Why is animal cruelty more unethical than animal murder?

Empathy. Many (but not all) people believe that there are things worse than death, and that suffering is one of them. The same idea underlies suicide and euthanasia, both of which are accepted by some but not all. Animals are inferior to humans, in this view, but not inanimate. They may be subject to death, but not torture. read more

The definition of what constitutes suffering is broader for animals more similar to humans. This is not a recent change, in civilization terms. The Biblical rules for the kosher slaughter of an animal call for it to be killed in the most painless way available at the time. read more