Report Animal Abuse

Why Do People Abuse Animals?

Unintentional

Most people who abuse animals don't do it on purpose. They hurt animals because they don't think about or realize what they are doing.

• Many of these people don't know that what they are doing is cruel. For example, some may keep a dog in their yard with a doghouse that is on the ground and gets flooded with water when it rains, or they keep their dog on a short chain all of the time without realizing that the dog needs better shelter.
• Some people will try to keep their pet under control by using cruel types of discipline. They may think that punishment and intimidation are the best ways to solve a problem, when in fact they aren't.
• Other people are cruel because they don't pay attention. For example, someone might forget to give their cat water for a few days or leave their dog in a car on a hot day with the windows rolled up.
• Some people hurt animals even though they think they're helping them by taking in more pets than they can handle. These people are called hoarders.  The motivation comes from a good place, but unfortunately, the animals end up living in a place that's cramped, dirty and unhealthy.

Nearly all of these people can learn to understand that they are being cruel through education and increasing their awareness of the needs of their animal. Since most of the people who abuse animals make up this group, this means that most of the people who abuse animals can be helped with basic education.

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 are 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.
• The ones who are giving in to peer-pressure might be trying to show off to their friends. Or they may be with a group of friends who are all trying to impress each other, and so they go along with what everyone else is doing.

Intentionally hurting animals for any reason is serious. In most states, those caught doing this will face harsher punishment than those who hurt animals unintentionally. However, these people usually don't hurt animals more than a few times. They learn to think about how others feel, and they learn to stand up for themselves. This group can be helped through education and support, too.

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.
• Others simply enjoy pain and violence. Those who enjoy violence might also destroy inanimate objects as well as hurt animals and people.
• All of the people in this last group suffer from serious, psychological problems that will probably not go away on their own. They often need the help of licensed professionals—like a psychologist.  Without help, the psychological problems these people have can haunt them for their whole lives.

Sources:

ASPCA

Resources and Links

Information On Animal Cruelty
http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/info-animal-cruelty

Report Animal Cruelty FAQ
http://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/report-animal-cruelty/report-animal-cruelty-faq

Top Ten Ways To Prevent Animal Cruelty

http://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/report-animal-cruelty/top-10-ways-to-prevent-animal-cruelty

Domestic Violence and Animal Cruelty

http://www.aspca.org/fight-cruelty/report-animal-cruelty/domestic-violence-and-animal-cruelty

Nine Reasons For Animal Abuse

http://risingphoenixcharitablefoundation.com/why-this-is-important/nine-reasons-for-animal-abuse/

No one has a right or any reason to abuse an animal period!

Always report animal abuse. Animals need a voice since they cannot speak for themselves.

FYI: Google animal abuse or animal cruelty......all those images....will make your heart break =(
If you can't even feel a bit of sorrow for all those sad faces of abused and neglected  than maybe there really is no hope for humanity. Animal abuse is no joke.....there is no logical reason behind it....it is wrong.

Life On a Chain

What is the point of having a dog when all you are going to do is chain it up outside?

A dog is not a object or a piece of property. It is a living and breathing being.

For protection? How is a chained dog going to physically protect you? 

A chained barking dog is far from being intimidating....

A chain dog is a dead dog. It's impossible for a chained dog to get out of dangerous situations or escape from a aggressive animal or human. You basically are giving your dog a death sentence....

I don't want my house dirty from the dog. 

Don't have a dog if material positions are more important to you then a life.

My dog is my pride and joy. I want to show how tough he/she is on a big heavy chain.

Really? Would you want to haul around a big heavy chain to prove how tough you are?

My kids play with the dog sometimes.

What about any other time? 

So many reasons that are beyond me and my reasonable way of thinking why anyone would just throw a dog on a chain outside, maybe throw it some food and water once in a while and if that dog is really lucky have a decent form of shelter and call that pet ownership.

A dog is a pack animal. It needs it's pack. It needs family.