Loki’s Gift

Excerpt from ASPCA

Recognizing Animal Cruelty
What constitutes animal cruelty?

Animal cruelty occurs when someone intentionally injures or harms an animal or when a person willfully deprives an animal of food, water or necessary medical care. Here are some signs that may indicate abuse or neglect:
•    Tick or flea infestations
•    Wounds on the body
•    Patches of missing hair
•    Extremely thin, starving animal
•    Limping
•    An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal
•    Dogs who are repeatedly left alone without food and water, and often chained in a yard
•    Dogs who have been hit by cars—or are showing any of the signs listed here—and have not been taken to a veterinarian
•    Dogs who are kept outside without shelter in extreme weather conditions
•    Animals who cower in fear or act aggressively when approached by their owners

Signs That an Animal Might Be Abused
Recognizing cruelty is simple, right? Not quite, say ASPCA experts. Obvious behaviors such as aggression, timidity and fear don’t always tell the whole story. Animals may appear to be timid or frightened for many reasons other than abuse.

“It’s almost impossible to make conclusions based on a pet’s behavior alone,” says the ASPCA Animal Behavior Center’s Kristen Collins, CPDT. “The best way to tell whether a pet is being or has been abused is to examine him and his surrounding environment.”

Check out our list of signs that may alert you an animal needs help:

Physical Signs
•    Collar so tight that it has caused a neck wound or has become embedded in the pet’s neck
•    Open wounds, signs of multiple healed wounds or an ongoing injury or illness that isn’t being treated
•    Untreated skin conditions that have caused loss of hair, scaly skin, bumps or rashes
•    Extreme thinness or emaciation—bones may be visible
•    Fur infested with fleas, ticks or other parasites
•    Patches of bumpy, scaly skin rashes
•    Signs of inadequate grooming, such as extreme matting of fur, overgrown nails and dirty coat
•    Weakness, limping or the inability to stand or walk normally
•    Heavy discharge from eyes or nose
•    An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal
•    Visible signs of confusion or extreme drowsiness

Environmental Signs
•    Pets are tied up alone outside for long periods of time without adequate food or water, or with food or water that is unsanitary
•    Pets are kept outside in inclement weather without access to adequate shelter
•    Pets are kept in an area littered with feces, garbage, broken glass or other objects that could harm them
•    Animals are housed in kennels or cages (very often crowded in with other animals) that are too small to allow them to stand, turn around and make normal movements possibly with too many other animals
“Reporting suspected animal cruelty ensures that animals in jeopardy receive prompt and often lifesaving care,” says ASPCA Supervisory Special Investigator Annemarie Lucas. “By making a complaint to the police or humane society in your area—you can even do so anonymously—you help ensure that animals in need are rescued and that perpetrators of animal cruelty are brought to justice.”

While this information is provided by the ASPCA, the same criteria of recognizing animal abuse applies everwhere basically.  Common sense and moral decency apply EVERYWHERE across the Globe.

It is vitally  important that when one sees instances as noted above that immediate action be taken in order to help the animal in crisis.  To not do so, is to condone the abuse and allow the neglect and suffering to continue.

For information on your local and provincial Animal Cruelty Legislations the internet is a very useful tool.  Provincial Animal Protection Acts are available at:  Animal Legal Defense Fund,: legislation@aldg.org ,you can download these acts for reference.  Towns and cities across the country will also have their By-Laws online for reference.  Contact your local Humane Society for information as well.

Please, keep your eyes open and report all animals in need so that they may be given the help they so desperately need.