Imagine walking down a street, then hearing numerous puppies crying in a backyard. You decide to go check it out, only to see there are a minimum of 10 puppies crammed in cages, all with messy fur and abnormalities like swollen eyes, missing paws, and other abuses that only get worse. This is a reality for too many animals. One of the worst things that people don't like to think about is animal abuse. An innocent puppy, kitty, or other lovable pet that is wrongly abused is a hard thing for anyone to think about. But we have to. These animals need our help, because they have no voices to cry out for help. They need people to speak for them. We have to be the voices for the voiceless.

To start the end of animal abuse, the way the FBI handles the cases have been changed. The FBI has decided to handle animal abuse cases the same way they handle homicide cases. The FBI defines cruelty to animals as: “Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly taking an action that mistreats or kills any animal without just cause, such as torturing, tormenting, mutilation, maiming, poisoning, or abandonment.” There will be four categories of crimes: simple or gross neglect, intentional abuse and torture, organized abuse — like dog fighting and cock fighting — and animal sexual abuse.

“These are creatures that suffer and we know their capacity to suffer,” said Mary Lou Randour, now the senior adviser for animal cruelty programs and training at the nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute. “In most societies it’s recognized that creatures that are dependent on others, whether the elderly or children or animals, need to be protected.”

Having animal abuse cases taken as seriously as homicide cases is a huge step in the right direction to help end animal abuse. Animals are people's best friends and we both need each other equally. Animals rely on us to care for them, not to let them get abused daily. Changing the way that animal abuse cases are handled outlines how seriously people are taking animal abuse and how people want to put an end to the cruelty.

Animals are man's best friend, and it's time that we help stop any and all crimes that are being committed against our lovable sidekicks. Animals are finally getting the treatment and the justice they deserve. No animal deserves to be abused. Animal abuse is a national cruelty that is finally being taken as seriously as it should be.