It's amazing how people on here go on about animal abuse, as if they are children. Some animals are capable of defending themselves, dogs for instance. Animals- don't equal children. Yes it's wrong to abuse animals but if they attack a human then it's not wrong. A dog bitting a human for no good reason should not be tolerated either. Many of these dogs cannot change their bad behavioral instincts. To say , " never abuse an animal" is a bit ridiculous, when animals, particularly dogs, can and do seriously maim, and even kill people. Not all pets are nice and cuddly. Deliberate abuse should attract higher penalties, esp in jail.Edited 22-Jun-24 08:38am

Wrong! Most human abusers don't necessarily hurt animals. A minority do. Check your facts!

Those who abuse and hurt animals are no different to those who hurt and abuse children. There is no need for it either! Same punishment should be given to them too. They should be treated that way themselves! See how they like it!

I agree 100% with Stephanie 630442

I agree with Stephanie. Pets are absolutely family.

A hefty fine a jail sentence or a community service and a criminal record.

Pets, especially dogs, should be banned from all inner suburbs so that all of us then do not have to put up with their constant barking noise day and night and also put up with the owners who often don't care.Edited 11-Jan-24 07:05am

Paul Denyer,serial killer. Lived on the same street as my mum and a friend of mine. The year before he started killing people * we know of* he nailed my friends kitten to her front door. It shows that people with intent to hurt and maim and kill can begin with defenceless animals.FYI ,he has been released from jail. The law is an ass.

Whatever the laws of the society involved can do to curb such evil and tame ignorance, but make an example to others who are like-minded!

Same for same. Whatever they do to animals is what their punishment should be.

Minimum jail term and never be allowed to own a pet again, large fine

Public humiliation, community service in looking after animals (under supervision) jail time & a hefty fine

Why aren't dogs jailed for bitting people too ? If some on here feel they are like humans? What idiots!

that is up to the RSPCA, and how badly the abuse is

Firstly hefty fine some jail time and never be allowed to own a pet again. Should be put on a register for cruelty to animals and attached to the persons social media profiles for a minimum of 5 years pending a review by an independent reviewer.

I honestly think the same thing should be done to the abuser. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Nice looking dog there.

Jail

As a member of a recue group & helped many of these animals, I wouldn't like to mention what I think their punishment should be. I would say you would all know exactly what it would be.

There are times when a pet can turn on someone within the family or even a stranger, and those animals do need to be stopped. Dogs can and do kill. Some are bred like that and or trained to do that. So if a dog does turn on you or someone, are you going to allow it? You need to stop the dog before it can seriously harm and kill. Even if you have to harm that dog back. That is not illegal under the law. Animals like dogs can destroy your life. I had been bitten by two vicious dogs, and wasn't my fault as they were not mine. If it ever happened to me again.. I hope I would have the courage to attack back or risk my life being destroyed. In those circumstances one has every right to defend themselves with what ever means is necessary. It's either your life or the dogs. So very occasionally you might need to harm a dog or even a wild animal, like a snake, to save yourself, or someone else in your family. To save never harm is a bit ridiculous when it's probably your life at risk. If a dog comes at you then you will need to use an object to fend the animal off. Sometimes it could be more than one dog. It's silly to say that you should never harm an animal ever. Sometimes it is justified as long as it's not deliberate abuse. The law under those circumstances will probably not take action against you. Animals aren't human. They never were. Too many idiots calling them fur babies? Grow the fk up! They aren't little children! They have teeth and claws. We need to respect them, but not treat them as they as tho they are harmless little babies, when they are not. There have been many people harmed by dogs in Australia. What about the harm animals can cause humans? Same as wild animals. They need to be controlled and respected, but not treat them as harmless beings. Not all animal abuse is also deliberately done. Some due to personal protection.Edited 10-Jan-24 20:27pm

They should go to prison. Animals are defenceless so we as humans have to do what we can to protect them from abusive a**holes. Make it a law that it is not acceptable to abuse animals and get stronger on dishing out the punishment.

