Meanwhile, in america:
Most common victims
The animals whose abuse is most often reported are dogs, cats,
horses and
livestock. Based on the 1,423 U.S. cruelty cases on
pet-abuse.com’s 2011 digest in which species of the victim was specified:
- 70.1% involved dogs.
- 20.9% involved cats.
- 24.1% involved other animals.
Undercover investigations have revealed that animal abuse abounds in the factory farm industry. But because of the weak protections afforded to
livestock under state cruelty laws, only the most shocking cases are reported, and few are ever prosecuted.
Find out how you can help protect farm animals here.*
Organized cruelty
Dogfighting,
cockfighting and other forms of organized animal cruelty go hand in hand with other crimes, and continues in many areas of the United States due to public corruption.
The HSUS’ investigative team combats complacent public officials, and has worked with the FBI on public corruption cases in Tennessee and Virginia.
In both instances, law enforcement officers were indicted and convicted.
Correlation with domestic violence
Data on domestic violence and child abuse cases reveal that a staggering number of animals are targeted by those who abuse their children or spouses.
- There are approximately 70 million pet dogs and 74.1 million pet cats in the U.S. where 20 men and women are assaulted per minute (an average of around 10 million a year).
- In one survey, 71 percent of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted pets.[4]
- In one study of families under investigation for suspected child abuse, researchers found that pet abuse had occurred in 88 percent of the families under supervision for physical abuse of their children[5].
To put a stop to this pattern of violence, the Humane Society Legislative Fund supported the
PAWS (Pets and Women’s Safety Act), introduced to Congress in 2015 as H.R. 1258 and S.B. 1559 (Humane Society Legislative Fund, 2015). The PAWS act would give victims of domestic abuse means to escape their abusers while keeping their companion animals safe — many victims remain in abusive households for fear of their pets’ safety.
Animal Cruelty Facts and Stats : The Humane Society of the United States
