Animal abuse is one of the most heinous types of violent crime. Animals are innocent creatures and when humans harm them, it's absolutely devastating. But even though we consider these animals family in so many cases, they are legally classified as property in most places. This is one of the things that makes prosecuting and deterring animal abuse so difficult!
Please sign the petition to elevate pets in the eyes of the law from simply being property so we can protect them better!
Anyone who's had a loving pet knows that your animal is not just your property. Losing a suitcase might be annoying, but losing a beloved pet is tragic and soul crushing. It's time that our laws reflect that. When someone harms an animal, it's usually considered to be property damage. So when heartbroken pet owners go to court, they are often met not with justice, but with compensation for what the animal was worth monetarily. This is insulting and totally misguided. Harming an animal is a violent crime and should legally be treated as such! Plus, we know that there is a close tie between harming animals and harming people. Some of the most violent serial killers got their start torturing animals.
The fact that pets are considered property is one of the reasons this vet who has been violently abusing animals for 50 years still gets to practice. But there is hope! Illinois changed their laws to make pets more similar to children in divorces. This upgrade in their legal classification actually gives pets more protections.
Now we just need to get all states to make this change! There is no question that this change just makes sense. Animals are not objects, they are living beings and they are a part of our families. Sign the petition today!
