Animal Abuse
India has always been proactive in the protecting animals
and prevention of cruelty towards them, having enacted legislations for the
same. However, the statistics reflect a different picture, notifying a clear
rise in the brutal acts against animals for the purpose of trade, testing or
reasons best known to the perpetrator.
Animal Abuse and Victimization: A brief overview of
the concepts
A Victim is any person who has suffered any harm, loss,
injury or killed as a result of being a subject to crime, accident, or any
specific event or action. Animal victimization by
human beings irrespective of them being domestic or wild, is consistent.
Animals from the wild are put in captivity for human recreation such in zoos,
circuses etc. and are known as “performing animals”. Inhuman treatment is often
witnessed against performing animals but is not limited to that sphere only.
Animal abuse is extensive as animals irrespective of their characteristic
features are subjected to cruelty in various forms. Animal Cruelty entails any
use or treatment of animals which are needlessly cruel, irrespective of whether
such act is against law .
Seksel (2004) reiterates how the term abuse is defined as
maltreatment which includes physical
and psychological maltreatment of a person or animal or
harmful practices synonymous with mistreatment, injury or damage
