Every 60 seconds an animal is abused. A staggering 70% of reported cases of animal abuse involve dogs. 10,000 bull dogs die from bullfighting, a sport in which a dog tries to grab the muzzle of an immobilized bull. In the United States alone, 1.13 million animals are used for testing in laboratories, from radiation or drug exposure to surgical procedures to genetic manipulation. Millions of day-old male chicks are killed in a macerator, a machine that reduces solids into small pieces by cutting them, because they are "worthless" to the egg industry. These are some of the many startling statistics on animal abuse. The laws protecting these animals have slowly evolved over time. But how have these laws grown from what they were in the beginning? Well, to understand this we first need to know why we should care about abuse. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay There are multiple reasons why people should pay more attention to crimes such as animal abuse. For starters, animal abuse could be a clear indication that a person will commit acts of violence in the future. 70% of animal abusers found guilty of animal cruelty crimes also have a history of other crimes. To find and stop this bloodlust, with the assistance of mental health services we could prevent future violent crimes. The feeling of pleasure resulting from cruelty to animals is called zoosadism. This feeling of zoosadism is one of three behaviors that often lead to sociopathic behavior, the others being burning and enuresis. It is important to know that these animals have no voice. This is one of the main reasons why they are targeted. When you first hear the term “animal abuse,” the first thing that comes to mind for most people is violence. Although the most common form that people think of is animal abuse, the most common case of animal abuse is abandonment (as shown in the pie chart). Animal abuse does not simply cover violence against animals, but rather covers a variety of crimes against animals. This could range from anything to leaving an animal chained in extremely cold climates or chained for an extended period of time, failing to provide veterinary services when needed, or simply hoarding animals. But these laws have not been in place throughout the history of the United States. One of the first laws that were created was aimed at helping laboratory animals. Laboratory animals represent a category of abuse that usually goes unnoticed by the mass media. Most people don't think much about animal testing in facilities, but if you put yourself in the perspective of those animals, you might think about it a lot more. Think about the situation they are in, they spend their lives locked in a cage and have done nothing to deserve it. They become infected with diseases that no single organism of their species ever comes into contact with. They must suffer seizures, blindness, surgeries and other spine-chilling experiences. And after going through all this, they are normally thrown back into their cage. Not to mention that US law does not prevent other cruelties such as burning, starving, poisoning, solitary confinement and drug exposure. The use of painkillers is not required by current US law. These animals are physically scared and also mentally scared as they even see some animalslike them being killed before their eyes. They literally have no control over anything that happens in their lives like normal people. The Laboratory Animal Welfare Act was the first anti-cruelty law passed on August 24, 1966. It established minimum standards of care for animals such as dogs, cats, primates, hamsters, and guinea pigs. Necessities include everything from shelter, food, water, handling, sanitation and veterinary care only within the confines of animal dealers and laboratories. In 1970 the law was renamed “The Animal Welfare Act” and now applies to all warm-blooded animals. This was the beginning of laws that would protect animals. Although the first laws only applied to animal laboratories and traders, over time these laws began to evolve as well. Ten years after the signing of the first law on the welfare of laboratory animals, the law was extended to all intermediaries, transporters and animal handlers. The law states that you must require a veterinary certificate to transport animals on an interstate highway. The law also says that all dogs, whatever their purpose, must be protected. Finally, the last thing the new law regulates is that all federal agencies, such as the NIH, Air Force, and Army, that currently use laboratory animals must demonstrate that they fully comply with the law. 1985 was the year that laws began to impact the meat industry. It was then that ISLAA (Improved Standards for Laboratory Animals Act) was adopted into the Food Safety Act. The aim of ISLAA was to reduce the distress and pain of laboratory animals. To enforce this, all research facilities must have an Institutional Animal Committee. Within this committee there must be a person external to the structure, who represents the interests of the community, and a veterinarian. The committee will inspect the laboratory and report to the laboratory what needs to be corrected. The laboratory must correct any problems immediately. If they are not corrected, USDA will be promptly notified. If this happens, the laboratory's license will be suspended or revoked. About 20 years later, in 2008, there is another change in the law. This time in the form of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act. This act includes an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act. The amendment provided for an increase in the fine for committing animal cruelty. Before the change the fine was $2,500 per violation per animal per day. The amendment increased the fine from $2,500 to $10,000 per violation and per animal per day. Only recently, in 2014, did the FBI change its policy on these crimes. Previously, the FBI had placed animal abuse laws in a section called “other” where minor crimes were kept. With this the value of animal abuse crimes was seen with less importance. It also made it more difficult to detect and track these crimes. This wasn't changed until early 2014, when it finally got its own category. The animal abuse category has 4 subcategories; Simple/gross negligence, intentional abuse and torture, organized abuse (such as cock and dog fighting), and animal sexual abuse. Why did animal abuse get its own category? Well, all this thanks to the efforts of the Animal Welfare Institute and the National Sheriff's Association. These are all major changes regarding animal abuse laws. But obviously if the laws change that means people are breaking them. There have been many cases where people.