by Paul Rance

Created on: December 24, 2011   Last Updated: December 26, 2011

A register of animal abusers is certainly a good idea, but it is not always fair. This is sometimes the case with both individuals listed in the registries, and the punishments involved.

A Difference between Abuse and Neglect 

One concern is that a person may be put on an animal abuse register, when they are more guilty of neglect than actual cruelty. The owner of an animal may have gone, or be going through, a difficult time in their life. They love their pet or pets, but may just be finding it difficult to cope with life. It seems unfair, as a consequence, to put a person who is not being deliberately cruel to an animal alongside someone who is.

Another way that a register of animal abusers may not be wholly satisfactory is down to possible sweeping restrictions. People may change their ways over time, when their circumstances have improved, and possibly being denied the opportunity of ever owning a pet again then seems harsh. 

Certainly a register of animal abusers is necessary. If someone is cruel to an animal, then they are more likely to be cruel to a human being. Most human beings know what the accepted definition of cruelty is, so there is no excuse for any action that deliberately inflicts suffering on another living creature.

Warning for Pet Owners 

People who own pets should be made aware of animal abusers in their neighborhood. If a neighbor has been found guilty of killing a cat in the past, for instance, then pet owners will at least have enough knowledge to take preventative action. People who abuse animals can change, but, with the information from an animal abuser register, at least individual pet owners are forewarned, and can make up their own minds at to whether someone is truly contrite.

It's not just pets that animal abusers target. Some cruel individuals will deliberately not target pets because they will be fearful of being caught. Sadly, because of this, a lot of wild animals suffer. Without going into graphic detail, certain individuals will actually enjoy the cruelty they inflict on an animal. The reasons may be anything from simple sadism, to an individual suffering themselves, and taking out their own misery on a defenseless animal. People who are sadistic in their treatment of animals are certainly a danger to society as a whole, which is another good reason for their being placed on an animal abuser register.

A register of animal abusers should be comprehensive. But, it should use a scale to determine just how serious each individual animal abuser's crimes are. 

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