Animal abuse/cruelty ranges from extreme cases, including dog fighting, to other forms of mistreatment that may seem cruel to you, but are not quite so obvious. Many incidents go unreported either because people are not sure about what constitutes animal abuse/cruelty or because they are not sure how to report it. This article is intended to help you identify animal abuse/cruelty, list the information you need to have when you make a report, and determine who you should call to report such behavior. Remember, animals can't speak for themselves.
Animal Abuse
Information provided in these articles is intended to provide some guidance for you and your pet. Not all animals behave (or respond) in the same manner. Should you have questions or concerns about anything you see here, please consult your veterinarian. While we work with vets on a regular basis, we are not veterinarians. We feel the articles here provide useful but general guidelines and suggestions for working with your pet. Please note, some articles may be disturbing to young children. Please preview articles to make sure they are appropriate for your child.
While many companies conduct testing on animals in developing products for use by humans, more and more companies DO NOT. It's easy to purchase safe, effective products that are manufactured without harming laboratory animals. The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics’ Leaping Bunny Program has established high standards for products labelled cruelty free, and many of these products are available at supermarkets,shopping malls and drug stores everywhere. Easy-to-find cruelty free products for home and personal care include those made by:
If you have found the Georgia SPCA website, you obviously love animals, and you may be interested in learning more about the controversial use of animals in product testing and medical experimentation.
In the US alone, more than 10 billion animals are slaughtered for human consumption each year -- that's about 1,000,000 animals each hour. Most are raised on factory farms, where they are kept confined, often in enclosures barely larger than they are, so they get no exercise. In fact, they cannot even turn around. Just think that fact through, and you begin to see some of the horrors associated with factory farm practices. Add to that the often inhumane way in which the animals are killed, and it may be enough to make you re-think the practice of eating meat.
Animal cruelty encompasses a range of behaviors harmful to animals, from neglect to malicious killing. Most cruelty investigated by humane officers is unintentional neglect that can be resolved through education.
Intentional cruelty can run the gamut from knowingly depriving an animal of food, water, shelter, socialization, or veterinary care to maliciously torturing, maiming, mutilating, or killing an animal.
Why is it a concern?
The declawing of cats is still routinely performed in this country, even though it is illegal or considered inhumane in many other countries around the world. Most people decide to have their cats declawed as a matter of convenience to protect their furniture from cat scratching or to guard against injury to themselves and family members.
How Did It All Start
The breeding of dogs began as a cash crop for strapped Midwest farmers. Following widespread crop failures in the late 1940s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began promoting a new crop for farmers to raise—puppies. Unlike farming to produce food, raising puppies was less labor intensive and not vulnerable to the vagaries of Mother Nature. Farmers already had out buildings on their properties so converting chicken coops and rabbit hutches to puppy cages entailed little time and expense on their part.
Because animals cannot speak for themselves, it's up to YOU to speak for them and report animal abuse that you witness or suspect.
If you want to help animals in your community, familiarize yourself with your state's laws, recognize the signs of abuse and be willing to report it.
How to report animal cruelty
Animal cruelty is illegal in every state (and a felony in 46). If you make a report of alleged animal cruelty, the responding agency is required to investigate.
Typically, an Organized Dogfight is a contest in which two dogs, bred and trained to fight by “dog men”, is placed in a pit (an area enclosed by plywood or straw bales) for the purpose of attacking and mauling each other to earn money for their owners and “entertain” spectators. An organized dogfight averages an hour in length and often lasts more than two hours. These dogfights end when one of the dogs is no longer able or willing to continue.