Animal abuse is a recurring issue in our world today. According to the Humane Society of the United States, “Animal abuse includes intentional, malicious acts of harm and less clear-cut situations where the needs of an animal are neglected.” Animals do not have a voice of their own, so we have to be that voice and help them. There are many different types of abuse that animals are suffering with everyday!

First, one form of abuse that animals receive is through animal testing. An animal test is an experiment or test given to live animals that will likely cause them pain, suffering, and distress. Animals that are used in experiments are deliberately harmed, not for their own good, and are usually killed at the end of the experiment. Over 50 experiments involving 12,000 animals are done to register a single pesticide. Animals are very different from human beings so they make bad test subjects. Ninety-two of every one-hundred products that were tested on an animal failed when they were used on a human. Three states in the U.S. have already made laws against animal testing. This issue can be fixed by buying cruelty-free products, making a donation to organizations that help animals, and educating others on this topic.

Second, littering effects and harms many animals. Litter is mainly affecting sea creatures. According to the United Nations, “At least 800 species worldwide are affected by marine debris, and as much as 80 percent of that litter is plastic. ... Fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals can become entangled in or ingest plastic debris, causing suffocation, starvation, and drowning.”  Most of the litter on land, such as garbage from trash cans, the streets, and landfills, ends up in the ocean by being blown into sewers, rivers, or directly into the ocean. Over 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities. There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean. This issue can be helped by recycling, and using reusable items instead of one-use items such as plastic cups, straws, and bottles.

 Third, puppy mills are establishments that greatly harm animals. Puppy mills are establishments that breed for sale, typically in conditions regarded as inhumane. Dogs in puppy mills suffer poor veterinary care and hygiene. These dogs are left to suffer through painful injuries, broken bones, rotting teeth, and dangerous levels of filth, all because the people who own these puppy mills don’t take care of them and treat them like “breeding machines”. They are bred at every opportunity, without any rest time between litters, and when their bodies are so depleted that they can no longer produce puppies, they’re often abandoned or killed. With millions of unwanted dogs and cats dying every year in animal shelters, there is no reason for animals to be bred and sold. We can help this issue by not buying puppies from mills. Instead, we can adopt from shelters or rescue dogs and puppies from the street.

All in all, these animals all need our help and we can help them. Animal cruelty can happen anywhere and to any animal. Always keep an eye out and report it if you see animal abuse. Always remember you have a voice and can help these animals by donating to causes that help animals or by educating others.