Mewla here.
Animals cannot speak for themselves. When animals are abused, the cruelty can go on for years. It’s up to humans to step up and report suspected abuse to the authorities. Luckily, in most countries, there are organizations to help.
In the USA, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) offers several ways that people can help animals during April, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month! [1]
Read on for some tips about how you can become more aware of and help prevent animal abuse and neglect.
If you suspect animal abuse, you may have an opportunity to prevent an animal’s suffering. Please don’t ignore the situation and assume that someone else will help the animal. Animal cruelty is illegal in every US state and is a felony in almost all states.
Here are some signs that an animal(s) is being abused [2]:
- Constantly dirty and/or matted fur
- Open sores or wounds
- Infested with fleas and/or ticks
- Congested eyes or ears
- Underweight to the extent that you can see the outline of bones
- Limping or unable to walk
- Shows physical or emotional distress
- Locked up with little room to move, stand or turn.
- Abandoned in a yard, house, or other building and left to starve
- A collar or chain that is too tight for comfort
- An animal whose behavior is very aggressive or overly fearful (signs of the latter include cowering, trembling, hiding, and/or fear-biting)
Check the environment for signs of abuse [2]:
- Lacking food or water
- Unsanitary living conditions
- Lack of shelter to protect them from cold, heat, and/or rain
- Too many animals in one home or location
- Signs of fight training – scars, open or infected wounds, missing ears or tails, and “training tools” such as treadmills or spring poles (the latter of which are used to train dogs to attack)
QUICK STEPS TO TAKE to help an animal in need [2,3]:
- If you suspect cruelty or neglect, report all the signs of abuse (see above) that you have observed to animal control. You do not have to personally witness someone abusing an animal.
- Take detailed notes as soon as possible. Write down what you have observed, the time, the date, location.
- If there are any witnesses, try to get their contact information.
- If possible, document with video or photos.
- Report the abuse as soon as you are able. The more time that passes, the greater the risk that specifics will be forgotten, witnesses will move, or evidence may be hidden. If the animal is in a life-threatening situation, report the abuse immediately.
- Follow up with the agency in a few days to determine their findings and course of action. The agency may be overworked and checking in will make sure the animal’s case doesn’t get lost.
WHICH ORGANIZATIONS CAN STOP ANIMAL ABUSE?
Animal cruelty can also go unreported because of a lack of understanding about which agency should be notified.
Find Out Who To Contact [2,3]:
- Check the web or call around to find out what organization is responsible for cruelty investigations in your community. It may be a:
- local humane society or SPCA [Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals],
- a local animal control office, or
- the police or sheriff’s department.
2. Keep the contact information handy.
3. You can also get guidance from the Humane Society of the United States at https://www.humanesociety.org/webforms/contact-animal-rescue-team
It’s up to us to help end animal abuse. And if you make a report of alleged animal cruelty in the US, the responding agency is required to investigate.
Spread the word!
Thank you, and please leave any comments below.
😿😽🐈
Find different ways that you can help end animal cruelty at https://www.aspca.org/investigations-rescue
Care to help stop abuse financially? If so, you can help support animals here: Donate to the Humane Society of the United States
References/Great resources for further reading:
Another great article!
Thank you Mewla for this great article. Animals should be kept safe from abuse and neglectful people. No animal deserves to be harmed and anyone who knowingly harms an animal is among the lowest of humans. thank you for the instructions on what to do. Lori
Glad you liked the story, Lori.
Thank you for posting this article. I wish that all animals would be kept safe from abuse but we know that there are some humans who are greedy and cannot feel the pain of another being. No animal should ever have to suffer from abuse by supposedly more intelligent humans. But since they do, those of us who can feel their pain must look out for them and speak up when they need us.
Thank you for your comment, Catster6.
this is very important information ALL animals should be kept safe from all kinds of abuse
and neglect animals are gifts from God to be loved and pampered and cherished not to be
harmed and starved and neglected Abuse is horrible no animal should ever have to go through
it God Bless them All and again thanks for this information its important !! hugs blessings the cats and me x o
So glad you liked the story our friend!
Thanks for this important article!
Thanks for letting us know you liked the story, DR!