Animal crushing refers to the actual conduct where one or more living non- human animals—such as mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians—are purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury. This cruel act involves extreme forms of animal torture and is sometimes recorded in videos known as "animal crush videos," which are created and distributed for the sexual gratification of some individuals, a phenomenon described as a "crush fetish." The term "animal crushing" is legally defined in U.S. federal law (18 USC § 48), especially under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act of 2019, which criminalizes these actions, particularly when they involve interstate commerce or occur on federally owned property. The law targets the most severe forms of animal abuse, consolidating a federal offense with penalties including imprisonment. Animal crush videos (films depicting such acts) attracted legislative attention because of their cruelty, and while the 1999 law banning their production and distribution was initially struck down by the Supreme Court for being overly broad, a refined law, the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010, specifically bans the creation, sale, and possession of crush videos featuring live animals. This practice is widely condemned by animal welfare organizations as extremely cruel and abusive. There have been convictions under these laws, highlighting the serious legal and ethical consequences of animal crushing and the associated videos. In summary, animal crushing is a form of deliberate, extremely cruel animal abuse involving crushing or otherwise seriously injuring animals, often filmed and distributed illegally, with federal laws in the U.S. established to combat and penalize such conduct and its depiction.
