Help Stop Animal Cruelty
To get Flash, click here.
What Can You Do?
1. Get help for the animal. If you see someone hurting an animal or if you know of someone whose animal looks sick, injured, or deprived of adequate food, water, or shelter, get help. Call the police, your local animal shelter, or a trusted adult. Do not try to help the animal yourselfthat could put you in danger.
2. Get the facts. Write everything down. As a witness, you'll need to provide the date, time, location, and any other details you can remember, including descriptions of the animal, the type of cruelty, and the person who may be responsible for it.
3. Get the word out. Educate your friends, family, and teachers about animal cruelty and its connection to human violence by sharing information and materials from The Humane Society of the United States's First Strike™ campaign. For more information, call 1-888-213-0956, or write to us at First Strike, The HSUS, 2100 L St., NW, Washington, DC 20037.
4. Be a role model. Let your actions be a guide. Be kind to animals and let others know that hurting animals is wrong. Speak up for animals and urge others to do the same.
5. Be a responsible pet owner. Don't let your cats and dogs roam. Cats are safest indoors. When outdoors, dogs should be walked on a leash or supervised in a fenced yard. It's up to you to keep your pets safe.
6. Keep a lookout. If you see a stray or injured animal, contact your local animal care and control agency or the police. Provide a description of the animal and the location.
7. Make the 'Net work. If you find an Internet site that promotes animal abuse, urge the service provider that hosts the web site to remove it immediately. You can find the address of the web site's provider at networksolutions.org.
8. Stop cruelty before it begins. Teach elementary schoolchildren in your community to be kind to animals via KIND News, a nine-times-a-year newspaper published expressly for kids. The prize-winning publication is produced by The National Association for Humane and Environmental Education (NAHEE), the youth service division of The HSUS. NAHEE also produces other publications and has programs like Adopt-a-Classroom. For more information, visit its web sites by following the links on the right.
9. Start a club. Start an animal protection club at your school. Visit the HumaneTeen web site and click on "Start a Club" for tips and activity suggestions.
10. Join the HumaneTeen Network. The HumaneTeen Network is a free online service that provides members with e-mail updates on the latest animal and environmental issues. To join, visit their web site and click on "Join the Network." For more information about animal cruelty, click on "Understanding Animal Cruelty."
If you have questions, call The HSUS First Strike at 1-888-213-0956 or e-mail us at firststrike@hsus.org.
The use of these photographs is intended to display the harmful effects of animal cruelty. User discretion is advised.
What Constitutes Animal Cruelty?
Acts of violence or neglect perpetrated against animals are considered animal cruelty. Examples include overt abuse, dog fighting and cock fighting, and companion animals being neglected or denied basic necessities of care, such as food, water or shelter. Animal welfare organizations across the country work daily to educate people about how to care for their companion animals and how they can prevent animal cruelty.
Many people who witness, or hear about cruelty, are not aware that legal action can be taken to help stop the problem. Companion animals are primarily covered by state animal cruelty laws, which vary from state to state and county to county. These laws may be confusing to people who want to help animals in distress but are not clear on what constitutes animal cruelty.
Generally, animal cruelty can be divided into two categories: Neglect and Intentional Cruelty
Neglect is the failure to provide an animal with the most basic of requirements of food, water, shelter and veterinary care. Neglect is often the result of simple ignorance on the animal owner's part and is usually handled by requiring the owner to correct the situation. If the problem is not corrected, the animal may be removed from the neglectful person by law enforcement authorities. In some cases, the owner will simply turn the animal over to authorities because they no longer want the responsibility.
Intentional cruelty is often more shocking and usually an indicator of a serious human behavior problem. Intentional cruelty is when an individual purposely inflicts physical harm or injury on an animal.
The ASPCA and other organizations with cruelty investigation authority have arrested many individuals, who have deliberately maimed, tortured or even killed animals. Although many individuals are arrested for intentional cruelty, people who commit even the most heinous crimes against animals are often not prosecuted to the full extent of the law. In states where animal cruelty is considered a misdemeanor, individuals who commit intentional cruelty crimes against animals can receive, at most, one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Often, perpetrators receive no more than probation. Someone who is violent towards animals may be violent towards family members or other people.Animal cruelty laws vary from state to state
38 states and the District of Columbia currently have laws that make intentional cruelty a felony charge, while 12 states treat neglectful cruelty and intentional cruelty as a misdemeanor. Many animal cruelty laws specifically exclude accepted animal husbandry practices involving farm animals, animals used in research, and lawful hunting and trapping of wildlife. Many states now require the person convicted of cruelty to undergo psychological evaluation and counseling, in additionto paying a fine or being imprisoned. An increasing number of states are instituting cross training and reporting programs involving social service workers who are likely to see cases of animal abuse during the course of their work in domestic violence and child abuse.This development arises from the research validating the "link" between animal abuse and human violence. A number of states provide civil and criminal immunity to veterinarians who report suspected cases of animal abuse to law enforcement authorities since they are likely to be the first ones to come in contact with an abused animal. Enforcement of animal cruelty laws can be carried out by local police or by humane or municipal agencies that are granted power from the state or local government. How You Can Help
If you witness or hear about animal cruelty taking place, report it to your local humane organization or call your local police. Become a member of the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade and take an active part in passing legislation. Send all inquiries to government@aspca.org or call the Government Affairs & Public Policy department.Teaching future generations to respect animal life will make our society more humane. Make sure schools in your town include humane education as part of their curriculum. Contact the ASPCA at education@aspca.org for classroom resources. If you want to adopt a pet, go to your local shelter first. You can also log onto www.Petfinder.com our online adoption partner, to search the Internet's largest directory of animals available for adoption. If you own a pet, be responsible and provide it with annual veterinary checkups and preventative medical care; spay or neuter your cat or dog to reduce pet overpopulation and urge your friends to do the same. Support your local animal rescue organization or shelter with donations of money, food or supplies. Volunteering your time or fostering a shelter animal is a good way to make a difference. Fostering helps socialize abused or frightened animals before they are adopted. © 2004 ASPCATell a Friend!
Now you can help animals without leaving the comfort of your computer! Simply copy this message below and send it via e-mail to these companies.
Okay, please copy this letter:To Whom It May Concern, I am appalled that your company continues to use animals for needless product tests while other companies have abandoned such cruel and inhumane practices. We find animal testing to be immoral, unethical, and totally unnecessary. Ignoring the animals' misery is more than just bad science; it's bad business! I implore you to stop all animal testing that is not required by law. One day your savage and uncivilized practices will be known and condemned by all people. Until you join the ranks of "cruelty-free" companies, my friends, colleagues, and I will continue to boycott your products. You should support, rather than fight legislation laws that end such horrors as the LD50 and Draize tests. Please act honorably, and set a good example for the children of today, our future business and political leaders of tomorrow. Manufacturing companies, like yourself, need to take the lead towards equal animal treatment! You must act now, or hundreds of innocent animals will be murdered! Animals were not put on the world for us to harm and torture. Animals are compassionate and softhearted creatures. Every mouse, gerbil, and guinea pig deserves as much respect as any other living thing. YOU can make a difference. STOP animal testing, now! Although it 's not possible to make up for your past sins and inhumanities, if you oblige our wishes and cease to test on animals, we will immediately discontinue our current boycott, and once again support your company. We hope that your company will take our concern into consideration.Sincerely,__________Now, copy and paste http://members.aol.com/ponyjumpin/emailhelp.html into the address bar and continue
How Can u Help More On Helping AnimalsStop Animal Cruelty
Topics