"Animal" Cruelty?

Well, I rode the elevator with a woman that had her child hooked to a leash. Yes, I said leash. I had never seen this before and stood and stared for the longest time. I wondered if the mother saw her child as nothing more than an animal or if she was just too lazy to watch him. In the end, I was thankful that the leash was fitted around the little boys waist instead of his neck. But upon more thought, I realized it really didnt matter, cause he was still on a leash. *sigh*