When it comes to recognizing animal cruelty, it’s not that easy of a task to do.
Certain animals might come off as fearful at first glance, others may act aggressive with no real reason to do so, while another might be timid at all times.
But, the thing is, such behavior doesn’t always mean that the animal being talked about is being abused. There could be countless other reasons why this animal is behaving like that besides abuse.
So, to simplify your life and, more importantly, help you SAVE AN ANIMAL’S LIFE, the following list of signs will go a long way in helping you recognize animals that might need your help to save their life from abuse.
- Behavior: The animal exhibits signs of aggression, fear or timidness, especially when it’s around its owner.
- Wound: Some animals have very tight collars/chains/padlocks put around their necks, to the extent that these collars cause visible wounds. Or, you might be able to notice some open wounds on different parts of their bodies, wounds that are currently healing or apparent bruises that are left untreated.
- Skin: If you notice excessive skin conditions on an animal, such as bald spots (due to loss of hair), rashes or bumps on the skin, these could all be signs of abuse.
- Weight: An animal that’s subject to abuse will often be under-fed, which will be apparent in its very skinny and fragile figure, to the extent that its bones are visible.
- Cleanliness: An animal that’s subject to abuse will most often be left poorly groomed, with dirt filling its coat, nails left uncleaned and ungroomed, etc ..
- Physical Difficulties: Visible weakness, inability to move in a smooth way, limping, inability to stand without pain, confusion, lightheadedness, drowsiness, random discharge from nose and/or eyes, etc ..
- Improper Owner Interaction: The moment you notice an owner inappropriately hitting or abusing its pet, chances are that this pet is also abused behind closed doors.
- Solitary: A pet that’s left alone for long periods of time tied up to an object in order to prevent it from going anywhere. Pets should be given proper shelter and able to move freely within restricted areas with food, water and entertainment tools being available to them, and not tied up somewhere unattended to.
- Sanitation: An animal left in an area covered with the likes of feces, garbage and objects likely to inflict physical pain or lead to diseases.
- Overcrowding: If you see way too many animals living in a small space/area (or worse off, being crammed in all on on top of each other in a cage/several cages), this could be a sign of animal hoarding.
