases there are local clubs like Students for Preventing Animal Abuse and national organizations like PETA to stand up for the pets that can’t speak for themselves. Panther Creek students try to help by promoting this issue through Students for Preventing Animal Abuse.

Panther Creek makes a huge impact through Students for Prevention of Animal Abuse. For the local community students raise awareness of different types of animal cruelty. Another way they inform people is through volunteering opportunities. “To inform more people about animal cruelty and help local shelters” is freshman’s Jacqueline Gu’s goals for this year. One way they support is also through wearing merchandise. They can wear dog bandanas to spread awareness. Each member has a different way to spread awareness. The way freshman Juhi Dattani spreads awareness is through the power of her voice, “I talk to others about my opinion towards animal cruelty…one can create a Weebly to keep people informed” Just talking about certain issues can promote solving any issue. Some are so supportive that they avoid animals completely. They do so by becoming vegan or boycott companies that are cruel to animals. It doesn’t mean a person has to completely change their life around to support preventing animal abuse but to find ways to be better informed about the animal products one buys. Looking at the nutrition labels on your food can surprise you. Just a small action can make a huge difference. Buying products that are FDA and Animal Welfare approved will support companies to keep doing the right thing. A person does not have to use a club to make a difference in the community. Simply emailing friends and creating a webpage will be just as helpful. If anybody can use the internet, animal-friendly products, you can be just as helpful as any big organization.

Facts about animal abuse

71 percent of domestic violence victims report that their abuser also targeted their animal
Puppy mills care more about profit than their health, most dogs come out with illnesses
Thousands of Greyhounds are killed due to being injured for racing or greyhounds that can’t
90 percent of chickens who are bred for meat production can’t walk
Dog fighting still exist since World War I
50 percent of fur comes from China that doesn’t require any regulation on animal abuse
250,000 animals are victims of hoarding
100 million are killed from testing in a laboratory
Exotic animals die prematurely due to being rapidly taken from their natural habitat

It doesn’t take being a part of an organization to prevent animal cruelty. Organizations like ASPCA and PETA make it easier to participate on your own. A way to be helpful is to donate to these organizations. At ASPCA you can donate sixty cents a day to help animals get back to health from being a victim of animal abuse. There are many helpful tips to also report or watch out such as animal cruelty hotlines. First one should be informed about what their number is if they are in a situation to call animal cruelty. It depends on what location you can watch out for any suspicious activity. If you know the pet well, then you will notice the abuse. You can dog sit for the owner’s dogs or cat sit for the owner’s cats. This will help the owner save money and not leave their pet for long periods of time at home alone. With so many organizations, programs and websites it is easier to support Anti-Cruelty clubs like Students Preventing Animal Abuse. To learn more information about animal cruelty, you can check PETA and ASPCA website.

What is your favorite animal?