“Not to hurt our humble
brethren is our first
duty to them, but to stop there is
not enough.”
St. Francis of Assisi
To
Oppose Cruelty In All Its Forms... Get Involved
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This page specifically
offered in support of all the efforts to prevent cruelty and
alleviate the
pain, fear and suffering of animals through
nationwide education, awareness, legal and
legislative
programs.
Led by ASPCA efforts in New York State,
some
of the first state animal welfare laws
were enacted to
protect horses and cattle.
Today, each state has some form
of anti-cruelty
law, and protection extends to many
other species. But there is much more to be
done
through federal, state and local efforts
to strengthen
these laws.
Animal abuse can take many forms. Beating
an animal is just one of them. The failure of
a human
caregiver to provide a companion
animal with food, water,
veterinary care or,
in some locations, shelter,
constitutes
neglect. Leaving an animal locked in a car
or tied outside in very hot or cold weather is
unlawful. Abandoning a pet is a crime.
Individual
animals also suffer in factory
farms, puppy mills, fur
farms, research laboratories and cruel traps.
ASPCA Humane
Law Enforcement peace
officers are empowered to safeguard
animals
across New York State through inspections,
seizures and arrests. They respond to animal
cruelty
complaints, which can involve pet
shops, animal shelters,
individuals who
have more animals than they can care for
properly, and illegal cockfights and dogfights.
They
also inspect carriage horses,
stables, movie sets, rodeos,
circuses, and
zoos on a regular basis. HLE officers as
well
as ASPCA Humane Education and Public
Information
staff seek to educate people
about necessary care and
compassion for
animals, not only to prevent animal abuse,
but also to remedy questionable situations.
Animal
cruelty is a felony in slightly more
than a majority of
states at this time, and
the ASPCA and other animal
protection
organizations around the country continue
to lobby in state capitals for stronger anticruelty
measures. It has been established
that many notorious
mass murderers and
other dangerous criminals have had a
history
of animal abuse, but many judges and
prosecutors still must be educated to the
seriousness
of animal abuse.
The Animal Cruelty Prosecution Task
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Force, an organization made
up of prosecutors,
attorneys and law enforcement
officials,
has been created to examine and track
animal cruelty cases and promote effective
prosecution. In addition, an intervention
program has
been launched by the ASPCA
in which convicted abusers meet
with our
Director of Counseling Services.
Key goals of
the program are:
• Cross-training among human service and
animal welfare agencies
• Cross-reporting
•
Information-sharing among agencies and
effective public
education
• Psycho-educational intervention for abusers
• Foster care for animals at risk
How You Can Help
• Cruelty investigators throughout the
United
States—be they sheriffs, police officers
or local animal
shelter or control personnel—
are prepared to assist
citizens by
serving cruelty summonses and/or arresting
violators. If you witness or hear about animal
cruelty, report it to your local humane
organization,
police or sheriff.
• Currently, a witness to an abusive
act may
be required to testify in court to support the
charge, which hopefully will result in the
removal of
the animal from the threatening
environment, sometimes
permanently.
• In many states, animal cruelty crimes are
classified only as misdemeanors. However,
lobbying is
taking place in many states to
make intentional cruelty to
animals a
felony. Contact the ASPCA Government
Affairs
and Public Policy department,
which can advise you on ways
you can help,
including writing to your lawmakers.
•
Make sure schools in your town include
humane education as
part of their curriculum
or lesson plans.
• Volunteer
at a local animal shelter, foster a
shelter animal or
adopt a companion animal.
Support your local animal rescue
organization
or shelter with money, food or supplies.
• If you have a companion animal, be
responsible and
provide him or her with
annual veterinary check-ups. Spay
or neuter
your cat or dog to reduce the pet population.
License your dog and obey the leash
laws to ensure his
or her safety.
Help 21st Century CARES speak out for
mistreated animals. Legislation, enforcement, education,
awareness and public action all work toward the prevention of
cruelty to animals. |
REALIZE THAT THOSE WHO ABUSE OR NEGLECT THROUGH VICIOUS MEANS OR
SIMPLE IGNORANCE ARE NOT GOING TO VISIT SITES SUCH AS THIS. SO, ANY
INFORMATION GAINED FROM THIS OR SIMILAR SITES MUST BE SHARED BY YOU.
IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO? |
