By Sierra Coy
Reporter
Every year more and more animals get abused and neglected with approximately 19 animals dying daily from abuse alone in the United States. The only federal law we have is how the research, exhibition, the transportation of animals and how dealers handle the animals are regulated by the Animal Welfare Act, signed in 1966. America should add an animal rights amendment to the constitution in order to deter animal 
neglectors and abusers.
Animals may not be human or able to talk, but they can feel emotions and pain just like a human being, and they cannot defend themselves. As humans we know what pain is, how it feels to want a basic need met, so we should be the ones protecting, them not hurting them.
“The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) estimates that nearly 1 million animals are abused or killed in connection with domestic violence,” according to Humansociety.org. It is also a fact that the abuser usually has committed a previous crime, and is very likely for them to commit future crimes. Not only would the current and future animals be protected, but society in general could get a bad person off the streets.
Most of the laws we have are not severe enough to keep people from doing these acts. They usually are fined and or imprisoned for five years or less.
America may have regulations on a lot of things dealing with animals, but most of them are very old, and the punishments are not harsh enough to make a person reconsider their actions.
There are also advocacy groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), but these groups mostly focus on rescuing animals that are already abused or neglected, instead of the prevention.
The fear of harsher punishments is one of the only things that will prevent any future offenses against animals.
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