Name: Haku Blaisdell, Joe Cavalieri, Anthony Keawe, Pono Kalipi

Period 7
Date 4/26/15
Theres No Excuse For Animal Abuse
Kou Manao Speech Outline

Elizabeth Blaisdell

I.

Introduction
A. Attention-Getter QUOTE- Albert Einstein once said, If a man aspires
towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to
animals.
B. Transition - Link to Thesis Despite the profound and moving opinions
of Einstein and many other influential people, millions of animals in
America still suffer from endless abuse and neglect from their owners.
C. Thesis Statement Animal cruelty is a heinous and degenerate crime that
is committed by those who lack basic moral standards, and should
continue to be punishable by federal law.
D. Preview of Points- Animal abuse exists as deliberate or negligent, has a
direct affect on social/family lives, and can be stopped on a legislative and
also an everyday level.
E. Transition: Signpost Today, we will provide background on the
different kinds of animal abuse, how said abuse negatively impacts
society, and what can be done to stop these corrupt acts. Moving on to our
first point.

II.

Body
A. Main Point 1 Animal cruelty can be defined as deliberate abuse or
simply the failure to take care of an animal.
a. Subpoint 1- The amount of intentional animal abuse in America
is greatly defined by large-scale operations such as puppy mills,
as well as individual cases between owner and pet. (Anthony)
1. Fact and Narrative Puppy mills are large-scale
commercial dog breeding operations where profit is given
priority over the well being of the dogs. This results in
increased health problems such as epilepsy, heart disease,
and deafness and/or blindness. There are estimated to be
over 10,000 puppy mills in operation in the US, each with
thousands of breeding dogs. The puppies born into these
mills are forced to live in severely inadequate conditions
and are hardly fed or provided water. ("Puppy Mill FAQ."
ASPCA. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.) On a smaller
scale, there are individual cases of deliberate animal abuse
that occur within households. Immoral people commit
horrific animal abuse crimes every day. For example, in
2011, a man from Monroe County, Georgia was arrested
for nearly decapitating his family dog. He tied a
clothesline around the animals neck and left it tied up for

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weeks, resulting in its head being pulled halfway off. (Staff

Reports. "Monroe Man Gets 2 Years for Nearly
Decapitating Dog." The Telegraph. N.p., 27 June 2012.
Web. 27 Apr. 2015.)
b. Subpoint 2- The abused mainly include dogs and cats that are
just neglected by their owners.
1. Statistics - In 2007, 64.5% of media-reported animal
cruelty cases involved dogs, 18% involved cats, and 25%
involved other animals. Approximately 7.6 million
animals enter animal shelters each year, and nearly 30% of
those end up euthanized. ("Pet Statistics." ASPCA. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.) Chained dogs make up most of
this statistic as they suffer the most neglect. Most are
deprived of proper food, water, shelter, and veterinary care.
In February 2005, the rotting remains of a chained dog
(who hadnt been fed or provided with water for 19 days)
were found in a backyard of a home in Mendocino County,
California. In March 2008, a tethered Saint Bernard
chewed off her own leg in an effort to break free from the
cord she had become entangled in. Deliberate or not, abuse
is abuse. ("Neglected Animals With No Escape." PETA.
N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.) (Haku)
c. Transition: Review-Preview- As you can see, animal abuse
comes in many forms and produces a very negative impact.
B. Main Point 2 Throughout the years, there has been an increasing
connection between animal abuse and domestic violence.
a. Subpoint 1- Domestic violence and child abusers may kill, harm
or threaten animals to exert dominance and power over their
victims and to show them what could happen to them.
1. Testimony and Narrative- In 2010, a man had assaulted
his girlfriend and, just as she went to lock herself in the
bathroom, she saw her 6-week-old kitten fly across the
room. According to Eatontown Police Chief Michael
Goldfarb, He went after the animal to hurt the victim. In
October 2007, a former Holland Township man killed the
family dog by slitting its throat after his wife asked for
divorce. In 2010, a former employee of the state was
accused of assaulting his wife and killing the family
greyhound. Senator Thomas Kean Jr. said Not only is
there a very strong correlation between those that would
abuse their pets and those that would abuse others, but in
addition, what we have found is the abusers use the pet as
an instrument of control over their family members.
According to Victor Amato of the SPCA, If theres
domestic violence going on in a house, theres a good
chance the animals are being abused, also. (Star-Ledger,

