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Animal Laws Quick Overview

Animal Laws Quick Overview
Animal laws background

Animal laws are in place to protect people, but they are also in place to protect animals. There are leash laws and rabies vaccination laws which prevent disease transmission from pets to people and to other pets. There are also animal cruelty laws which include strict penalties for those that mistreat animals.

Animal cruelty

Animal cruelty laws have become much more stringent because of an increased incidence of animal cruelty. Cases which have received wide coverage in the news, such as the Michael Vick dog fighting case, have led many jurisdictions to implement harsher penalties for those found guilty of such crimes. The penalty of animal cruelty may vary based on the type of offense and number of offenses.

Animal testing

Animal testing is conducted by many types of companies. Cosmetic companies test their products on animals, in order to minimize the chance that humans will have a bad reaction to the chemicals contained in the products. In addition, pharmaceutical companies test drugs on animals to look for any possible side effects, such as increased blood pressure and other potential life threatening reactions.

Animal testing pros and cons

There are many pros and cons to animal testing. One of the biggest issues is that animals are often treated poorly during tests and few steps are taken to reduce their pain and discomfort. In addition, testing on animals does not always show the possible complications for humans. However, animal testing has led to better veterinary care, including drugs which can lengthen the life and increase the health of pets.

Animal rights

Animal rights are often the subject of many debates including those about animal testing. There are many animal rights organizations which seek to change laws which currently offer little protection to animals. These efforts have led to better laws regarding some instances of animal cruelty, including dog and rooster fighting. Animal rights groups also fought for the rights of animals used in the entertainment industry, farm animals and those animals which are used for fur.

Poaching

Poaching involves the killing or trapping of animals, when it is illegal to do so. Poachers often kill animals for farmers, because farmers fear for their livestock. In fact,poachers often have a large financial incentive to kill animals, especially endangered species. Poachers may for example, kill elephants for their tusks. They may also kill animals such as tigers for their skins.

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