When does killing an animal constitute murder?

Crash's nonchalance about torturing dogs is an extreme outlier in U.S. attitudes.In most states in the U.S. (possibly all), one would be prosecuted, fined and jailed for torturing an animal.One would also become a social outcast, commonly regarded (accurately, imho) as either a sociopath in full or in the making.If I knew my neighbor was torturing an animal, I would interfere by any means necessary--his act reduces his moral worth far below that of the animal he abuses.Anyone who kills, skins and eats one of my cats should put his affairs in order. Edited by Omnivorous, : No reason given.

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Dost thou prate, rogue?
-Cassio

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Real things always push back.
-William James

Sorry I'm late. I disagree, based on the evidence of my own sensibility and that of others I know personally.I consider the killing of great apes, corvids, cetaceans and elephants--for reasons other than self-defense--murder. I suspect I would include other animals in that group if the intelligence and self-awareness of all species were fully defined.I do what I can with financial support, public demonstrations, and political organization and expression to stop the murder of these species. Our devastation of their populations is a holocaust.I consider the moral worth of humans guilty of the murder of sentient creatures to be less than their victims. Under the right circumstances, I would defend these species with direct action; I would consider any harm to the murderer justifiable. Had I the means, I would sink Japanese whaling boats rather than stand by and watch that obscenity--as Bruce Cockburn sings about death squads in Guatemala, "If I had a rocket launcher...I would not hesitate."

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I know there's a balance, I see it when I swing past.
-J. Mellencamp

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Real things always push back.
-William James