Elizabeth Blaisdell

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Jennifer Golson/The. "Awareness of Pets Victimized in

Domestic Abuse Cases Grows." N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr.
2015.) (Pono)
b. Subpoint 2- Pet abuse often leads to other forms of abuse.
1. Fact - In addition to causing pain and suffering to the
animals, animal abuse can be a sentinel indicator and
predictor one of the earliest red flag warning signs of
concurrent or future violent acts. Children that are exposed
to this type of violence are desensitized and lose the ability
to empathize with the victim, therefore possibly creating
violent tendencies. (Linzey, Andrew. The Link between
Animal Abuse and Human Violence. Brighton: Sussex
Academic, 2009. Print.) (Joe)
c. Transition: Internal Summary- Animal abuse directly affects
our social society.
C. Main Point 3 Solutions can be achieved through new law regulations
and everyday actions.
a. Subpoint 1- More laws should be in place to protect our furry
friends.
1. Comparison- Compared to human rights laws, animal
rights laws do close to nothing in terms of protection.
Under most state and federal laws, animals primarily are
regarded as property and have little or no legal rights of
their own. Anticruelty laws require that animals be
provided with basic necessities and be treated humanely,
unless it is necessary or justifiable to deny them food,
water or shelter. As long as individuals comply with these
minimal standards, they may go unpunished for actions that
are not necessarily in the best interest of the animal and that
may even cause pain and suffering. In order to stop the
continued cruel acts towards animals, we should work
towards establishing more concrete and specific rules for
their protection. ("Legal Rights for Animals - Petfinder."
Petfinder Legal Rights for Animals Comments. N.p., n.d.
Web. 27 Apr. 2015.) (Joe)
b. Subpoint 2- On a more approachable level, we as members of
society can do simple things to help prevent continued animal
cruelty.
1. Example We must all spot the signs. For example, if you
see a dog that is frequently chained up, not provided with
ample food/water/shelter, or looks unhealthy in any way,
report it to your local police or humane society. This
simple act could save the animals life, and possibly end
any linked domestic violence. ("Report Animal Cruelty :
The Humane Society of the United States." RSS. N.p., n.d.
Web. 27 Apr. 2015.) (Pono)

Elizabeth Blaisdell

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70:56:81:a6:00:21

c. Transition: Sign post- big and little steps can be taken to

prevent animal abuse.
III.

Elizabeth Blaisdell

Conclusion
A. Restate Thesis Animal cruelty is a heinous and degenerate crime that is
committed by those who lack basic moral standards, and should continue
to be punishable by federal law.
B. Review of Points Animal abuse exists as deliberate or negligent, has a
direct affect on social/family lives, and can be stopped on a legislative and
also an everyday level.
C. Closing Statement QUOTE- As we end our presentation, we leave you
with this quote from Ricky Gervais. Animals are not here to do as we
please with. We are not their superiors, we are their equals. We are their
family. Be kind to them. (Anthony)

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Works Cited
"Legal Rights for Animals - Petfinder." Petfinder Legal Rights for Animals Comments.

N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

Linzey, Andrew. The Link between Animal Abuse and Human Violence. Brighton:

Sussex Academic, 2009. Print.

Miller, Debra A. The Rights of Animals. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2009. Print.

"Neglected Animals With No Escape." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
"Pet Statistics." ASPCA. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
"Puppy Mill FAQ." ASPCA. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
"Report Animal Cruelty : The Humane Society of the United States." RSS. N.p., n.d.

Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

Staff Reports. "Monroe Man Gets 2 Years for Nearly Decapitating Dog." The

Telegraph. N.p., 27 June 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

Star-Ledger, Jennifer Golson/The. "Awareness of Pets Victimized in Domestic Abuse

Cases Grows." N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.

Elizabeth Blaisdell

Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 10:19:15 PM Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time

70:56:81:a6:00:21