Simply put, animal cruelty is when you harm an animal by purposeful action or neglect, emphasised the JSPCA.
Certain activities are accepted as cruel, such as animal fighting, but the actions considered as animal cruelty varies from individual to individual and country to country.
Who abuses animals?
Animal cruelty is not bound by any characteristics.
What are the types of animal cruelty?
There are two broadly accepted types of animal cruelty: neglect and intentional.
Neglect
Neglect entails providing insufficient care to an animal that results in harm. An example is animal hoarding. Animal hoarders are characterised by owning a greater-than-normal amount of animals, being unable to provide the basic care that the animals need and denying they are unable to provide for the animals.
Intentional
Intentional animal cruelty is acting to harm an animal. Examples include animal fighting, overworking a horse or other animal and torture.
Physical signs
The physical and behavioural signs of abuse can include:
• Flinching at human contact;
• Unexplained fractures or limping;
• Extreme submission, including urinating, rolling over, and tail tucking;
• Unprovoked aggression;
• Whining or whimpering;
• Wounds left untreated,
• Fur loss.
Environmental signs
Some environmental signs that abuse may be taking place include:
• Lack of water or food;
• Lack of shelter;
• Constantly being left outside;
• Dirty environment.
If you know an animal is being abused or suspect one is being abused, contact the JSPCA Inspectors on 083 604 1172 or email pr@jhbspca.co.za
Please note: their social media pages are not monitored 24/7. Do not report cruelty on their posts. Instead of typing a message on Facebook, type it via email. An animal’s life could depend on it.
