ANIMAL CRURLTY By Guadalupe Cisneros

Fact about Animal Cruelty In many circuses, wild and exotic animals are trained through the use of intimidation and physical abuse. Former circus employees have reported seeing animals beaten, whipped, poked with sharp objects and even burned to force them to learn their routines! Elephants who perform in circuses are often kept in chains for as long as 23 hours a day from the time they are babies.

Fact about Animal Cruely More than 25 million vertebrate animals are used in testing in the United States each year. When invertebrate animals are thrown into the mix, the estimated number rises to as high as 100 million. Dog fighting and cock-fighting are illegal in all 50 states

Cruel Intention This last group of people who hurt animals is the worst. These are people who intentionally hurt animals because they enjoy hurting others or because it makes them feel powerful. A lot of these people want to have control over others. They will hurt an animal because they think this means they control the animal. Or they may hurt the animal to control another person. For example, a husband might hurt the family's pet to show his wife what he could do to her too. Someone else might make his dog kill other dogs because he thinks that makes him powerful.

Intentional The next biggest group of animal abusers does it on purpose, but only for a short period of time. For example, a group of kids may decide to throw rocks at a nest of baby birds they happened to see, or they may hurt a stray cat in their neighborhood These people are usually young, and they hurt animals because they aren't thinking, or because they can't stand up to their friends and peer pressure. The ones who aren't really thinking might be mad at someone else and kick their pet out of frustration. Or they may think it's fun to watch an animal run away scared, without really thinking about how the animal feels.

At the Beginning... Dogfighting has been around since the 1800's in some form, and maybe even earlier. But why? The development of modern dogfighting that is found in Europe and North and South America can be clearly traced to 1835, when "bull-baiting" was banned in England. When the ban was created, the owners of "bulldogs”, which had been used to bait bulls, bears and other animals, began to pit dog against dog. The largest, heaviest bull dogs were soon crossed with smaller, quicker terriers to make the "bull terriers" who became the common breed today - pit bulls.

All Dogs? Not just any dog can be trained to fight. Many dogs are born with a temper, but most fights between two dogs, like in the park, usually end quickly, with one backing down. To breed successful fighting dogs, that willingness to back down had to be eliminated. Fighting dogs continue to attack, regardless of the submission signals of an opponent. Similarly, these dogs will continue to fight even though badly injured. Gameness—a dog's willingness or desire to fight—is the most admired trait in fighting dogs.

Who's Involved? Most law enforcement experts divide dogfight activity into three categories: street fighting, hobbyist fighting and professional activity: Street fighters engage in dog fights that are informal, street corner, back alley and playground activities. Stripped of the rules and formality of the traditional pit fight, these are spontaneous events triggered by insults, turf invasions or the simple taunt, "My dog can kill yours." Many of these participants lack even a semblance of respect for the animals they fight, forcing them to train while wearing heavy chains to build stamina, and picking street fights in which they could get seriously hurt. Many of the dogs are bred to be a threat not only to other dogs, but to people as well - with tragic consequences.

Why Should You Report Animal Cruelty? The ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Department finds out about most instances of animal abuse through phone calls from concerned citizens who witness cruelty in their neighborhoods. If you don’t report crimes, the animals will continue to be harmed. Remember, anonymous reports are investigated with just as much attention, so don't be afraid to voice a concern without giving your name.

Action Tips: Report Animal Cruelty Write down what you observed, give dates and times when possible. Take pictures of the animals in question, but do not put yourself in danger. Do not enter someone’s property without their permission. If you can, provide the names and contact information of other people who have firsthand information about the abusive situation.

How To: Organize an Awareness Campaign About Animal Cruelty Chances are there are tons of people out there who don't know much about animal cruelty or how many animals it affects. Make some catchy flyers so they can be in the know and learn how they can make a difference too. Double check. Before you get started, make sure you’re allowed to post your signs around school or on telephone poles and community bulletin boards. If your town won’t allow you to post around town, see if you can pass out flyers at your town hall, public library, a local business or at school. Do your research. Gather some data for the signs and figure out how you want to present it. DoSomething.org has some great info on animal cruelty including facts and background, as well as a list of ways to take action against animal cruelty.animal crueltyfactsbackgrounda list of ways to take action against animal cruelty.

Get the details. See if you can get a quote from an expert. Try to interview a vet or someone who has adopted an animal that was once abused. Real stories are powerful! Use images. Sometimes pictures make stronger statements than words and are as much a part of the message as the chosen words, so don’t be afraid to use them. If that woman who adopted the battered animal is willing to show his or her face, let her! Round up some friends. Now that you’ve got all this info, ask friends and family to help you design and complete the posters or flyers. They can also help you put them up when you’re done. Variety is key. Keep in mind, that in order to make this campaign effective, you have to vary your strategy. So think about making a few different kinds of signs. Small flyers to pass out to people.

Why do we need to learn animal cruelty We need to learn animal cruelty because people are just hurting animals for no reason and why do the animals have to be treated like that for example a human wouldn't like to be treated like there not wanted or your parent's not feeding you next thing you know you dyeing because you haven’t ate for days

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Adoption center C.A.R.E./Evanston Animal Shelter 2310 Oakton, Evanston, IL Mon - Thurs 6 pm - 8 pm; Sat & Sun noon - 3:30 pm Adopt-A-Pet, Inc. North/Northwest Suburbs & Chicago North P.O. Box 408, Mt. Prospect, IL Call for information and apt The Buddy Foundation P.O. Box 334, Arlington Heights, IL Call for information and apt

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