Just How Many Need Our Help?- Animal Abuse Statistics

All over the world thousands of animals are suffering from all sorts of cruelty from human hands, but let’s take a good look at just how many animals are cruelly treated in the US alone. Keep in mind that it is only an estimate. Not all cases of animal cruelty are reported or even spotted right away. We will not just discuss about the ill treatments, but also what the government is doing about these cruel acts.

First, let us talk about the forms of cruelty inflicted upon animals. Number one is neglect. It happens when animals are not given the proper treatment that they deserve or need. Pets are prone to this type of abuse.It is not that easy to spot since most pets are kept indoors. No one goes around asking, “May I check your pets? Are you strictly following pet care measures?” 

The second form of abuse is intentional harm. This is very easy to spot and should be reported right away. This situation could cause animal lives and this treatment should be on animal abuse statistics. However, these type of record is not easy to find because there is no national reporting system on animal abuse. 

Statistics are provided by animal care organizations, but they vary from one group to another. These statistics were only based on reported cases. So, we could only wonder how many animals are truly suffering right now. Here are just some of the things I have found out:

According to the American Society for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), there are about 1,880 cases of animal abuse reported in the media, 2007. Dogs, especially pitbulls, are the most abused taking up 64.5 percent of the statistics. The second most abused animals are cats, with 18 percent of the over-all report. The remaining 25 percent is shared by different kinds of animals—birds, horses, etc. 

Although there is no national reporting system for abused animals, the government conducts measures to prevent them. There are about 50 states that have felony provisions in their animal cruelty laws, and 43 out of these 50 states have first offense provisions. Each state has different laws and provisions for acts of cruelty against animals, but every state has their own pet shelters.

There is so much to be done, and so many need our help. I know that this is disheartening but the good news is we can still do something!