A Nonspeciesist Approach to Animal Abuse

Dear Colleagues,

Animals are increasingly being recognized as sentient and sapient beings. Companion animals are present in many homes around the world, conservationists are working to improve the lives of wild animals, and advocates and academics alike are rallying for farm animal welfare. The concept of One Welfare challenges us to take a nonspeciesist lens, understanding that the wellbeing of species—human and nonhuman animals—is intertwined. Despite the positive relationships that humans may have with animals, abuse of animals is an unfortunate reality in the lives of many. Much of the work on animal abuse has been focused on companion animals, as these are animals who share our homes and our lives. However, such a narrow focus hides other animals who may also suffer abuse at the hands of humans, including livestock, wild, or stray animals. When we conceptualize animal abuse broadly, and understand victimization from a wide and nonspeciesist lens, we open opportunities for social change.

Despite the positive relationships that humans may have with animals, abuse of animals is an unfortunate reality in the lives of many. Much of the work on animal abuse has been focused on companion animals, as these are animals who share our homes and our lives. However, such a narrow focus hides other animals who may also suffer abuse at the hands of humans, including livestock, wild, or stray animals. When we conceptualize animal abuse broadly, and understand victimization from a wide and nonspeciesist lens, we open opportunities for social change.

This Special Issue welcomes novel theoretical or applied works that approach animal abuse from a nonspeciesist perspective. This may include works that highlight abuse against companion animals and/or understudied or often hidden animals, research which adopts a broad and inclusive conceptualization of animal abuse, or papers exploring how such harms intersect with abuse against humans.

Highlight the multiplicity of abuses that animals, regardless of species, can and do experience, with the goal of offering clear and focused ideas for stopping such abuse.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

(1)    Abuses against companion animals, and/or understudied or hidden animals;
(2)    Theoretical formulations of animal abuse as an inclusive nonspeciesist concept;
(3)    Critiques of speciesist law or policy, and/or proposals for nonspeciesist law or policy;
(4)    Evaluations of One Welfare approaches to address animal abuse.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Rochelle Stevenson
Dr. Roxanne D. Hawkins
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• animal abuse or cruelty
• animal maltreatment
• cruelty prevention/intervention
• morality
• One Welfare
• violence link
• companion animals
• farm animals
• wild animals
• witnessing animal abuse