April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. It’s a reminder to people to speak out for animals who they feel may be abused or neglected.

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month.  It’s a reminder to people to speak out for animals who they feel may be abused or neglected.  
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It is incredibly hard for most pet parents to understand why people would intentionally hurt their own pets, however this is the sad truth for hundreds of thousands of animals. Although conditions for companion animals have greatly improved over the last few decades, especially in Western societies, there are still many people who view pets the old-fashioned way: as property. These individuals typically don’t recognize pets as sentient beings capable of having emotions, only as objects they have the right to do with as they wish. And, sadly, sometimes that includes acts of cruelty.

Animal cruelty laws can vary from state to state (all 50 states have them, some are stronger than others), and every city or county has different ordinances that spell out what constitutes illegal treatment of an animal. It’s important to understand what is or isn’t considered prosecutable animal cruelty in your community.

The Most Common Types of Animal Abuse

• Neglect / Abandonment
• Shooting
• Hoarding (When too many animals are kept in unsanitary conditions)
• Beating
• Organized Fighting

Signs of Animal Abuse

• Animals left outside in extreme weather with no shelter
• Poor living conditions, including filth and dangerous objects near the animal
• Lack of food and water
• Emaciated animals
• Too many animals living on one property or animal hoarding
• Untreated injuries or illnesses
• Acts of violence against animals

Who Abuses Animals

Cruelty and neglect cross all social and economic boundaries and media reports suggest that animal abuse is common in both rural and urban areas.

• Intentional cruelty to animals is strongly correlated with other crimes, including violence against people.
• Hoarding behavior often victimizes animals. Sufferers of a hoarding disorder may impose severe neglect on animals by housing far more than they are able to adequately take care of.
• Studies suggest that those who intentionally abuse animals are predominantly men under 30, while those involved in animal hoarding are more likely to be women over 60.

Correlation with Domestic Violence

Data on domestic violence and child abuse cases reveal that a staggering number of animals are targeted by those who abuse their children or spouses:

• There are approximately 70 million pet dogs and 74.1 million pet cats in the United States, where 20 men and women are assaulted per minute (an average of around 10 million a year).
• In one survey, 71 percent of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted pets.
• In one study of families under investigation for suspected child abuse, researchers found that pet abuse had occurred in 88 percent of the families under supervision for physical abuse of their children.

What Can You Do?

Learn to recognize animal cruelty. Some signs and symptoms to be aware of:  

• Tick or flea infestations.
• Wounds on the body.
• Extremely thin, starving animals.
• Excessive limping.
• An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal.
• Pets who are repeatedly left alone without food and water.
• Dogs left chained up in a yard, no matter the weather.
• Pets who are kept outside without shelter in extreme weather conditions.
• Dogs left in hot cars.
• Pets who are showing any of the signs listed above-and have not been taken to a veterinarian.
• Animals who cower in fear or act aggressively when approached by their owners.

Report animal abuse if you see it.  If you witness someone abusing an animal, whether they are physically abusing the animal or neglecting the animal in some way, report it to local animal control. The animal control officers will keep your name confidential.

Know your state's animal cruelty laws. All 50 United States have animal cruelty laws, though they differ from state to state. To see a state-by-state listing of animal cruelty laws, click here:http://www.straypetadvocacy.org/PDF/AnimalCrueltyLaws.pdf
 
Understand the link between animal cruelty and domestic abuse. If you suspect animal abuse in a home, your phone call could open the door to more help for the family. Animal control officers are aware of the link and if they feel there is other abuse in the home will report it to social services — and vice versa.
 
Teach children to respect animals. Children learn how to treat animals from the adults in their lives. You can help children understand that animals are living creatures who have the ability to feel pain, joy and sadness.
 
Volunteer to foster animals. One of the best ways to help animals is to become a foster family. Foster families provide temporary homes for pets that are abused, injured or sick and who need some time to recover.
 
Set a good example for others. If you have pets, be sure to always show them the love and good care that they deserve. But it's more than just food, water, and adequate shelter. If you think your animal is sick, bring him to the veterinarian. Keep your pets clean and groomed.