Every day it seems like there are horror stories on the news regarding animals, whether stories of cruelty or abandonment, and we cannot get away from hearing about them. As the old saying goes, “We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” Needless to say, there are monsters out there, but the vast majority of us possesses good, kind souls and treats animals with the care and respect that they deserve.
Thankfully, the country as a whole is making sure that the laws reflect this, as animal protection laws are getting better. Since it is 2016, many of us are concentrating on resolutions in hopes of becoming better, healthier people, but the truth is that to become a better person you have to treat the world around you with the utmost kindness, and that includes all the animals in it.
According to Arin Greenwood of Huffpost Green, “The United States is a country of pet lovers – and state lawmakers are taking notice. More and more states are making animal cruelty a felony. States increasingly allow pets to be included in domestic violence protection orders. And as of this year, 19 states now forbid cities and counties from imposing pit bull bans. The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s 2015 U.S. Animal Protection Laws Rankings Report finds the country on an upward trend.”
That is great news, particularly for animal lovers everywhere. It is nice to see that lawmakers are recognizing that a HUGE majority of Americans love animals, have pets, and want to see them protected under the law. We can weigh the heart of any civilization by how it treats its animals. By reflecting this good-naturedness in laws, society is setting a great precedent for future generations: Treat animals with care and respect; it is the same as treating your fellow man with care and respect.
At Powell Veterinary Service, that is something we can get behind, a wonderful way to start the New Year.
WORKING HOURS:
Monday-Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 12:00 noon