There are some sickos on here saying we should treat animal abusers the same way. In a fair and decent society it should not happen. You would be no better than the abuser if the law allowed that. Fortunately, the law isn't stupid and unintelligent,like many people are on here. Animals aren't human and never were. They cannot reason like humans can So if we start thinking like a wild animal then we are no better than the person who did the criminal deed. Many abusers are sometimes kids or youth. So are some of you morons saying its ok to jail, or even kill animal abusers? That would make you all even more pathetic than the abuser. I thought we lived in sophisticated times, not the 15 century? Judging by the sick comments on here I do wonder? The law does need to get tougher on animal abuse. Sometimes it seems that they do get off too lightly. But remember, there are only limited jail's to put people in. If you kill an animal then you deserve jail. There is all kinds of animal abuse. I guess eating animals for human consumption is one, my concern there is... that some are definitely mistreated before they are killed. How are they being killed? This is industries killing animals legally. So why isn't there better protection for these animals ? So they don't get badly treated before they die? Chickens in cages is cruelty too. But government allows it. Duck and other wild animals being killed. Many for the fun of it. I'd say most cruelty is legalised cruelty. I think most pet owners don't harm their pets. Most of this is just isolated cases. The real cruelty is done to wildlife and farm animals and not domestic animals.Edited 10-Jan-24 19:59pm

A pet is not a possession....They are a companion...a part of the family....They reciprocate the way they are treated and communicate in their own way....Dogs are sometimes considered viscious and more often than not it is as a result of mistreatment...People who are cruel to animals should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and denied future pet owenership. Edited 10-Jan-24 19:09pm

Definitly!!!

whatever they did to the animal should be done to them.

banned from owning a pet for life & 3 years imprisonment

They should be treated exactly as they treated the animal! But I guess in reality the should get life in prison.

There is no room for cruelty for cruelties sake in this world

Does anyone remember the 40 horses that starved to death in Victoria. The man only received 6 months imprisonment. It was shown on television a horse from the property emaciated. Where was the RSPCA or the Animal Justice Party?

It needs to be a very hefty fine or jail, no good being the same as what humans get they get out on bail on the same day to reoffend. Our judicial system needs to be overhauled and made much tougher.

There is no justification for abusing or cruelly treating an animal, Just because they can not talk it does not give the right to anybody to act this way. They become part of a family Good companion, and family protectors are quite intelligent as well. The treatment that should be handed down by law is no Bail/ No Community work/Big fines don't do much. The best punishment is to give in return a taste of what they did to the animal and see what it's like.

They should be charged at least $50,000 and a jail sentence plus all vet bills. The Animal Justice Party is doing very little to help animals.

Prison sentence

I am very much 'into' animals and cannot abide any form of cruelty to these beautiful creatures - an eye for an eye, in my book .....

I totally agree. Most animals can't defend themselves.

I agree

Yes I agree .Michael

I second Dee Perth WA and Shawn B 1061185

They should be harsh jailed time and fined.

Because pets can't protect themselves (well, mostly anyways) it's up to us to do the protecting. When abuse is discovered the animal needs to be removed from the situation immediately and the abuser has to pay all the medical and hospitality fees run up until a forever home is found. The abuser should spend some time in jail. The worse the abuse, the longer the sentence. No if's, and's, or but's about it. Investigations should also begin to see if there is anyone else in the home/farm/place of abuse like a chid or woman. If there is abuse for one member of the house there is a good chance there are more abuses to be found.

I agree the should go to jail

They should also NOT be allowed to ever have another pet of any description

the pets that I've observed over many years are much more loyal, responsive and caring than ANY 'family' that I've been associated with.

I agree with Stephanie / the same punishment for the person who dared to abuse an animal

If they hurt animals they inevitably hurt people too. They should put down.

They should be given the same treatment as they gave the animal.

I am confused. Is the ? About only animals that are deemed pets?

I agree with Stephanie 630442

Same back too them then hard labour in prison

yes

They should be subjected to exactly the same actions as they have taken towards their animal

Yep I totally agree

Prison p- they are likely to also abuse children/people and animals don't deserve ill treatment in whatever shape or form any more than people do.

Pets are worse than family they depend on the humans for their care I personally think the punishment should be far worse than what it currently is.

My answer is that the same thing should be done unto them as they did to the animal, and it should be made public so everyone knows what type of person they are!!

The same as child abuse

a very harsh penalty

It's hard to believe that anyone would harm a defenseless animal, and then not proceed to harm others.

Life imprisonment

Time in Jail and treat them as they treated the poor animal

same as abuse to a child

2,000 volts!!!

HI Jenny L,, ty, have a good time

I agree and they should also be banned from ever keeping a pet of any kind.

Fine & Jail time!

