Animal Welfare Act And Horse Protection Act example essay topic

2,008 words
The ASPCA is an organization that goes back to the late 1800's. This paper will investigate many things about the ASPCA. This paper will explore the history and what the ASPCA is all about. There are many special departments, that handle specific jobs. This research will explain what they do, how neglect or abuse is found, and what kind of people abuse their pets. The ASPCA is abbreviated for "The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals".

They are an organization devoted to educating people on animal care and prevention against animal cruelty. They do education programs all around the country teaching animal cruelty prevention". Cruelty can range from neglect (failure to provide food, water, shelter or necessary medical care) to intentional abuse torture or death (History 1). The most important concern of the ASPCA is animal overpopulation. Due to this problem they must euthanasia unwanted animals each year. They also advocate spaying, neutering, and adoption.

The ASPCA also advocates for the thousands of exotic animals in zoo's and wildlife preserves each year. Since 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been committed to alleviating pain, fear and suffering in all animals. This organization is the oldest humane organization in America and was also first originated in New York City (History 1). The founder of the ASPCA was a New York man by the name of Henry Bergh a philanthropist. He devoted his life to lobbying for laws to stop cruelty to animals and make arrests.

He was shocked by the horrible cruelty toward working horses, as well as stray cats and dogs. With this, he and other wealthy people signed a charter that recognized their mission (ASPCA 1). Now the ASPCA run a vast amount of programs to help nationwide, helping working animals, farm animals, exotic animals, and many others. New York City now has the largest full service animal hospitals, adoption facilities, and a Humane Law Enforcement Department.

In the ASPCA their are several agencies with specialized missions. These missions are devoted to helping abused and neglected animals, also addressing the well being of an animal. The ASPCA's Humane Education Department educates pet owners with different educational materials and programs. This program is there to educate people who want to adopt a pet.

Then they would need to learn how to take care of that animal. The program also helps someone who maybe a pet owner who needs lessons in animal care. The Human Education Department also goes to some schools to educate children on how they must take good care of their animals, and never abuse or neglect them. Another department is called the Lasker Center for Human Alternatives. The Lasker Center for Humane Alternatives has a special mission.

Their mission is to set forth to find other alternatives from using animals in classroom dissections, cosmetic product testing, and medical research in the United States and all around the world. This is a statement said about animal testing", (countless animals have been surgically dismembered, drugged, starved, fatigued, frozen, electrically shocked, infected, cross-bred, maddened, and killed in the belief that their behavior closely observed, would cast light on the nature of humankind (viewpoints, 57)". These problems have been large issues for the ASPCA and very difficult to stop, due to all the scientific research that has been found from testing on animals. There is also the ASPCA's legal department that mostly focuses on legislations and advocacy to address issues of animal treatment. This includes protecting endangered species and animals used in entertainment, stopping puppy mills, the rights of tenants and seniors to own pets, and the fur trade (Prevention of cruelty 1).

Another program the ASPCA runs is the Mobile Clinic. The Mobile Clinic is a program set forth to give a inexpensive way to get your animal spayed or neutered, also vaccinations and routine veterinary care. The clinic is only available in the New York City area the overpopulation of animals is a problem that the mobile clinic tries to control. They are close to people who need them and very inexpensive so they can try and decrease the numbers of animals in New York City and decrease the numbers of euthanasia each year. Poisoning of animals is a big issue in the United States and very dangerous.

The ASPCA is very concerned with poisoning so they have an Animal Poison Control Center. The center provides an emergency number for any case of poisoning of animals, and provides 24 hour veterinary assistants for medical information. This is a great fast way to help your animal if it has been poisoned. The last program created by the ASPCA is the Humane Law Enforcement Department. This is a law enforcement program in New York City where police officers investigate any animal cruelty reports and make arrests and give large fines. They rescue those animals that are hurt or deceased and take them for immediate medical care. the officers investigate possible crimes and first give a warning and possible fine, so the people will improve the way they treat their animals or they will be arrested and tried.

The officers continue to look into the cases and make sure the animals are being well cared for and no mistreatment is present in the homes or work places. In New York City there are thousands of cases of mistreatment of animals and the Law Enforcement Department in New York has to manage all these crimes. A few examples of the cases the Law Enforcement Department had to step in and make an arrest because of an animals welfare. This following case was investigated by an officer in the animal precinct in New York City area. The case was in Staten Island where a dog was starved to death by the owners. This case had been a follow up report from a previous mistreatment problems in the past.

