I ask my animals and a few others,

“What is animal cruelty?”

Makia the cat says, “Animal cruelty is when someone knows their pet is sick yet they ignore the symptoms and do not get them help. It is also when someone shoves their animal hard.”

Serafina the cat says, “I agree with Makia. It is letting an animal starve or knowing they have fleas or worms and not treating the animal with medicine. It is giving up and saying sickness is old age. I think the people who do this to animals do not like animals or are they are depressed people. You say some people cannot read animals like others. These people should try harder.”

Joey the cat says, “Animal cruelty is when parents allow children to play rough with animals. I watch people walk their dog and I think it is cruel to jerk on their neck. I think it is cruel for people to keep wild animals behind cages. I don’t like to be behind a cage and wild animals need more exercise than I do.”

Bean the rabbit says, “Animal cruelty is skinning rabbits and wearing their fur. It is also wearing a rabbit’s fur and pretending that an animal didn’t suffer. I think there must be something wrong with a person’s heart to do this. I am in a cage but it is a very big one. Rabbits need a very big cage.”

Storm the Aussie dog says, “Animal cruelty is not talking to an animal and not believing they have thoughts and feelings. It is also throwing them away instead of finding them a better home.”

Maia, wolf dog from heaven, says, “Animal cruelty is when it is your animal’s time to die and you do not make sure they have a peaceful death. It is also saying that an animal is stubborn and crazy without putting in the time to teach them. It is being angry without being patient first.”

Seamore the parrot says, “It is leaving a bird in a basement cage with no light and rats trying to get at their food. Also not making sure they have food and then the parrot has to eat flies and maggots. This happened to me. My person didn’t want me to suffer but he picked a bad person to care for me. He didn’t do his job. So my person was not responsible enough to own a pet; he should not have left me there with no company. It was mean.”

No photo of hero

Hero the horse says, “Animal cruelty is saying that show horses will hurt themselves if they are turned out in a field or if they are turned out with other horses. These people are selfish and are thinking only of themselves and not the horse’s needs.”

Zoe the poodle says, “Animal cruelty is hitting an animal with your car and then driving away without getting them help. This happened to a neighbor cat. I found her in the bushes suffering. Animal cruelty is not taking time to take care of animals.”