Abolition and harm to animals

By G. Ryan

Why is this important?

Animals are sentient beings and causing harm to animals causes suffering. Many people are motivated by seeing harm to animals, in some cases more so than when they see harm occurring to humans. It is important therefore as Abolitionists that we can address this harm in society.

Whilst many people ask abolitionists 'what about the murderers?' In reality, the bulk of 'crimes' prosecuted in the UK are lower-level offences. Things such as traffic violations, drug possession or animal abuse. Abolition has to contend with all criminalised harms and look to find ways to abolish the penal system in all of its forms.

Animal abuse itself is a very misrepresented and misunderstood form of harm. Media content which aims to shame and frequently propagate mistruths about these behaviours means that those who do hurt animals are readily dehumanised and criminalised. Common tropes which push this narrative include the shaming of ‘cat hoarders’ on TV or the belief that 'all serial killers first abuse animals.'

Carceral responses

Animal cruelty often invites a number of carceral and punitive responses.

Organizations such as the RSPCA work closely with the police, can assemble cases for prosecution and have a legal team who are able to bring private cases to court. The RSPCA’s website states that in 2019 the organisation was responsible for 1,432 convictions relating to ‘animal welfare offences.’

Reporting animal harm to the police or your local council is also encouraged by the state. Doing so however puts animals and people (especially disabled, queer, working class, Black, Brown, Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and other POC) at risk of harm, criminalisation and losing animals they may depend upon. Calling the police can also increase the risk that such communities will have animals used against them. Over 150 people a year are attacked by police dogs in England and Wales. This figure only accounts for those ‘mistakenly’ attacked, the number of those targeted purposefully is much higher. Due to the racist nature of policing, accounts of racially motivated police dog attacks point to the racist use of this form of violence and those who defend themselves against police animal attacks also face intensified criminalisation as a result of Finn’s Law (established in 2019 to prevent people from using self defence as a legal defence in court if they have hurt a police animal).

Putting it into perspective

Animal farming industries prioritise profit over animal welfare. Many people who report animal harm have not considered their part in the mass harm that these industries cause to animals. Animal farming is often (similar to prisons, psychiatric facilities and immigration detention centres) very careful to conceal its practices and keep them away from the public eye. This can lead people to forget or remain unaware of the harm that corporations and businesses cause. Laws against animal cruelty often target individual and low level harm and in the farming industry, the justice system commonly criminalises individual farm workers as opposed to the companies they work for - despite the awful conditions the companies place both animals and workers in.

It’s also important to remember that under capitalism, people's needs are not met and this can lead people to engage in harm-causing behavior. The hoarding of animals for example, can lead to a number of punitive actions such as eviction and prosecution, despite many recognising this as an issue that requires support for the individual involved. As of June 2021, under the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act maximum prison sentences increased to 5 years for animal cruelty offences and the Animal (Penalty Notices) Act passed recently, allows fixed penalty notices (on the spot fines) of up to £5,000. Unsurprisingly, putting people in cages and exposing them to the cruelty of the state does not address the issue of animal cruelty. Remedying the problems of capitalism through addressing people's physical and emotional needs for financial security, housing and education, can and does change the way we interact with animals.

How do we feel?

As abolitionists it is vital that we can sit with, and respond to, the feelings that certain forms of harm can provoke. For lots of people animal abuse can elicit a deeply visceral response. Our job as abolitionists is not to ignore these feelings but to acknowledge and understand them in the context of wider systemic influences and harm. Empathy is an invaluable part of the human experience and its existence is essential for abolition to occur. These feelings motivate us to reach out and make change and are often the means by which many people become abolitionist in their thinking. Embracing the empathy that people feel for animals gives us hope that this can be channeled into an understanding of the larger systems at play upon those who harm them.

Alternative ways of being/ What can you do?

• Call in the people involved rather than casting them out. Is there anything you and your community can do to support someone who is neglecting or harming animals? Is there a way to facilitate community accountability in this instance?

• Mutual aid groups can provide money and goods to those who may not have the means to care for their animals. Members of the local community may be able to call in on people who need social or emotional support.

• Take action towards systemic change. Join an abolitionist activist group challenging harmful practices towards humans and animals under capitalism.

This is not an exhaustive list and the creativity that abolition encourages means that people are caring for others (including animals and those who harm them) in an endless number of ways already, in their everyday lives.