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Fight Animal Cruelty: 10 Ways to Help!
If you're a fan of the award-winning reality series Animal Precinct, then you've already seen the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement's Supervisory Special Investigator Annemarie Lucas in action. But did you know that you, too, can help crack down on animal cruelty in your own community? Read on for Officer Lucas's take on making the world a safer place for animals:
1. Be aware. Without phone calls from the concerned citizens who report cruelty in their neighborhoods, we wouldn't know about most instances of animal abuse. It all comes from the public, it all starts with YOU! That's why it's so important to keep your eyes and ears open. Get to know and look out for the animals in your neighborhood. By being aware, you're more likely to notice, for example, that the dog next door who was once hefty has lost weight rapidly - a possible indicator of abuse.
2. Learn to recognize animal cruelty. Here are some signs and symptoms that we see in many of the cases we investigate:
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Tick or flea infestations. Such a condition, if left untreated by a veterinarian, can lead to an animal's death.
Wounds on the body.
Patches of missing hair.
Extremely thin, starving animals.
Limping.
An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal.
Dogs who are repeatedly left alone without food and water, often chained up in a yard.
Dogs who have been hit by cars-or are showing any of the signs listed above-and have not been taken to a veterinarian.
Dogs who are kept outside without shelter in extreme weather conditions.
Animals who cower in fear or act aggressively when approached by their owners.
3. Know who to call to report animal cruelty. We're lucky here at the ASPCA in New York City, because we have Humane Law Enforcement officers who have the power to investigate and arrest perpetrators of animal cruelty in the state of New York. But every state and even every town is different. In some areas, you may have to rely on the police department to investigate animal cruelty; in others, you may have to contact local animal control or another municipal agency. If you aren't sure where to report cruelty visit our Report Animal Cruelty section.
4. Provide as much as information as possible when reporting animal cruelty. The details that you provide can go a long way toward assisting the investigating officer. It helps to write down the type of cruelty that you witnessed, who was involved, the date of the incident and where it took place.
5. Call or write your local law enforcement department and let them know that investigating animal cruelty should be a priority. Animal cruelty is a CRIME, and the police MUST investigate these crimes.
6. Know your state's animal cruelty laws. These vary from state to state, and even from city to city. You can visit the ASPCA's online database of more than 550 animal cruelty laws, and their penalties' in all 50 states.
7. Fight for the passage of strong anti-cruelty laws on federal, state and local levels by joining the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade . It's frustrating when I have built a strong case against someone who has been arrested for cruelty to animals and the judge treats it like a simple violation. But with stronger laws, they'll be more likely to receive tougher penalties. As an ASPCA Advocacy Brigade member, you'll receive emails asking you to write letters encouraging your legislators to pass these laws-and you can send them directly from our website.
8. Set a good example for others. If you have pets, be sure to always show them the love and good care that they deserve. But it's more than just food, water, and adequate shelter. If you think your animal is sick, bring him to the veterinarian. Be responsible and have your animals spayed or neutered. And I always give my own pets lots of hugs when I get home!
9. Talk to your kids about how to treat animals with kindness and respect. I regularly see children in homes where animal abuse has been reported. If a parent isn't treating the family's pets right, I tell kids that their dog or cat would really appreciate fresh water every day, or if they spent some time playing with them. If the animal has been left outside without shelter, I'll say, 'You have a nice house, and if you get cold, you can put a coat on. But your dog can't do that. Don't you think he'd like a nice warm place to go, too?' I know of families who watch Animal Precinct together, and I think this can help children understand that animals are living creatures who have the ability to feel pain, joy and sadness. You can see these emotions on the faces of the animals on the show.
10. Support your local shelter or animal rescue organization. Before I even knew that police for animals existed, I was volunteering at an animal shelter. It's a great way to make a difference. Some of our ASPCA volunteers foster animals who have been abused in their former homes, giving these dogs and cats the chance they deserve to have a good life. You can find a list of shelters and rescue groups in your area in our National Shelter Directory .
Hey, kids! Officer Lucas has some tips on fighting cruelty just for you !
Fight Animal Cruelty: 10 Ways to Prevent Puppy Mills
1. Do Not Buy Your Puppy From a Pet Store
That puppy who charmed you through the pet shop window has most likely come from a large-scale, substandard commercial breeding facility, commonly known as a puppy mill. In these facilities, parent dogs are caged and bred as often as possible, and give birth to puppies who could have costly medical problems you might not become aware of until after you bring your new pet home.