Any animal abuse, from those in the wild to our pets who most people love as their companions (or babies) should be treated with the respect they deserve. We hear some appauling stories of cruelty to animals and wonder why someone would do such a thing. These people are empty without empathy and out of control. Often will become more violent as time goes on. They can also hurt their children and sometimes kill while abusing their families and pets. I would like to say there is really no place for them in society and for bad cases, long term jail sentences should be imposed. However the legal system does not often give such harsh punishments and they get fines,community service and/or forbidden to have a pet for a few years. Perhaps a lifetime ban of not being able to have a pet would be more apt because they are unlikely to change.

Quite agree. There is no place for cruelty in this world.

I have read up on some criminal history to try to understand why they do what they do and in almost all they start out in life abusing animals.

jail

They should have to pay a hefty fine and jail time

these days those who harm animals probably get more of a punishment than those who harm humans Edited 10-Jan-24 11:47am

Yes we treat animals like humans and ours are like my children and they have a loving home and we would never hurt any of our pets. People who harm animals could easy then go to humans and a lot of evil people have. Personally I think it starts with animals so we should lock them up and throw away the key and if we had done that with some people then the people they have murdered and tortured maybe still alive today and families not destroyed because how could a family ever get over that. It's just horrific thinking of the serial killers that we have had in the world. There's too many to even mention and quite frankly do not deserve to be thought of in any way or fashion. Some do it for the attention and they feel misunderstood and didn't have a happy childhood, blame every one else but themselves for what they have become. It all starts with animals and then they get a taste for it. The taking of a life, the thrill of the kill etc etc. Doesn't mean that every one turns out like that because people go hunting and shoot deer, kangaroos, pigs etc We don't consider that as animal abuse or is it? The worst thing I ever heard was the authorities wanted to get rid of the Brumbies from Kosciusko National Park NSW and they went up in a helicopter and shot as many as they could. Didn't care if the horse was shot in the jaw because they missed the head. Couldn't aim properly from a moving helicopter, the horses were killed inhumanly and some suffered immensely. Should they be locked up. In my eyes absolutely. Oh but they justify that cruelty. They are the authorities. How can they point the finger at any one after they did that?

Some people are not right in the head, doesn't matter what you do to them, they won't change.

Just be kind! If you can’t be nice don’t get an animal

He should have the same done to him as he has done to the animal. Wonder how they'd like to be chained up for a month with no shelter, dirty water and rotten food that is just thrown onto the ground.

I agree with tweety

Same type of abuse they caused the animal…. This topic really annoys me .

Our laws are much too lenient, sadly, animal abuse is not taken seriously enough. If I had my way, they could rot in prison after thier hands were.chopped off

HI Tweety and all tyvm

PRISON TIME & A BIG FAT FINE & NEVER ALLOWED TO OWN ANY KIND OF PET AGAIN........

Same as hurting a human

It should be the same as harming a child, or any vulnerable person. Anyone who harms and abuses a pet, or indeed any living thing, should be kept out of society. You can't learn empathy.

death

I agree. I would impose the harshest fine I could and give the offender a short burst in jail, then community service with an animal group. Pigs, maybe!

life

Strict punishment! Jail time and a fine and no more allowance to own pets!

I also agree with the idea of some jail time for this crime. It is a crime, Animals are living beings. I also think they should have a very large fine also. Take care

I agree animals deserve the same respect as humans

Yes they should be charge

I think it should be the same as if they abused or hurt a person.

death penalty

jail time and a fine should be applied

Yes, they should be charged and should not be allowed to own a pet. The fine should be hefty and it should be harder to get a pet and not buy the cute thing in the pet shop window on impulse. It's a living breathing thing after all.

I think they should get the death plenty for hurting an animal.

They should have the pet taken away from them.

They should get a stiffer punishment. I think that a person that abuses an animal should get the same punishment done to them. It would show them how the animal felt at that time. I have dogs and all my dogs have been rescue dogs. Most of them have been abuse serverely. Those previous owner should of received the same treatment they gave those dogs. I'm over protective of my furry babies, no one hurts my babies.Edited 10-Jan-24 10:58am

I agree with most everyone else, that anyone neglecting, abusing or abandoning a defenseless animal should receive the same punishment as if it were towards a human. Unfortunately, the law says animals are possessions, not a beloved pet, but there are laws, and I read recently that animal abusers will be charged as if it were a human! Finally! ;-D

Death penalty as who needs them.

A hefty fine should be enough of a deterrent.

At least a prison term of 6 month's and a substantial fine