The owners were arrested and fined, they also had all of there animals in the home taken away because of the neglect and mistreatment. The precinct found later that the owners weren't allowed to have any animals in their home because they were negligent and unlawful to their animals. The next case was about horse neglect. Two of the precincts officers were called to inspect a horse that was in distress. The horse was found dead outside in wintry conditions. The officers concluded that the death wasn't an accident but due to cruel mistreatment by the owner.

The owner was inattentive ot what he had done to the horse, trying to persuade the officers that he had no idea of how the death happened he just said that the horse had been sick. The man was arrested after a dramatic struggle and had a hefty fine to pay for the neglect and mistreatment of the horse. The officers are assigned to many cases that range from abandonment, deaths, beatings, starvation, and many other cases of neglect. They go through many days of watching the disgusting and horrific things people do to their animals. There are many new and old laws and acts to support the animal rights.

They are there to protect and support animals from neglect and abuse which leads to deaths. The law helps to make arrests and give fines to those who are harmful to the welfare for animals. There are six of the Federal Laws and there are also individual state laws and acts that are only decided by the state. The Federal Laws and acts are The Safe Air Travel For Animals Act, (2000). It requires proper transport and handling / care of all animals. It requires a separate reporting system for animals lost, injured, or killed and measures to address and prevent future problems increases liability coverage (welfare 1).

The second act is The Pet Ownership In Federally Assisted Housing (1998). This act allows residents of public housing the right of having a companion animal, but rules may varies with local housing authorities. The third act is The Campaign to Protect Dolphins from Encirclement in Tuna Fishery (2000). The ASPCA was a party to a lawsuit against U.S. secretary of commerce successfully challenging effect of encirclement / netting on dolphin populations and ability to use dolphin safe liable on tuna cans this launched national grassroots campaign resulting in commitment by dolphin safe tuna (welfare, 1). The forth, fifth, and sixth acts are the Adoption of Retired Working Dogs (2000). this act will allow military working dogs to be adopted and not automatic euthanasia right after retirement. The outlawing "Crush" Videos (1999) is the fifth act.

This act deals with not allowing commercial gain in interstate commerce of depictions of animal cruelty. The last act is Increased funding for APHIS (1999, 2000). $1 million and $2 million appropriation to inspection arm of USDA to enforce Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection Act (welfare, 2). These acts are very important to the ASPCA to keep running and it is a goal for them to create more acts for the assistance of the welfare for animals.

Proper care and nutrition are essential to a animals lifestyle to keep them healthy and happy pets. A household pet is a privilege to have but must be taken care of properly. Abused and neglected animals are those pets who's owners decide that they don't' want to take care of their pet anymore. So they ignore the animal, and for some animals an owner leaves them outside day in and day out with no water, food, or shelter. The poor animals suffer because they don't have owners that love and care for them.

In a home there should always be someone to care for the animal, and clean and play with it. When deciding to bring a pet in to your home you should prepare yourself for the consequences and be sure you can handle them. A owner should always do research on the animal before bringing it home with them. This would help find out what the animal eats and any other supplies it may need to live in your home. Most people who never looked into a certain animal to see what it needed and what it would be like got very overwhelmed. So they would give up on the animal because it was to much work for them to handle.

It is very important to take proper care of animals knowing the nutrition and other needs of the animal so they are healthy and happy. The ASPCA is an Organization devoted to helping and advocating animals. Some of their many programs are there to keep animals safe and well cared for. The ASPCA started out small but grew to be a well known organization leading the way for other animal rights organizations. Work Cited Animal Planet. "How Was The ASPCA Started?" .

Available at: http//animal. discovery. com / fansites /animal precinct / history. html 24 April 2002. ASPCA. "History". Available at: web 22 April 2002. ASPCA. "Lobby For Animal Welfare".

Available at: web 16 April 2002. Carroll, David. "The ASPCA Complete Guide To Pet Care". New York: Plum Book, 2001. Encarta. "American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals".

Available at: web 24 April 2002. Jasper, James. "The Animal Rights Crusade". New York: The Free Press, 1992 Opposing Viewpoints Series. "Animal Rights". San Diego, CA: Green Haven Press, 1989.