2. Make Adoption Your First Option
If you're looking to make a puppy part of your family, check your local shelters first. Not only will you be saving a life, but you will ensure that your money is not going to support a puppy mill. There are many dogs waiting for homes in shelters all across the country, and an estimated one in four is a purebred! Your second option is breed rescue. If your heart is set on a specific breed you haven't been able to find in a shelter, you can do an Internet search for a breed-specific rescue organization.
3. Know How to Recognize a Responsible Breeder
If you've exhausted your options for adopting and are choosing to buy from a breeder, remember that responsible breeders have their dogs' interests in mind. They are not simply interested in making a sale, but in placing their pups in good homes. A responsible breeder should screen you as thoroughly as you screen them! Read the ASPCA's responsible breeding statement to find out more about how a responsible breeder behaves.
4. See Where Your Puppy Was Born and Bred
One sign that you are speaking to an unscrupulous breeder is that they will not let you see the facility in which your puppy was born. Always ask to see the breeding premises and to meet both parents (or at least the mother) of the puppy you want to take home. You should also ask for an adoption contract that explains, in terms you understand, the breeder's responsibilities, health guarantee and return policy.
5. Internet Buyers, Beware!
Buying a puppy from the Internet is as risky as buying from a pet store. If you buy a puppy based on a picture and a phone call, you have no way of seeing the puppy's breeding premises or meeting his parents. And those who sell animals on the Internet are not held to the Animal Welfare Act regulations, and so are not inspected by the USDA.
6. Share Your Puppy Mill Story with the ASPCA
If you have, or think you have, purchased a puppy-mill puppy, please tell us your story . Every bit of evidence gives us more power to get legislation passed that will ban puppy mills.
7. Speak Out!
Inform your state and federal legislators that you are disturbed by the inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills, and would like to see legislation passed that ensures that all animals bred to be pets are raised in healthy conditions. You can keep up-to-date about current legislation to ban puppy mills by joining the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade .Â
8. Tell Your Friends
If someone you know is planning on buying a puppy, please direct them to our puppy mill information at ASPCA.org . Let them know that there are perfectly healthy dogs in shelters waiting to be adopted.
9. Think Globally
Have a webpage, a MySpace page or a blog? Use these powerful tools to inform people about puppy mill cruelty by adding a link to our puppy mill information at ASPCA.org.
10. Act Locally!
When people are looking to buy or adopt a pet, they will often ask the advice of their veterinarian, groomer or pet supply store. Download and print our flyers and ask to leave them in the offices of your local practitioners.
Responsible Breeding
Responsible breeders are individuals who have focused their efforts on one or a select few breeds and through breeding, historical research and ongoing study, mentoring relationships, club memberships, showing, raising and training of these breeds have become experts in the breed's health, heritable conditions, temperament and behavior. Responsible breeders are well suited to educate and screen potential buyers/adopters and provide follow-up support after purchase or adoption. Responsible breeders take lifetime responsibility for the animals they have bred.
The ASPCA advocates the following best practices for responsible breeders:
- Never sells puppies to a dealer or pet shop.
- Screens breeding stock for heritable diseases and removes affected animals from breeding program. Affected animals are altered; may be placed as pets as long as health issues are disclosed to buyers/adopters.
- Removes aggressive animals from breeding program; alters or euthanizes them.
- Keeps breeding stock healthy and well socialized.
- Never keeps more dogs than they can provide with the highest level of care, including quality food, clean water, proper shelter from heat or cold, exercise, socialization and professional veterinary care.
- Has working knowledge of genetics and generally avoids inbreeding.
- Bases breeding frequency on mother's health, age, condition and recuperative abilities.
- Does not breed extremely young or old animals.
- Often breeds and rears dogs in the home, where they are considered part of the family.
- Ensures neonates are kept clean, warm, fed, vetted and with the mother until weaned; begins socialization of neonates at three weeks of age.
- Screens potential guardians; discusses positive and negative aspects of animal/breed.
- Ensures animals are weaned (eight to ten weeks of age for dogs and cats) before placement.
- Offers guidance and support to new guardians.
- Provides an adoption/purchase contract in plain English that spells out breeder's responsibilities, adopter's responsibilities, health guarantees and return policy.
- Provides accurate and reliable health, vaccination and pedigree information.
- Makes sure pet-quality animals are sold on a limited registration (dogs only), spay/neuter contract, or are altered before placement.
- Will take back any animal of their breeding, at any time and for any reason.
Adopt: 10 Things Before Puppy Comes Home
Congratulations, you're getting a new dog! Your first job as a new pet parent is to prep your home and your family, and yourself, too, for the furry bundle of fun who's about to come barreling into your life. After all, you do want to get this relationship off on the right paw!
