Animal Abuse Statistics  Of 1880 animal cruelty cases reported in 2007  64.5% involved dogs  18% involved cats  25% involved other animals

Causes of Animal Abuse

 Many cases are due to ignorance  People buy the cat or dog without knowing how much work it will be and get overwhelmed

 People don’t realize how much it will cost  Food, vet bills

 Abuse includes neglect  Not having clean food and water  No shelter for storms or shade for hot days  Locking animals in cars or trucks  Not getting vaccinations such as rabies

 Owners who do not spay or neuter their pets and end up with unwanted baby animals

Ways to Prevent Animal Cruelty

 Know who to call to report animal cruelty

 Look out for the animals in your neighborhood

 Fight for the passage of strong anti-cruelty laws in your town and state

 Set a good example by taking good care of your pets

Teach your children to treat animals with kindness and respect

 Volunteer at your local shelter

 Start a neighborhood watch program to monitor for animal abuse or neglect

 10,000 dogs die in fights every year

 3 to 4 million cats and dogs die each year because of animal abusers

 Call the authorities if you suspect animal cruelty  Let them know the type of cruelty, who was involved, and the date of the incident