Animal Cruelty Resources and Prevention (Intern Edition).

• Author: Wright, Sena

Pets are staple family members of American households. Although the majority of American families own domesticated animals, the issue of animal cruelty and abuse is underwhelmingly discussed. In an attempt to shine a much-needed light on this matter, animal protection organizations have deemed April to be Animal Cruelty and Abuse Awareness Month. With that said, witnessing an incident of animal abuse is a shocking and disturbing event. Whether or not to intervene, who to call, possible solutions, and involving oneself in future policies are valid concerns as a witness of such cruelty. By educating others and spreading awareness about the disturbing issue of animal abuse, social knowledge about this issue can be brought to the forefront and used as best practices in reacting to these daunting situations.

WHAT DETERMINES ANIMAL CRUELTY AND ABUSE?

Understanding the definition of animal cruelty or abuse may seem confusing. According to the American Society for the Prevention of the Cruelty of Animals (ASPCA),"A finding of animal cruelty is ultimately a legal determination and depends on the laws where you live. However, animal cruelty generally falls into two types of categories: intentional acts ofharm inflicted upon an animal, and act of neglect, such as failing to provide an animal with necessary food, water, shelter, or veterinary care." (1) Physical violence is straightforward when determining animal abuse but establishing where neglect falls is oftentimes more complex. Subtle signs of abuse include odd behaviors when the animal is approached such as whining, crying, or attacking, exceedingly submissive behavior defined as lack of eye contact, flinching, or lowered ears, and harm seen on the animal similar to fractures, hair loss, or limping. (2) Additionally, environmental signs are also an indicator of possible animal abuse occurring. Examples include an animal held in a confined space or outdoors without sufficient resources for an extended period of time or forced to be in a space filled with animal waste, garbage, and other unsanitary items. (3)

INDICATOR OF POSSIBLE HUMAN ABUSE

Animals who receive abuse at the hands of a human are oftentimes not the only victims of their perpetrator. There is a strong correlation between animal abuse and human violence incidents. According to a study conducted by DeViney, Dickert, and Lockwood named, "The Care of Pets Within Child Abusing Families," animal abuse was present in 88% of child abusing...