1. You Better Shop Around
Stock up on supplies before Fido arrives! Your new pal won't need much, the Burberry overcoat and crystal tiara are optional, but essentials include food and water bowls, safe chew toys , grooming tools, a collar and leash, an identification tag and a crate with bedding (towels will do if you don't want to spend money on a fancy crate pad).
When it comes to food, try to buy the same brand he's already eating. If you want to change foods, make the switch gradually, mixing old food with new, over a period of a few weeks.
2. Divvy Up Responsibilities
To avoid conflict when Princess has to go out at 1:00 A.M., powwow with members of your household about who is going to be responsible for what. Who will walk the dog at various times of times of day? Who will feed the dog, and at what times? Who will take the dog to the vet? And if it's you who winds up walking her in the middle of a rainy night, slap on a smile and remember: pet parenting is a privilege, not a chore!
3. My House, My Rules
Establish house rules for the dog that everyone will stick to. Before puppy comes home, decide things such as: Is she allowed on the furniture? Will we ever give her "people" food? What behaviors are encouraged, and which are forbidden? Consistency is the key to training dogs.
4. Lost In Translation
Dogs can get confused when one human says "down" and another says "off" when, for example, they jump on visitors. Then there's "down" versus "lie down," and "paw" versus "shake", surely you see how this is perplexing to another species! Do Fido a favor and select the terms that you plan to associate with various commands. It'll help to write out a vocabulary list of the words that everyone will use.
5. Safety First
Dog-proof your pup's environment. Tuck electrical cords out of the way, install safety latches in lower kitchen cabinets, etc. Make sure anything dangerous to ingest, like small decorative items, children's toys and chemicals, is off floor level. Some people find it helps to get down on the floor for a dog's-eye view of every room to see what might tempt a curious canine.
6. Pardon Me, Where Is Your Restroom?
If your new pooch is not yet housetrained, determine where his indoor "potty spot" will be. Figure out your plan to train him, and coordinate with the entire household.
7. Hit the Floor
It's a good idea to mop your floors with odor-neutralizing solution shortly before bring home a new dog. Even dogs who are trained sometimes are compelled, either through territorial instincts or plain old nerves, to let loose in a new home. Be sure that you don't mop with cleaners containing ammonia, these are believed to encourage peeing.
8. Make It Official
Find out about your community's dog licensing rules and apply for a license. This information can usually be found by visiting your state's department of agriculture website. You can also ask your local shelter for the straight dope.
9. Set the Date
If you don't already have one, find a good veterinarian, and bring your new canine to a caring veterinarian for a wellness exam within one week after adoption. Make this appointment even before you bring home your new pup.
10. Sibling Rivalry
This one's for folks who already have a dog in the home. Before you introduce the new hound into the pack, pick up anything your resident dog might guard, such as food bowls, bones, toys and beds. Even if your dog has never exhibited possessive tendencies, it is best to exercise caution. This may be an intense experience for your resident canine, so do be patient with her.
Canine Behaviour Tips
1. Expect your dog to act like a dog. Don't take it personally when he exhibits typical canine behavior. He's not being "bad," he's just being a dog.
2. No more free lunch. Dogs are happiest when they're exercising their predator skills. Make them work for their food, like stuffing it inside chew toys, hiding it around the house, or teaching them tricks for food rewards.
3. Start off "tight" and slack off later, rather than letting him run wild for the first few weeks and then clamping down when the behavior isn't so cute anymore.
4. Don't wait for him to develop bad habits, like chewing the furniture or urinating on the carpet, before you intervene. Assume this behavior is likely to happen, and act preemptively to manage it before it develops.
5. Supply your dog with acceptable outlets for his doggy behavior, rather than punishing it.
6. Don't lay guilt trips on your dog. Dogs are neither moral nor immoral. They're amoral, meaning that they respond to what they understand to be the consequences of their behavior. So manipulate those consequences.
7. Get involved in organized dog sports or informal activities, such as agility, Flyball racing, tug-of-war, fetch, or a fun game of hide-and-seek.
8. Provide a wide variety of social interactions every day. What's the worst punishment a person can get in prison? Solitary confinement. Dogs are social animals, too.
9. If you have a puppy, handle him endlessly. And make it as pleasant an experience as possible, so he'll associate being handled with good feelings.
10. Enroll in a good training course. To find a local trainer in your area, visit Association of Pet Dog Trainers trainer searchbase.
[If links in the scrolly boxes don't work, visit ASPCA.org !]