"Animals, who we have made our slaves, we so not regard as our equals." -Charles Darwin
***I propose to petition the Iowa State government in asking them to make the animal abuse punishment more severe. I believe that the consequences need to be raised for the following reasons:
1) Animals are living, breathing creations just like humans and therefore should be given the same rights or at least close to the same rights as humans.
2) Animals have no voice to speak out in their defense. For instance; if its owner is starving an animal, there is no way for that animal to get help.
3) It has been proven that humans who abuse and neglect animals when younger, tend to abuse and neglect their children and/or other humans in adulthood.
CURRENT IOWA LAW:
In Iowa, animal abuse, neglect, and/or murder is punishable by either of the following: A) simple misdemeanor, B) serious misdemeanor, or C) aggravated misdemeanor. These statues are explained below:
Animal Abuse: Intentionally injuries, maims, disfigures, or destroys in any manner (including poisoning). Punishment: aggravated misdemeanor.
Animal Neglect: Impounds, confines, fails to supply food, water, or shelter. Tortures, deprives necessisities, mutilates, beats, kills. Causes pain, distress, suffering. Punishment: Neglects only = simple misdemeanor, Results is serious injury or death = serious misdemeanor.
Simple Misdemeanor: $50.00 to $500.00 fine, and/or up to 30 days in jail.
Serious Misdemeanor: $200.00 to $1,000.00 fine, and/or up to 1 year in jail.
Aggravated Misdemeanor: $500.00 to $5,000.00 fine, and/or up to 2 years in jail.
FINAL PETITION: WE, the undersigned believe that the animal abuse punishment should be more severe. We realize that the idea of animals being equal to humans would never be accepted in todays society. However, animals should have a higher equality stance then they do now. This petition demands the following to be changed:
1) The Simple Misdemeanor charge will be abandoned all together.
2) Animal Neglect, whether intentional or unintentional will hold the same
consequence of an Aggravated Misdemeanor.
3) Animal Abuse will receive either that of a child abuse punishment or more comparable to that of a child abuse punishment.
