GP Research Summary

Okay, so I'm starting the official "essay", or research summary, after making some notes on my findings.
In relation to the questions I originally posed, I found that:
Animal Cruelty is still prevalent in Bali, for example the mistreatment of Bali Dogs. In the fight against rabies, the Bali government killed off 20,000 dogs, even though many of these dogs had been recently vaccinated. Also on the street, you can see many abandoned dogs, and sometimes you can see dogs that have been chained in the sun, or put in tiny cages with no padding, left out in the heat. Regularly on the way to school I see sights like this one, and occasionally you can see a dog being kicked or teased. Also in Bali, and in many places over the world, cockfighting is seen as a sport. Often, blades are attached to the chicken's feet, and the roosters fight to the death. I am aware that the feelings towards Bali dogs, and how cockfighting is seen as a sport in Bali may be cultural and historic, but all the same, in other parts of the world this is and can be seen as animal cruelty.
All over the world, animals are being mistreated. Online there are articles covering all sorts of news. There was a report of a cat who died after being glued to a highway, and how circus elephants are being beaten, and cut up. Animal testing goes on in labs, where monkeys get large tubes shoved into their stomachs and pumped with drugs, and rabbits get acidic shampoo lathered into their eyes. Bears are caged for bile farming, and dogs and cats are slaughtered in China for their meat.
This also ties into the food industry, where large meat manufacturers and sellers like McDonald's keep thousands of animals in a small, dank and dirty space, and feed them growth hormones and corn, leading them to get sick and weak. Shackles are put on chickens, often breaking or tearing off their legs, and pigs are shoved into slaughter pits. Cows bodies develop too fast because of the growth hormone, and their muscles cant keep up, leaving them unable to stand, and having to lie on a floor covered in their own excrement. Chickens are put into scalding hot water after being killed, to remove feathers, but some chickens are forgotten and put into the boiling water alive, leaving them to suffer and eventually burn to death.
All of these things are hidden from newspapers and television, unaware to the public. Companies continue to uphold large market shares and a good image, regardless of what goes on behind the scenes, because people don't know what is going on, or choose to ignore it.
I would define animal cruelty as acts of mistreatment towards animals, that causes them pain or suffering. Others I asked, like Pak Joel defined it as "the torture of animals, or preventing them from behaving as it is in their nature to behave". Like taking a dog's vocal chords out so it doesn't bother the neighbors, or chaining a dog on a short leash in the garden.
The dictionary definition of animal cruelty, according to Wikipedia is "Cruelty to animals is the infliction of suffering or harm upon animals".
People's view on animal cruelty may be different depending on cultural background, and where they've been brought up. I know we have two girls in our class of a Balinese background, and they both dislike dogs. I asked one of the girls why, and she tried to explain. She said they were dirty, and she didn't like how they chased people and barked. She was afraid of them. I asked more questions, but in the end she didn't really know why she disliked them, she had just been brought up that way. According to an article I found on the internet, "Balinese folklore has it that the first Balinese dogs arrived with a Chinese princess who resided at Kintamani in the island’s central highlands. Today the ‘Kintamani’ is considered the purest and most intelligent breed of Balinese dog, and is distinguished by its black tongue, a characteristic shared with the ancient Chinese Chow Chow.

Most of the island’s roaming canines are mongrels, however, thought by many to be related to Australia’s wild dingo. They wander with total impunity into establishments like bars and restaurants, where they are largely ignored by the local Balinese. The tolerance shown by islanders toward these ubiquitous animals is based on the Hindu belief of non-violence to living things, and their belief in reincarnation. It is widely believed that these dogs harbour the souls of former thieves, bound to the animal kingdom in this life for their actions in the past life. They are therefore accepted as part and parcel of Balinese society, and are thought to scare off the ‘other’ demons which are believed to haunt the island." This is interesting, because although it talks about the belief in non-violence towards the dogs, I have seen dogs beaten, or purposely run over. Perhaps this is because of a younger generation, or old morals lost because of western influence?

I know that in western culture, most people Neuter or “Fix” their pets. Could this be a form of animal cruelty? It isn’t without pain to the animal, but in the end isn’t it for the animal’s own good? Also in some countries, people dock their dog’s and cat’s tails. This was used historically for hunting dogs, because their tails would often get caught or cut by bushes and get caught in burrs, so hunter’s docked their tails to prevent this. Nowadays, if domesticated pets’ tails are docked, is that animal cruelty? Animal cruelty could largely be defined by intention. It may only be cruelty, if the pain is intentionally caused. In my opinion, if the intention is not to cause pain, but instead to benefit the animal, then it is not animal cruelty. I do however see tail docking as unnecessary.
So in the end, what is animal cruelty? Is it feeding animals the wrong foods? Is it beating them? Docking their tails? Neutering them? Causing unnecessary harm or suffering? In my opinion, animal cruelty is ....
To Be Continued