ASPCA Sponsors Prevention Of Animal Cruelty Campaign In April

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Tuesday, 1 April 2003

Organization urges Americans to recognize and report all acts of violence and neglect toward animals

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) sponsors April as Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month to educate Americans about animal cruelty and to urge them to report any instances of violence towards animals. Animal cruelty laws vary from state to state and the agencies responsible for investigating cases may 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 may also be part of a pattern of violence against people.

"As Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month approaches we are extremely pleased to report a steady increase in the number of calls we receive each day from people who are interested in learning more about how they can help in the fight against animal cruelty," says Valerie Angeli, ASPCA director of Public Information and Special Projects. "Millions of Americans have an increased awareness of what constitutes animal cruelty due to the tremendous exposure our Humane Law Enforcement department has on Animal Precinct." Animal Precinct, a weekly reality series which airs at 9 PM (ET) on the Animal Planet network, chronicles the work of the ASPCA's Humane Law Enforcement department as they investigate and prosecute cases of animal cruelty in New York City. Ms. Angeli notes that the hundreds of calls per week the ASPCA receives range from questions about becoming a Humane Law Enforcement agent to surprise and disbelief that neglecting to feed an animal is a crime in most states.

"What people need to learn from the show is the fact that animal cruelty is a national problem," commented Annemarie Lucas, ASPCA Special Investigator. "Violence towards animals crosses all racial and socio-economic lines and reaches from coast to coast." In 2002 the ASPCA's Humane Law Enforcement department's 15 agents and special investigators investigated close to 4,000 complaints of suspected animal cruelty in New York City.

The ASPCA offers the following advice to make life more humane for the animals in your community:

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. Community animal shelters are listed under "Humane Societies" or "Animal Shelters" in the Yellow Pages and can also be found on a searchable database on our Web site (http://www.aspca.org).

Learn about animal-friendly legislation pending in your state from the ASPCA's Government Affairs and Public Policy department (http://www.aspca.org/lobby). You can actively help in passing laws by writing letters of support to your lawmakers. The Advocacy Center allows you to automatically send personal letters to state or federal officials.

Teach future generations to respect animal life. Make sure schools in your town include humane education as part of their curriculum or lesson plans. Contact the ASPCA Humane Education department at education@aspca.org for classroom resources.

Adopt a pet at your local shelter. You can view pictures of thousands of available animals at Petfinder.com (http://www.petfinder.com). Local shelter listings can also be found under "Humane Societies" or "Animal Shelters" in the Yellow Pages.

If you own a pet, be responsible and provide it with annual veterinary check-ups and preventive medical care; spay or neuter your cat or dog to reduce the pet population and urge your friends to do the same.

Support your local animal rescue organization or shelter with donations of money, food or supplies. Volunteering your time or fostering a shelter animal is a good way to make a difference. Providing foster care helps socialize abused or frightened animals before they are adopted.

For more information, or to contact American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, see their website at: www.aspca.org

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