Animal Abuse Prevention Series 2: How To Determine If a Pet is Being Abused

In the first post, Animal Abuse Series 1, we touched upon what animal abuse and animal cruelty are, in their basic forms. However, much like trying to determine the hundreds of things that might constitute animal abuse, so to is trying to determine if an animal is actually being abused.

I am not talking about the extreme cases where even a blind person could see the abuse, but instead we are going to cover the warning signs that could help determine the likelyhood of animal abuse.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Not every animals that “YOU THINK” is abused, is actually abused.

I cannot state this enough. If you think an animal is being abused, then take a few minutes to observe the behavior. Simply seeing a dog that is missing patches of fur for example does not constitute abuse. You may simply be seeing an animal that has a medical condition that caused it to lose fur. The owner may actually be very nice, caring, and already doing all that they can for the dog. If your not sure, simply ask to pet the dog, if it is ok with the owner, and see if they tell you why the dog looks that way.

Side note, many abusive owners may not let you pet their dogs. If they do let you pet the dog, observe the dog’s behavior for signs of animal abuse.

Direct Signs of Extreme Animal Abuse

Before I go into further specifics on the harder to find animal abuse issues let’s take a quick look at those extreme cases you normally see on the news. While extreme case are on the rise around the country, these types of cases are lower in number then standard animal abuse. You may see more of them on the news, on Animal Planet, or other places, but this is a shock factor to raise awareness.

The extreme cases of animal abuse are often some of the easiest ones to spot in the event you see it. These are often the cases where you actually see dogs that have begun to show the following signs.

• overly aggressive behavior
• overly timid behavior
• emaciated (extremely skinny and bony)
  

  Emaciated Dog

• showing signs of undernourishment
• possibly in need of immediate medical attention:
  • broken bones
  • signs of burns
  • dried blood stains
  • extreme limping
  • extreme whining or whimpering
  • aggressively favoring body parts
  • inability to move
  • unhealed or missing body parts
  • sign of animal fighting or bite marks
  • or other signs of being hurt
• Overall signs of neglect:
  • Lack of fresh water for several days
  • lack of food for several days
  • left out in adverse weather without shelter (rain, snow, etc)
  • left chained outside for several days in a row

This is not an all inclusive list of animal abuse symptoms or conditions. These must be taking in context to the overall conditions of the animal. As stated above, just because you drive by a house after work every night and see the dog outside on a chain does not mean that the animal is abused.

However, if you see a dog that is chained outside in the snow, emaciated, and limping badly, then this would stand to have a high possibility of being abused.

The Unseen Animal Abuse Conditions

Unfortunately many dogs are abused every single day without acknowledgment. This is not because no one knows about these abused dogs, but more because no one sees them as being abused.

The extreme cases should make you sick when you see them. If you see them, report them. But the more common type of animal abuse happens with many regular owners. These owners are neglectful of their pets.

By this I mean that these owners are abusive, but not yet to a point where they have become an extreme animal abuse case. These owners commonly abuse their animals through physical abuse or simply by not providing a proper level of care for the animal.

As we discussed earlier in Animal Abuse Series 1, animal abuse is physical abuse that would be considered above a level required for correction of normal behavior. Repeatedly striking a pet is considered to be animal abuse. Striking a pet with an object such as a belt, baseball bat, or other blunt object would also be considered animal abuse.

Neglectful animal abuse often happens when an animal is in need of some form of medical attention, medicine, or better living conditions. Owners that have pets that become injured are responsible for the pet’s wellbeing. It is their responsibility to care for the pet and to make sure that the pet is being treated for any injuries. Unfortunately this type of animal abuse becomes quite common with some owner groups, such as elderly owners who cannot take care of the pets properly, low income owners who cannot afford treatments, or younger, less responsible pet owners who should not own pets.

Animal abuse can only be fought is people learn what it is, learn how to spot it, and learn to speak up about it. Do your part to help fight this tragic behavior.

Next Series Post Preview: How and Where To Report Animal Abuse.

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