Writing Exemplification



Higher – Script 9

Writing Exemplification – October/November 2010

Level: Higher

Genre: Discursive

Are We Really A Nation of Animal-Lovers?

Britain would like to think so, but statistics state differently. At one end of the scale, animals are used for show and entertainment, and at the other end, some are left abandoned for the rest of their lives. Should we just accept this? I think not…

We have always been thought of as an animal loving nation, but recent facts and figures have shown that this could be debatable. Animal cruelty is happening all over Britain and in many different forms. This could range from basic neglect to people putting their kittens in a washing machine – animal cruelty is undoubtedly spanning out of control. The RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals) has unveiled a shocking catalogue of abuse against animals with a massive 79% increase in the number of cases investigated where the animal was believed to be suffering pain, injury or disease. Statistics from 2005 show that there has been an alarming rise in the number of animals not receiving basic care. The number of animals not having access to water has increased 104%. This is a basic necessity and shows that cruelty can occur in the simplest form.

Animal cruelty is not just about horrific images and brutal killings of animals, but can begin in the average British household. A well known slogan is \2a dog is not just for Christmas, it’s for life”. Many house pets live in cramped, dirty conditions and are not respected the way they should be. Unfortunately, many British citizens treat animals with brute force and hatred, instead of being loving towards them and respecting the fact that they have feelings like we do and are aware of being maltreated.

In Britain we have many pet charities and animal rescue centres – all trying to help and improve the lives of animals in our society. The RSPCA (for all of Britain) and the Scottish SPCA (for Scotland only) regularly hand out leaflets and letters regarding the amount of money given to their charities. They put the most disturbing and upsetting images on these hand outs and as they are well aware, it will make many more of us pay a higher amount of money to them each month. It’s a simple fact though, that a lot of us prefer to give to charities which help humans – for example cancer charities, rather than to pet associated charities. This means animal charities struggle to cover the costs of all the aspects of running their business. The SPCA receives no funding from the government or grants from the lottery and so public support is essential.

The SPCA publishes its own news magazine every season of the year which includes statistics and stories of animal cruelty, and fortunately in some cases, stories of improvement and joy. One of the issues which the SPCA spring 2005 magazine reports on is the issue of rearing chickens for meat. All the following information is obtained from “Compassion in World farming”. The word “broiler” refers to a chicken reared for meat. These birds grow at a much faster rate than a chicken kept in a natural environment. Over 40 billion chickens are reared worldwide for meat each year, with over 800 million produced in the UK. Due to the speed of growth, the size of the birds and the conditions which they are kept, “broilers” generally have a miserable existence. They can suffer from: lack of exercise, lack of natural light, heart defects, ascites (a disease affecting the heart and liver), chronic lameness, leg disorders, skin disorders, eye disease and heat stress. Hockburns are painful sores caused by the chickens squatting in their own excrement for long periods of time. This is a prime example of a way in which animals are maltreated in Britain.

Maybe the improvement of basic animal rights legislation and its enforcement would be a good first step for Britain to banish all aspects of animal cruelty? We, as a nation, are always hearing about human rights, so why not have as powerful rights for animals? Many of the steps that have been taken to banish animal cruelty have often begun from street protests or animal campaigners. Britain has become so obsessed with making money that animals are being forgotten about. It was reported recently that badger baiting is on the increase, as people make money by betting on what dog will kill the badger. This results in horrific injuries to the badger and the dogs involved, who do not get taken to a vet, for fear of the owner being reported to the police. This is just one example of the problems facing the RSPCA today. Many of the culprits of animal cruelty are never found out or tracked down, and therefore never get brought to justice.

Pets are not the only animals to suffer cruelty. Zoos are popular in Britain with tourists and also UK citizens. They use the animals for entertainment and show purposes. On one hand, they are a positive issue as they stop many wild animals becoming extinct, however why would an animal want to live in a very small enclosure, when it could have all the space it wants in the wild. We may just have to face up to the fact that one day many animals will become extinct, so why don’t we just let the remaining ones enjoy a life of running free in the wild where nature meant them to be. The money that goes into zoos could be put to better use and given to animal charities.

There is no simple answer to this worldwide problem. Stricter rules and regulations need to be applied. It horrifies me to think that many people can just walk away from the barbaric acts they have carried out. When people are brought to court charged with animal cruelty, perhaps everyone in this so called animal loving nation needs to crack down on the jail sentences and give these shocking people the punishment they deserve.

[996 words]

Principal sources

□ RSPCA – website and publications

□ Scottish SPCA website

□ Compassion in World Farming .uk

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download