Would you recognize animal cruelty?

April 8, 2011

Cruelty to animals is illegal in all 50 states and considered a felony in 44 of them, including Washington state. In Washington state, animal cruelty in the first degree is considered a Class C felony. The month of April is designated as Animal Cruelty Prevention Month. Click here to view how states vary in fines and crimes and to see where other states rate in terms of penalty and punishment for animal cruelty.

The story of Scarlet

For those who are not familiar with Scarlet or her story, in December 2010 Scarlet was neglected, abused, malnourished and left tied to a tree to die until a good Samaritan found her and brought her to the Kitsap Humane Society. Prior to this, she had been stolen from KHS in August. 
We are proud to announce that Scarlet has made a full recovery and is in search of her new family. Scarlet has been renamed Letty in honor of her new life. The name Letty in Latin means “joy and footloose.” It describes both her personality, spirit for life and the joy she will bring and find with her new family.
For more information on Letty, please refer to her description here. We will be selective in finding Letty her new home and finding the best match for her. It is important to note that Letty’s new family must be open to follow-up with our Animal Control officers as well as a possible home inspection because of Letty being part of a criminal case. If you are interested in Letty becoming a member of your family, please submit your adoption application to Heidi Dahl at hdahl@kitsap-humane.org.

Would you recognize animal cruelty or know what to do if you saw it?

Animal cruelty can come in many forms, a dog in a puppy mill living in inadequate living conditions forced to produce litter after litter, dogs forced to fight to the death, a cat tortured for the “fun” of it, or inadequate living conditions, food, attention or veterinary care. Cruelty occurs when someone intentionally injures or harms an animal. Some signs that may indicate abuse or neglect: tick or flea infestations , wounds on the body,  patches of missing hair, an extremely thin animal, a starving animal , limping , an owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal, dogs who are repeatedly left alone without food and water, and often chained in a yard, dogs who have been hit by cars—or are showing any of the signs listed here—and have not  been taken to a veterinarian, dogs who are kept outside without shelter in extreme weather conditions, or animals who cower in fear or act aggressively when approached by their owners.

What is considered animal neglect?

There are varying forms of neglect: Simple neglect and gross, willful, cruel or malicious neglect. Simple neglect (failure to provide basic needs) is not always considered a criminal act, and can often be resolved by the intervention of local animal care and control or humane agencies, which may be able to offer resources and educate offenders on how to provide proper care for their animals. However, a growing number of states make a distinction between simply failing to take adequate care of animals and intentionally or knowingly withholding sustenance. Accordingly, “willful” neglect is considered a more serious, often prosecutable offense.

Neglect can also be an indicator of “animal hoarding,” the accumulation of large numbers of animals in extremely unsanitary conditions, often resulting in the death of many animals and potentially serious health consequences for the people who are living with them. In many cases, individuals charged with animal abuse and neglect in hoarding situations have been found to have children or dependent adults living in the same conditions as the animals who are suffering.

Why should everyone care about animal cruelty?

Animal abuse is proven to likely lead to other human abuse situations, violent crimes and a societal problem.  

Who should you call if you witness abuse or neglect?

KHS recently joined the CenCom network and all calls should be made to 911, which will be routed to Kitsap County Animal Control Officers for immediate response.