What Constitutes Animal Cruelty?
Acts of violence or neglect perpetrated against animals are considered animal cruelty. Examples include overt animal abuse, dog and cock fighting and companion animal neglect where the animal is denied basic necessities of care such as fresh water and food or shelter.
Many people who witness or hear about cruelty are not aware that legal action can be taken to help stop the problem. Companion animals are primarily covered by state animal cruelty laws, which vary from state to state and county to county. Animal welfare organizations across the country work daily to educate people about the proper care of animals and how to prevent animal cruelty.
Animal cruelty can be divided into two general categories: neglect and intentional cruelty.
Neglect
- Neglect is the failure to provide an animal with the most basic of requirements of food, water, shelter and veterinary care.
- Neglect may be due to ignorance on the animal owner’s part and is usually handled by requiring the owner to correct the situation. If the problem is not corrected, the animal may be removed from the neglectful person by law enforcement authorities.
Intentional Cruelty