Northern Ireland - 14 of 167 Animal Cruelty Convictions Received Jail

​www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/167-animal-cruelty-convictions-but-only-14-people-jailed-39378394.html

SPECIESISM - The assumption of human superiority leading to the exploitation of animals

It has emerged that of 167 animal cruelty convictions in Northern Ireland in the past 3 years, only 14 of those convictions were handed jail sentences. This is on top of seventy seven fines and 45 bans on owning animals in 2018 alone. While the country claims that this is actually a good sign and that it is hard to draw conclusions without knowing the details of each individual case, I cannot help but think that this is a consistent problem across the globe in terms of properly holding people accountable for animal cruelty.

Too often am I tasked with reporting on some of the most gruesome and abhorrent examples of animals cruelty only to follow up with sad and pathetic excuses for punishments being handed out. Insignificant fines, community service, and bans on owning animals for X amount of years are often the punishments handed out for animal cruelty convictions. Unfortunately, I don't believe that any of these truly hold people who abuse, neglect, or torture animals properly accountable for what they have done. It is in fact these embarrassing punishments that have allowed animal abuse to be rampant across the globe because there is simply no fear of repercussions.

Much like murder and how there are three degrees which indicate the severity and premeditation of said crime, animal cruelty and neglect must be looked at the same way. Do I believe that an elderly person who simply became unable to care for animals which resulted in neglect should face jail time? No, but what I do think is that handing out a fine to someone who beat their animal to death or intentionally starved their pets until they died is wholly unacceptable and simply doesn't deter from future instances of cruelty. The fines are not indicative of the severity of the crimes and in my opinion, simply slap the wrist of those convicted.

While banning the ownership of animals might seem like appropriate punishment, can we be 100% sure that they are being monitored regularly and haven't obtained animals through undocumented means? I just don't believe that handing someone a ban on owning animals is appropriate for committing crimes against animals if there is going to be no follow up and monitoring of these people. It's not hard to obtain an animal without registering it or documenting it legally which ultimately means that this is a complete waste of time in terms of punishment.

Look, while I truly believe there are instances of animal cruelty that are not intentionally malicious, most of them are and should be treated as such. If you own pets and cannot afford to feed them any longer, you are responsible for doing the right thing and either reaching out for assistance or contacting local shelters. By allowing your pets to starve and die, you intentionally killed them and caused them suffering and in my opinion, you should be in jail. If you beat, strangle, kick, choke, or abuse your pet in any way, shape or form, you should be in jail. These sorts of malicious and aggressive instances of animal abuse are indicative of serious mental issues that are going to manifest into other forms of aggression and abuse if these people are not properly rehabilitated.

We need to step up our game across the globe when it comes to animal abuse. Enough of the bans on owning animals if we are not committing to following up with these people regularly. Enough of the laughable fines that literally slap the wrist of abusers and allow them the opportunity to commit future abuse. We need to start looking at animal abuse as a serious crime, much like any kind of abuse towards human beings. If you're capable of violently beating an animal which is wholly dependent on you, than what makes that any different than child or domestic abuse? Abuse is abuse, stop the speciesism and start looking at all abuse in the same light.

HAPPY VEG