Animal Cruelty: Facts, Prevention, Statistics and Action

Photos

pit bull, bsl and peta.

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Animal cruelty is one of the sickest and soulless crimes in America, and also the most preventable. 

People engage in animal abuse in every city around the world, for several reasons. Animal abusers can come in all walks of life, and sometimes the abuse isn't as noticeable as pet owners who beat their pets. The most common pets in an American household are cats and dogs. 

What to Look for in Animal Abuse and Cruelty in Cats and Dogs:

• Malnutrition
• Hair Loss
• Unexplained injuries, health problems or permanent disabilities
• Being left in extreme heat for more than 15 minutes
• Animal Hoarding
• Engaging in dog or cock fighting or attending the "games"
• Shock collar, electric fences and prong collar training

Animal Cruelty Statistics

• Each year, 10,000 bull dogs die in bullfighting.
• Women in abusive relationships often don't leave their abuser because they worry what will happen to their pet if they leave.
• 13% of animal abuse involves domestic violence.
• 70% of animal abusers also have records of other crimes.
• 3 to 4 million cats and dogs (young, healthy and adoptable) are euthanized every year in shelters. 
• Animals that aren't euthanized are often sent to no-kill shelters where the animals are caged for days, weeks, months or years and the animals risk becoming insane and dying of loneliness.
• Millions of day-old male chicks are killed in a high capacity macerator because they are worthless to the egg industry.
• In the United States alone, 1.13 million animals are used in testing and research every year.
• More than 15 million warm blooded animals are used in research world wide.
• Scientists estimate that 100 species of animals go extinct every day.

Ways to Prevent Animal Cruelty

• Know who to contact in your area if you suspect animal abuse. You can call your local police department for the information.
• Teach your kids and other children how to treat animals and to respect them as living creatures like ourselves.
• Support the local shelter or society and get to know the work they are involved in. 
• Take care of the animals you have. If you don't want kittens or puppies, spay or neuter your animals or don't let them around other animals while they are outside.
• Donate to local shelters, pet abuse organizations or the ASPCA.

Animal abuse is a people problem. Cruelty to animals can be prevented by all costs. Educate people you see abusing their animals and always, always report suspicious activity to your local law enforcement or animal control. 

An abused animal can turn on a human in an instant, so children and innocent bystanders can be attacked by an animal if it feels threatened. When abused, animals are not the only ones in danger. 

As C.S. Lewis once said, "If we cut up beasts simply because they cannot prevent us and because we are backing our own side in the struggle for existence, it is only logical to cut up imbeciles, criminals, enemies, or capitalists for the same reasons."

Maybe an eye for an eye should be implemented on animal abusers.

Videos

Sarah McLachlan Animal Cruelty Video

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sourced by Emily Sutherlin