Animal Abuse for Entertainment

While society considers cock fights, bullfighting, ect. as forms of animal abuse. Circuses, zoos, and aquariums are all swept under the rug as forms of animal abuse. What they all have in common is they all keep animals in captivity against their will for the sake of human entertainment. Society shows sympathy for part of the abuse, but choose to support the imprisonment of which gives them entertainment. They consider them fun, entertaining, artistic or cultural, but none justify the forcing of animals into confinement, to suffer and die, for our benefit. Animal enslavement for entertainment should be banned for society’s ignorance, the torture inflicted on these animals, and the removal of their original habitat. As a society we need to take a harder look at our values and empathize with a species other than our own.

In Roman circuses, elephants, tigers, and other animals were killed to amuse spectators. In England, bears were forced to fight dogs until one of the two died. Until very recently, in a Spanish town, goats were thrown to their deaths from the church tower during festivals. For centuries we have always abused the creatures around us for entertainment. All of these forms of entertainment have finally been rejected by the majority of society, though still many more forms of abuse are ignored. Many of these entirely legal abuses surprise and disgust us. While others appear to be perfectly content with watching animals inside small tight cages and tanks, compared to their vast oceans, and acres on acres of land. Society tends to ignore issues that don’t involve them personally.

Animal abuse tends to be swept under the run compared to human abuse. Organizations such as PETA and the Humane Society, work to rescue and rehabilitate abused animals. Circuses would quickly lose their appeal if more people knew about the cruel methods used to train the animals as well as the cramped confinement, unacceptable travel conditions, and poor treatment that they endure. In 2009 PETA recorded eight employees beating an elephant with bullhooks before a performance. Another instance documented a tiger trainer abusing a tiger. The same goes for animals in zoos, aquariums, and other entertainment facilities. Animals are forced to learn and perform the same tricks all day for the public. If the animal doesn’t want to they are punished. Animals don’t willingly stand on their heads, jump through hoops of fire, ride bicycles. These creatures don’t show any of these behaviors in their natural habitats. Animals shouldn’t suffer just because society believes it isn’t a big deal, simply because “it’s just an animal”.

In the ocean dolphins and orcas live in massive groups, swimming up to 100 miles a day. Constantly on the move with thousands of miles of ocean around them. In captivity these animals are secluded to tiny tanks that make it virtually impossible for them to interact how they would in the wild, making it an abnormal environment for any marine mammal kept in aquariums. They are instead forced to swim in constant circles or lie motionless. While these facilities claim to only take the neediest of animals, the reality of it is most of the animals in these aquariums and zoos are not endangered. The vast majority are taken from the wild. They are forced into a life of captivity, and are removed from their natural habitat.

These creatures are not our property or right. “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. – Mahatma Ghandi” As a society, we have to be entertained in some way. Whether it be by electronics, or the enslavement of these creatures in chains and behind bars. Humans continue to support these animal abuse facilities for their own benefit. The entertainment of these creatures should be removed based on society’s ignorance, the torture inflicted on these animals, and the removal of their original habitat.

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