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Animal Health: Preventing animal cruelty

By ALEX CUKAN, UPI Science News

Human violence toward animals crosses all racial and socio-economic lines and reaches from coast to coast, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which sponsors April as prevention of animal cruelty month to educate Americans about this social problem.

"There is more of a concern for animals today, than in the 19th century when the ASPCA was founded," Stephen Musso, ASPCA acting president, told UPI's Animal Tales. "Today, we still have direct abuse such as dog fighting or cockfighting (and) neglect and abandonment of animals, but we have made efforts to be a more humane society."

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If a person attempted to beat an animal outdoors, most people would intercede because, culturally, we don't tolerate this type of abuse, according to Musso.

"However, there's a lot more neglect than direct trauma," Musso said. "People will leave an animal in the backyard and not feed it or give it water and in some cases people leave a pet outside and don't realize the animal needs shelter from the sun and elements."

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In 2002, the ASPCA's Humane Law Enforcement department's 15 agents and special investigators examined nearly 4,000 complaints of suspected animal cruelty in New York City.

Many Americans have an increased awareness of what constitutes animal cruelty due to the exposure of the New York City Humane Law Enforcement department on the television program, "Animal Precinct."

The weekly reality series, which airs on the Animal Planet cable network, chronicles the work of the ASPCA's Humane Law Enforcement department in New York as they investigate and prosecute cases of animal cruelty.

"There's often surprise and disbelief that neglecting to feed an animal is a crime in most states," said Valerie Angeli, ASPCA director of public information and special projects. "As is letting an animal on the street to fend for itself."

There are fewer stray animals than before, but too many people still think a cat or a dog can survive on its own outside, but it's very tough for a dog to survive. Although cats can hide more easily and hunt rodents and small animals, both of their lifespans can be shortened severely, Musso explained.

"Some people have the misconception that they're being more humane by not taking animal to a shelter because they fear it'll be euthanized there, but if they let the pet loose it will probably suffer," he said.

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"The lion's share of our calls have to do with neglect, animals left on their own in a yard with out food or water," Joseph Pentangelo, special agent with ASPCA's Humane Law Enforcement, told UPI's Animal Tales. "We see embedded collars -- collars that have grown into the dog's neck because the dog outgrew it."

Some people still use corporal punishment with a dog, but a dog responds to positive reinforcement, essentially they want to please a person, according to Pentangelo.

One area of neglect that often appears on the nightly local news is a person that has dozens of pets in a house and is arrested because they are not fed enough or living in unhealthy conditions.

"We call them collectors. It usually involves people with good intentions but often they have some type of physical or mental impairment," Pentangelo said.

"Often an elderly person will take in a few of stray cats and because they don't have a lot of money they don't spay or neuter them and very soon five cats can become 50 cats and the person can't afford to feed them or care for them properly."

Pentangelo, a retired New York City police officer, said he has seen it in studies and on the job: People who assault and kill people often had abused and killed animals as a child.

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"The better people treat animals the better they'll treat other people," he said. "If children can learn to respect all living things, the less likely they will be to abuse people down the line."

Animal cruelty laws vary from state to state, and the agency responsible for investigating cases can vary from county to county. Cruelty can range from simple neglect -- failure to provide food, water, shelter or necessary medical care -- to intentional abuse, torture or death. Violence against animals also can be part of a pattern of violence against people.

"If you witness or hear about a possible case of animal cruelty taking place, report it to your local humane organization or call your local police," Angeli said. "Community animal shelters are listed under 'Humane Societies' or 'Animal Shelters' in the yellow pages of the telephone book and can be found on a searchable database at aspca.org."

The ASPCA, founded in New York on April 10, 1866, by Henry Bergh, was the first organization in the United States dedicated to the prevention of cruelty to animals.

"Bergh modeled it after the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in England," Musso said. "He was appalled by the way people were taking care of their horses -- they would overload the horse and when the load was too much for the animal they would whip it to make it move."

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As part of its original charter from the state of New York in 1866, the ASPCA was given the legal authority to investigate and make arrests for crimes against animals in New York City."

One of the earliest convictions of animal cruelty occurred in 1867 when David Heath was sentenced to 10 days in prison for beating a cat to death.

"Many people think that since we wear uniforms we work for the government and they can't believe that we exist because of the generosity of the public," said Musso.

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