Every day in the United States, animals are neglected, beaten, and forced to fight for their survival. They are left in unsanitary conditions, confused as to why this torture is happening to them. Their basic needs of food and water are deprived and their owners' compassion is not shown. As just one example of the many situations that are occurring, Miami news stations reported a terrible case of animal abandonment in July of 2013. Police and rescuers found two horses 200 pounds underweight and stuck in a pen 8 x 10 feet. fence on a ranch in the area. The stall was boarded up, apparently to avoid being noticed. “It was almost like they were stuck in a coffin to die,” says local ASPCA president Jeanette Jordan. The horses had had no food or water for months, although they apparently could see a lake from the stable. “They could see the water, but they couldn't see it” (Cantor). There is a basic animal welfare law in the United States, but unfortunately abuse continues to occur and the laws need to be stricter. The first step to solving the problem is to identify the abuses that are occurring. Animal abuse can be defined as the infliction by humans of suffering or harm on non-human animals (Cruelty). The most common types are animal hoarding, abandonment, puppy mills, and horrific scientific experiments forced on animals for human gain. Animal hoarding may be considered abuse if the living conditions are bad enough to cause a health problem for the owner and owner. pets. Often the owner is unaware that he has a problem. For them, they think that their situation is perfectly normal and that living among dog and cat feces is not a problem. Broker-May says: “I think if you have…half the paper…punishments detract from the harm done to animals. These animals have no say and cannot stand up to criminals like humans do. They are innocent but are treated worse than real criminals. If what was done to animals was done to humans, the situation would be different. The only difference between animal abuse and child abuse is the consequences. While the laws may seem out of our control, there is something else we can do to stop this problem. When you see animal abuse happening, don't ignore it. Ignoring it will make the attacker realize that everything is fine and get away with it. Eventually, if enough people become as committed to animal welfare as they should be, legislators will realize that this is a growing problem and that light punishments will not be enough. The laws we have now are a start, but we can only improve from here.