Animal cruelty is any act of violence or neglect against an animal. Some things you may have seen are an animal tied up outside all hours of the day without food or water or perhaps a person saw an owner purposely hit their dog. Animals, like humans, have feelings and reactions to how they are treated: mistreated animals could become dangerous to society. Society most often defines animal cruelty as the infliction of physical pain, suffering, or death on an animal when it is not necessary for the purposes of training, discipline, or obtaining food (MSPCA Angell 1). If the animal is injured not to obtain food, or to relieve it from incurable suffering but arbitrarily for mere amusement, by indulgence of a cruel and vengeful temper, or with reckless indifference to its pain, it is also considered animal cruelty (“Law on Animal Cruelty") and legal definition" 1). Cases of animal cruelty make headlines every day across the country, whether it's the person who kills the neighbor's cat, the hoarders of sick and dying animals, or the family whose frozen, starving dog gets tied up outside in the dead of winter (Lin 1 ). Many of the types of animal abuse are: dog fighting, cockfighting, animals used for product testing, inhumane killing methods such as gas chambers, slaughter, hoarding, sexual abuse, and internment hunting (C. Smith, personal communication , 17 October 2011). These are just a few types and there are many more. Some people intentionally cause animal suffering because they enjoy it, while others abuse animals through negligence (“Animal Cruelty Facts” 1). It is said that “A person can be cruel passively or inactively simply by failing to take some form of action” (“Facts about Animal Cruelty” 1)…middle of paper…ge Tethering .” ASPCA Chaining and Tethering. ASPCA, 2010. Web. 04 October 2011. http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/advocacy-center/animal-laws-about-the-issues/tethering.aspx.Lin, Doris. "What is animal cruelty? Definition of animal cruelty." Animal Rights - Articles and blogs about animal rights. 2011. Network. November 19, 2011. http://animalrights.about.com/od/animallaw/a/What-Is-Animal-Cruelty-Definition.htm"Animals in danger as cruelty cases rise" The Free Library 29 April 1998. 02 October 2011 .How to recognize animal cruelty. ASPCA 2010. September 13, 2011. http://wwww.Aspca.org/sites/CMS/Layouts/ PrintViewDisplay.aspxWhat is animal cruelty?. ND MSPCA Angell. September 13, 2011. http://www.mspca.org/programs/cruelty-prevention/animal-cruelty-information/?print=t