Dear President,

I am an 8th grade student who is concerned about an issue in our nation. I find it sickening that people use animals however they please because animals can't speak. I wonder about the animals that are abandoned or living an abused life, and I can’t even imagine what they’re thinking. Animals that are being abused don’t always comprehend why everything is happening, and all they ask for is love. But still, they are forced to fight, forced to race, to breed, and then left out to die. Enforcing a new law against such actions can prevent further harm of these animals.

Luckily, the majority of animal abusers actually don’t do it on purpose, making the problem easier to stop. When owners have more pets than they can afford to care for, then they may accidentally neglect the animals causing them to suffer and even die. Most of the victims from animal abuse die from starvation, dehydration, illness, and suffocation. The ASPCA which stand for The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals states, “It has been estimated that there are 900 to 2,000 new cases of animal hoarding every year in the United States, with a quarter of a million animals falling victim”. If people were required to get a background check before adoption or purchase, thousands of animals would be spared from harm.

Still there are those who purposely harm and force animals to fight or entertain. Elephants for example are shown off in zoos and circuses, but at what cost?  In zoos, elephants do not get nearly that much exercise because the are stuck in small spaces where they can only walk back and forth in the same area. Elephants are only one of the many types of animals being treated this way, unnecessarily.Some may say that animals are safer in zoos and shelters, but it’s really not true. Most zoos can’t provide enough room and meet animals' needs. 

Even in shelters animals are not safe. Usually on the 3rd day of an animal's stay, they are killed to make room for other animals only to meet the same fate.

I am looking for a president that will protect animals from such harm and improve on the rules and regulations of owning and caring for pets.

Congratulations on the election - Alexis P.