Do You Think Animal Abuse Should Have More Severe Penalties?

[vg7405]

A resounding YES to the question posed by the OP. For some individuals--such as myself--pets are considered to be members of the family. Therefore, abusing them would be tantamount to abusing a spouse or a child. What makes it worse is that pets (for the most part) are loving creatures who provide unconditional love to their owners and cannot defend themselves.

[davissy]

There are all kinds of people on Facebook in chicken fighting rings showing off the fights, and bragging about it. No body does any thing about it. Its against the law but no one cares. Some jerk cop was filmed in Minnesota beating his dog in the parking lot at the Black Bear Casino. That dog is a police officer in my books and cost tax payers about 50 thousand dollars. If some one on the street beat up a cop they would go to prison and for the rest of their life be registered as a cop beater. But this guy gets his job back and the dog as well.       Dog abuse, well any animal abuse should have stronger penalties . But I'll never see it in this life time.  It makes me sick to see animals hurt by nasty people!! I love my dog so much and would go without before she does,

Oh no, this is horrible.  How can a cop hurt his partner?? 
Is the chicken fighting thing local?  If so, maybe you can forward the screenshots to the local paper or news?  This seems like the type of story a journalist would be able to follow up and expose.

[madeara]

I think those who neglect or abuse animals are wrong.  Those who do so ought to pay a fine for the first offense and face the possibility of incarceration for subsequent offenses.

[Tein7521]

It's sad that penalties have to be in place for people to even feel that they have done wrong to animals.
Yes, I do believe to let them know it is serious that more severe penalties should be in place.
Sometimes animals seem to have more care in the world then humans.

[vinayvats]

In my opinion, I believe that animal cruelty should have more severe penalties that it seems to have at the present time.  Research suggests that people who treat animals in such a manner are much more likely to be violent and abusive with people in the future.  Frankly, when I see how some people treat animals, I would like to see a minimum of a year in prison, a large fine, therapy, and many hours of community service/supervised probation.  I think they need to never be allowed to own another animal of any type, and if they are caught doing so, another penalty should be attached.