by Nancy Houser

Created on: November 15, 2008   Last Updated: June 13, 2009

There is one thing that stands between the death of a neglected or abused animal and its eventual life of safety. That is the loud voice of a caring stranger who is not afraid to become involved. Too often individuals turn their heads away from something they find unpleasant or detrimental to their personal life, whether that is of another human being or an animal in suspected danger.

Animal cruelty is now being strongly associated through scientific evidence for mental health and human violence, and by ignoring an act of animal abuse a person may be contributing to even further abuse going on inside the animal's home of victimized children or adults. Recognizing animal abuse is an easy one-two-three step process, and if any of the following signs are recognized then authorities should be immediately notified. If not, then the one who neglects to do so is just as guilty as the abuser.

SIGNS OF ANIMAL ABUSE

Weight Loss:

A loss of weight in an animal has a varying scale, as each breed has a typical appearance. (1) The worst sign of weight loss is when the animal is emaciated-when bones are prominent from a distant away with no obvious signs of muscle fat or muscle mass. There will be an extreme hourglass shape and severe tuck in the abdomen. (2) Less severe but just as obvious is the very underweight animal where the pelvic bone, ribs or lumbar vertebra bones can be easily seen. There will be some loss of the body fat and muscle mass, but less severe than the emaciated animal. The abdomen will have a prominent tuck and also an hourglass shape. (3) The thin dog is less able to be diagnosed as an abused dog, as the dog may be a thin breed, have worm issues which are being handled, or has recently had a litter of puppies. But there still will be a small amount of muscle mass loss, and an obvious tuck in the waist and abdomen. The animal's ribs will be visible with no fat on them and are easily palpated.

Adequate Shelter:

All animals that remain outside should have adequate shelter which is clean and large enough for their size. Bedding (straw, hay, blankets, etc.) should be inside for them to lie on and some form of protection at the shelter opening to prevent rain or snow from entering. Igloo dog-houses with a slant to the front are considered adequate without something at the opening. Wooden dog houses need to be painted with nailed openings or holes to prevent the cold from coming in. Short-haired or very small dogs should not be outside all the time in

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