Statistics indicate that approximately 6.5 million pets, such as dogs, cats and all kinds of rodents, are abused every day. Of these, about 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats and other animals. The devastating story of a pit bull named Rocky is just one example of the abuse that is happening. Rocky was a full-time outdoor dog, chained to an unreliable kennel. It was used as a burglar alarm system and never received the attention that every pet should receive. Rocky is just one of 6.5 million stories every day. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Throughout this article, I am writing about animal abuse and cruelty to pets, and I am going to prove that pitbulls are the most abused animal compared to all others. The type of people who mistreat animals often exhibit violent and abusive behavior, either towards their families or towards people in general. Hoarding behavior also victimizes and tends to neglect animals. In families, if a member of that family witnesses this act of violence towards their pet or towards other family members, it potentially makes them 3 times more likely to grow up to want to abuse animals as well. For example, Jeffrey Dahmer started out killing and torturing animals. At the age of four, he began to be fascinated by animal carcasses and bones. He began collecting the remains of road-killed animals that he found in ditches or on the side of the road, and he began saving their cut-up pieces and even masturbated with them. Just as Dahmer grew up killing animals and eventually killing people, it is also possible that another situation similar to Dahmer's could happen to another child as well. Domestic violence directed against animals can cause psychological problems for children if they are exposed to it. These psychological problems may include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other side effects it may cause. Animal torture is one of three adolescent behaviors called the homicidal triad. The homicidal triad is when you have violent tendencies as well as serial crimes. 64.5% of dogs are abused compared to all other types of pets. Not only does this abuse affect the children in the home, but especially the animal to which it is inflicted. Types of dog abuse scar them physically and mentally. Verbal and physical punishment involves shouting and hitting continuously without even blinking an eye. Physical restraint involves tying up a dog with a very tight, short rope or heavy chain. Rejecting and socially isolating a dog is when you fail to take care of a dog that needs attention/affection and prevent them from having any human contact. Neglecting and putting undue pressure on a dog beyond its capabilities and failing to care for it properly, such as grooming, feeding and attention. Terrorizing and deliberately inflicting pain and stress on a dog. Physical pain in a dog is more likely to be a short-term effect, but it causes long-term mental problems. These issues include depression, PTSD, trust issues, and anxiety. Dogs who have been beaten have mental effects related to fear and depression. They become suspicious and withdraw from people. They might become hostile and vicious towards people. THEDogs will slowly become more and more depressed and will begin to act as defeated, reclusive, quiet and not wanting to play anymore. They will become terrified of exploring their surroundings. Isolated dogs have mental effects related to abandonment and anxiety. These dogs are afraid of being left alone or become too attached to their rescuer. They suffer from severe separation anxiety or are completely terrified that people won't be able to interact with them. IATC is intentional torture and abuse of animals. It is used to coerce, control and intimidate women and/or children into remaining silent about domestic violence that may occur. Some examples of IATC may include religious ritual sacrifice, "artistic" sacrifice, psychological disorders, or sexually paraphilic disorders. For example, some religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism practice animal sacrifices. They may not be used as much these days, but people still do exactly what they think they should do, like something as bizarre as a blood ritual. 46 out of 50 states consider animal abuse a crime, while the remaining states still consider it a misdemeanor. Most animal cruelty laws only address cases of aggravated cruelty, torture, or cruelty to pets. The list of the ten most abused dogs starts with the American bulldog. These extremely adorable dogs currently number around 600 in shelters across the country because they resemble the American pit bull terrier. They are discriminated against due to their similar appearance to the pit bull, as people think they are “dangerous”. Some may become violent because they are mistreated or kept away from society without learning how to interact with people. Number 9 on the list is the Australian Cattle Dog. Their number in shelters across the country is closer to around 700. Their high energy makes them too difficult to handle and they would be sent to a shelter. Without training, they may be too energetic and need to undergo a lot of mental stimulation to keep up. There are about 1,000 beagles in shelters across the country due to their stubbornness. This breed is well known for its hunting skills, but being stubborn makes them poor hunting dogs. Bad hunting dogs tend to be abandoned by their companions or run away. When you own a beagle, they are extremely difficult to train and therefore people find it difficult to keep them. The 7th breed is a boxer because they always end up with serious cancers and health problems that make them expensive to own. There are about 1,100 in shelters awaiting adoption. They take a lot of time to keep them busy because they have a limited attention span. Boxers will become destructive very quickly if not properly taken care of. There are nearly 1,150 dachshunds in shelters. The reason is that they are very stubborn and can be quite difficult to train them. Most families who own them have to get rid of them because they have children and this breed is not very toddler friendly and can become aggressive. This is another breed that can also be expensive to own due to their long spines which could potentially cause many problems. The 5th breed on the list is the American Staffordshire Terrier and they have around 1,150 dogs in shelters. Just like the bulldog, they are discriminated against because people think they are related to the pit bull. The main reason they may be placed in a shelter is because they..