Animal abuse can have a significant and devastating impact on both the animals involved and the people who witness or are involved in the abuse. Here are some ways in which people can be concretely affected by animal abuse:

1. Emotional distress: People who witness or are involved in animal abuse can experience emotional distress, including feelings of anger, sadness, and helplessness. They may also experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

2. Physical harm: Animal abuse can also result in physical harm to people, particularly if they try to intervene or rescue the animals. For example, people who try to rescue animals from abusive situations may be bitten, scratched, or otherwise injured by the animals or the abusers.

3. Economic costs: Animal abuse can also have economic costs, as it can result in medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. For example, if a dog is left in a hot car and breaks a car window in an attempt to escape, the owner may be responsible for repairing the window.

4. Community safety: Animal abuse can also be an indicator of other forms of violence or criminal activity. For example, people who abuse animals are more likely to engage in domestic violence or child abuse. As such, addressing animal abuse can be an important step in improving overall community safety.

5. Moral distress: For some people, witnessing animal abuse can create moral distress, which occurs when a person's values or ethical principles are violated. This can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, or cognitive dissonance.

Overall, animal abuse can have a wide range of negative effects on people, including emotional distress, physical harm, economic costs, community safety concerns, and moral distress.

If things stay the same regarding animal abuse, it would mean that animals will continue to suffer from abuse, neglect, and cruelty, with little or no consequences for their abusers. This could result in continued high rates of animal homelessness, illness, injury, and death, as well as continued negative impacts on the people who witness or are involved in animal abuse. Additionally, a lack of action on animal abuse could lead to further normalization of such behavior and a desensitization to the suffering of animals.

Now is the time to act on animal abuse because of the increased public awareness, advancements in technology and communication, stronger laws and enforcement, connection between animal abuse and other forms of violence, and impact on global health. By taking action now, we can work towards a more compassionate and just society for all animals and humans alike.