Animal Abuse
By: Kaylee Thompson
What is Animal Abuse
Statistics
64.5% (1,212) involved dogs
18% (337) involved cats
25% (470) involved other animals
- Reported abuse against pit bull-type dogs appears to be on the rise: in 2000–2001, pit bull-type dogs were involved in 13% of reported dog-abuse cases; in 2007, they were involved in 25% of reported dog-abuse cases.
Top 5 Types of Abuse
32% neglect or abandonment
12% hoarding
11% shooting
9% fighting
- 7% beating
Types of Animal Abuse
Animal Cruelty is broken down into two categories: active and passive.
Active cruelty is generally neglect. Examples are starvation, dehydration, parasite infestation, etc.
- Passive Cruelty is abuse with malicious intent. People who maliciously abuse animals have been linked to being a sociopath.
WHAT DOES IT DO TO THE ANIMALS ?
Most Common Victims of Animal Abuse
Horses
Livestock
Dogs
Cats
Birds
? Why People Do It ?
- Emotional & communication barriers between humans and animals
- Ignorance
- Personal gain & pleasure
- Believing abuse is justified
- Lack of empathy
- Animals suffer in silence
- They are defenseless, making an easy target
- Little or no consequences for perpetrators
- Traditions, customs or rituals
- Desire to assert power or authority
Some Facts
In the year 2007, there were around 1,880 animal abuse cases reported. Of these 1, 212 dogs were reported with some sort of animal cruelty cases. 337 cats suffered at the hands of mindless humans and over 470 other animal species were reported to have suffered from some sort of cruelty.
Steps to Reporting Animal Abuse
Step#1 Evaluate the Situation
Maybe it only looks like neglect. Look more closely at different times of day.
Maybe the food and water bowls are kept inside, away from bugs and freezing temperatures. Maybe your neighbor goes to work at 3 a.m. and feeds the dog then. Maybe there’s a dog door you can’t see.
Look for....
- No Shelter
- Collar too Tight
- Lack of Grooming
- Mange
- Starvation
Step#2 Report Animal Abuse
Don't try to rescue a pet from a potentially abusive or neglectful environment yourself. Not only is this illegal and potentially unsafe, but you haven't stopped the owner from getting another pet to abuse, or helped turn him into a caring, responsible owner.
Step#3 Understanding the Law
Understand that once you have reported potential animal abuse or neglect, the investigating officer may not be able to discuss the specifics of the case with you. But that does not mean he’s not working on it
Step#4 Help Prevent Animal Abuse
You can help prevent these cruel acts by informing others about what to do if they see such an act or by helping them to better understand how to train and care for their pets.