Religion as a Defense in Animal Abuse

Violent crimes against animals continue to be a significant concern in our communities. With animal shelters and animal rescue locations overcrowded with animals that need a home, there is a growing push to place tougher penalties against those who commit violent acts against animals.

With dogs and cats as the most common victims of animal abuse, animal rescue and animal shelter organizations find these are the primary animals involved in their care. In an effort to reduce the numbers of animals subjected to violent crime, these organizations are developing public campaigns to provide information and promote awareness about animal abuse. The target audience, of which, is the male population under age 30; the population most often responsible for this type of criminal activity.

One area of concern in these animal rights and animal welfare programs is the issues with overcoming religious views in terms of animal care. Because there are many religions that once used animals as sacrificial objects, there are some men who view the abuse and mistreatment of dogs and cats as a right or necessity based on religious viewpoints.

In fact, when presented with criminal cases of animal abuse, many public defenders find their clients do, in fact, attribute their inhumane treatment of animals to some underlying belief in religion. When defending criminal charges, therefore, it is not uncommon to find the defendant utilizing religion as an underlying tool for their actions and as a defense in a court of law. Finding some degree of difficulty in managing these cases, the facts of the abuse and the circumstances of the abusive activity often reveal an actual religious event was not taking place at the time the crime was committed. However, this does not prohibit the defendant from using religious beliefs as a defense in an animal abuse case.