Animal Neglect Angus Nurse Introduction As several chapters of this book identify, animal abuse is a varied concept incorporating multiple activities and behaviours occupying a spectrum from failure to adequately provide for a non-human companion’s dietary and behavioural needs through to actual torture of non-human animals The causes of animal abuse also vary; P`etersen and Farrington (2009, p 28) identified animal cruelty as being rooted in ideas of strain, social learning and graduation theories Particularly in respect of non-human animal harm in a domestic setting (the focus of this chapter), human behaviours and activities which constitute abuse are frequently prohibited by law and defined by specific conceptions of abuse or cruelty.1 Nurse (2013) identifies mistreatment of domestic non-human animals as occurring for many reasons and can be either active or passive Active This chapter mainly uses the terms ‘non-human animals’ and ‘non-human companions’ rather than the broader term ‘animals’ or ‘pets’; the latter term being insufficient to reflect contemporary law’s recognition of non-human companions as sentient beings with their own needs Where the term ‘animals’ is used, this reflects its use within the relevant legislation and policy discourse A Nurse (*) Middlesex University School of Law, London, United Kingdom e-mail: a.nurse@mdx.ac.uk © The Author(s) 2017 J Maher et al (eds.), The Palgrave International Handbook of Animal Abuse Studies, DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-43183-7_5 87