什麼是虐待動物

指故意地或任性地對動物施加痛苦、折磨或使其致死，或者有意地或惡意地將動物棄置不顧。世界上第一項關於家養動物的反虐待法律或許已包括在1641年麻薩諸塞灣殖民地的法典中；1822年英國通過了類似的立法。世界上第一個動物福利協會，即保護動物協會，於1824年在英格蘭成立，1866年成立美國預防虐待動物協會。在世界上大多數國家裏，不同程度的虐待動物都是非法的，20世紀末葉，人們對瀕臨滅絕物種的關心進一步推動了反虐待運動。通過了許多法律反映了這種關心，儘管很少執行，除非有公衆的壓力。運動爭取通過的法令從虐待飼養的動物到鬥牛（bullfighting）和活體動物解剖（vivisection）。工廠化飼養則牽扯到各種明顯殘酷的例子，但多數現仍未受法律的監督。亦請參閱animal rights。

animals, cruelty to

Willful or wanton infliction of pain, suffering, or death upon an animal or the intentional or malicious neglect of an animal. Perhaps the world's first anticruelty law, which addressed the treatment of domesticated animals, was included in the legal code of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1641); similar legislation was passed in Britain in 1822. The world's first animal welfare society, the Society for the Protection of Animals, was established in England in 1824; the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was chartered in 1866. In varying degrees, cruelty to animals is illegal in most countries, and interest in endangered species gave further impetus to the anticruelty movement in the late 20th century. Reflecting such interest, many laws have been passed, though they are seldom enforced unless public pressure is brought to bear. Acts targeted by the movement have ranged from the mistreatment of domesticated animals to bullfighting and vivisection. Factory farming, which involves various evidently cruel practices, has remained largely exempt from legal scrutiny. See also animal rights.