How is animal cruelty broken down?

There are two different types of animal cruelty. The first is intentional cruelty to animals. The second is unintentional cruelty to animals. Those people who intentionally harm animals are considered by the animal enforcement agents to be the most dangerous. Anyone who would intentionally harm an animal may eventually turn that violence and anger to humans. They generally will maliciously harm an animal out of a need for violence or anger. This may be a deliberate withholding of food, water and proper medical care. It may also be deliberately harming the animal or having a large number of animals in cages for breeding purposes.

Unintentional animal cruelty is usually found in people who cannot afford to properly care for their animal. It does not mean that they do not genuinely love their pets but simply do not have the means to protect their pets.

Who is in charge of enforcing animal cruelty laws?

The Humane Society of the United States does everything in its power to protect the rights of animals. On a local level it may be an animal welfare unit that picks up stray animals or investigates individuals who may be endangering the welfare of their animals. Another well publicized group is People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA for short. There is also the ASPCA which stands for the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. You may have seen the television show that involves the ASPCA on Animal Planet. The individuals are law enforcement personnel that do their best to investigate all complaints of animal cruelty and do everything in their power to help prevent cruel owners from having pets.

How can I help prevent animal cruelty?

You can do your part to help animal cruelty by being observant of other animal owners. If you suspect that an animal is being abused then you need to immediately contact the animal welfare unit of your city or county. Another great way to help is to donate to your local animal shelters. This donation can be monetary, through food and medical supplies or simply by donating your time.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, July 13th, 2008 at 5:44 pm and is filed under Pets & Animals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.