Although it appears an evil law from the viewpoint of the offender, there was still a persevering custom from the Civil War Period of "Achieving promotion (monetary gain) by killing others", as well as a tendency to leave sick people, oxen and horses in fields and on mountains and of driving sick travellers out of inns.
生類憐みの令を処罰された側から見ると悪法に見えるが、例えば、当時、まだ戦国時代(日本)の「人を殺して出世する（賃金を得る）」がごとき風習が未だ根強く、病人や牛馬などを山野に捨てる風習や、宿で旅人が病気になると追い出されるなどの悪習があった。