How to Fight Dog Cruelty

Posted by Clare Bristow

pound-dog I was surfing through the ASPCA website this afternoon and came across it's top tips for helping the fight against dog cruelty .

Whilst our dogs are lucky enough to have loving homes, so many others spend their days in abject misery, with little food, shelter, no medical care and living in fear of their owners.

As dog owners, I believe our responsibilities include looking out for those dogs who suffer cruelty at the hands of their owners.

Here is a summary of how we can help reduce dog abuse :

Be aware - Rescue organizations rely on the public for alerting them to cases of animal cruelty.
Know the signs of cruelty. These include:
1. Untreated tick and flea infestation and injuries;
2. Animals that look extremely thin;
3. Owners hitting an animal;
4. Dogs left on their own outside with little or no food, water and shelter; and
5. Animals cowering when their owners approach, or acting aggressively towards their owners.
Know who to call if you see a case of animal cruelty.
When reporting an incident of animal abuse, provide as much information as possible:
1. the cruelty you saw;
2. who was involved - a full a description of the person or persons as you can;
3. the date; and
4. where the incident took place.
Set a good example by giving your dog all the love and care he needs, taking your dog to the vet for his annual shots and examination and have your dog spayed/neutered.
Show children how to treat animals with kindness and respect - a lot of animal cruelty cases involve children.
Support your local animal shelter - give as much time, support or other needed resources as possible.