It is sad how people get away with mistreating animals. Unfortunately, animal cruelty is rarely reported, and due to this reason, the rate of animal abuse has shot up greatly. The high number of cases reported on animal abuse is quite disheartening.
It is time people take this worldwide issue seriously and reduce the rate of animal cruelty. We need more non-profit organizations and proponents to step up and be the mouthpiece of the animals. There is a need to create awareness on this matter, and every individual should take responsibility for informing others.
Read on to get the most shocking reveal on statics of animal abuse. This is no longer a one-person thing, but we must join forces and raise awareness to fight animal cruelty.
Disturbing Animal Cruelty Facts and Statistics
- Every 60 seconds, one animal is abused.
- Over 10 million animals are abused to death in the states every year.
- 97% of animal cruelty cases are from farm animals. These creatures are subjected to abuse until they meet their deaths.
- Annually, over 115 million animals are used in the laboratory for testing experiments.
- Dogs are the most affected of all abused animals, with 65% cruelty cases.
- Due to consumption faults, over 100000 horses die yearly in the US.
- More than 50% of animal fur is used in the textile industries in the US, coming from china, where dogs and cats are skinned to death.
- About 1/3 of parrot species are facing extinction due to the trade of this exotic bird.
- In the United States, more than 10000 puppy mills are spread all over.
- 250000 animals are subjected to unhealthy hoarding environments
- Annually, over 6.5 million dogs and cats end up in shelters.
- The most abused and neglected dogs in the world are the pit bull.
- Circus animals like dancing bears spend 90% of their lives caged.
- About 40000 people organize dog fights.
- Dozens of racehorses die mainly due to physical stress
General Animal Abuse Facts and Statistics
Animal cruelty can be in the form of neglect from owners or organizations or intentional abuse like organized dog fights or lab testing.
1. Every Minute That Passes One Animal Dies From Neglect and Torture
In these modern times, many people turn a blind eye and condone animal abuse. Sadly, the animals face abuse in different forms, leaving them in pain, fear, and death.
As you read this article, an animal is probably abused somewhere, or it might even be dead. Every year, more than 10 million animals die in the United States because of abuse and negligence.
2. About 65% of all abused animals are dogs.
Animal cruelty reports show that dogs are the most affected by this abuse. The most victimized breed is the pit bull. Some countries have gone to the extent of banning this dog due to pit bulls attacking people. This dog breed is highly misunderstood and treated harshly.
Over 40000 people organize dog fights for entertainment. As a result, a thousand dogs are forced to participate in this violent, illegal blood sport. Some even end up dead.
3. Passive and active cruelty
There are more cases of passive animal cruelty compared to active ones. The passive cruelty cases include improper shelter, dehydration, starvation, and poor health and sanitation.
Active cruelty to animals involves harming the animals intentionally. Either by beating, whipping, or branding the animals. Active abuse often results in the death of animals.
4. 71% of people reported for domestic violence end up abusing their pets.
According to animal abuse and domestic violence statistics, it is clear that many people who are victims of domestic violence suffer a similar fate to their pets. The abuser maltreats both of them in the worst way possible.
5. About 88% of homes under child abuse investigations also have animal cruelty reports.
Families with child abuse cases also have many animal abuse cases. Unfortunately, the victims of this abuse also end up mistreating animals. It worsens in cases where the kid is subjected to domestic violence. Then, the abuse of animals becomes even worse.
6. Farm Animal Abuse Statistics
Most homesteads have animals they keep for domestic purposes, making farm animals an important part of man’s life. But unfortunately, a larger percentage, almost 99% of farm animals, suffer at the hands of their keepers to the point of ruthless killing. This happens when care and love towards the critter slowly fade.
97% of animal cruelty cases are from farm animals
For instance, in the United States, a billion chickens get slaughtered for the production of meat and eggs. Yet, some hen somewhere gave its life as you enjoy breakfast and lunch from a chicken product.
Farm animals undergo inhumane treatment where their keepers mutilate part of their bodies for domestic achievement. An animal such as a bull goes through dehorning to prevent it from injuring other cattle in accidents or during bullfights.
The same male cows are castrated to reduce the rate at which they reproduce. It is very painful and cruel what this voiceless creature goes through.
You may also find people docking the tails of the doghouse for beauty purposes, to induct speed in the running, or to prevent possible rabies infection. However, docking a dog is uncomfortable and is not a way of providing proper attention.
Dairy cows live only 25% – 35% of their natural lifespan
Factory farming is a type of animal abuse where farmers use animals as a source of raw materials for their industries. As a result, animals like cows are forced to produce more than 5litres more than normal to meet the large market demand.
In addition, cows are given supplements to boost milk production. Cats and dogs are slaughtered for their meat which is highly consumed in Asia.
Donkeys and bulls are forced to pull carts to help provide more labor on the farm. At some point, the latter animals are whipped mercilessly when they get exhausted and refuse to move the carts.
When people punish their pets for a mess they created, it goes beyond regular proper care. Some people have psychological disorders, and when they hit an animal, they kill it.
In other circumstances, humans drive their rage toward helpless pets and end up hurting them. Sometimes, a person makes an animal fear them to get the power of authority over their subjects. This makes them feel in control and superior.
7. Wild Animal Abuse Statistics
Wild animals are known to be independent or interdependent for their survival. Yet, in several cases, animals living in the forests have been handled cruelly, and others killed.
One way in which wild animals are abused is by poaching. This is the illegal hunting down of wild creatures to get a part of their body, depending on the type of animal, for commercial purposes.
For instance, cheetahs are hunted for their fine skin. The skin is a raw material for an insanely expensive fabric highly demanded by industries.
More than 60 elephants have died since 1994 due to inadequate medical care
Elephants are poached for their ivory leading to a decreased population. A minimum of 30000 elephants are killed yearly.
Almost 90 million sharks are poached every year for fin soup. Animal abuse statistics also show that every year, 650000 marine mammals get injured and some killed due to poor fishing gear. Whereas, Wild bears are hunted to produce bile. Poaching is illegal and can get the involved party a minimum of year imprisonment.
Killing wild animals is a form of abuse that has spread widely. Animals are killed either for illegal reasons or as a way of self-defense. Most wild animals meet their death by stabbing, beating, or shooting.
Some poachers kill wild animals as a hobby for hunting. Other animals get killed to eliminate a pandemic that threatens human life. People are ignorant that some animals depend on each other for food to balance the ecosystem. This has made some of them die due to starvation. Therefore, killing an animal can lead to the death of its predator.
8. Abuse of animals in the entertainment industries
Mistreatment of wild animals can also be in the form of misusing animals. This is through making animals perform tasks that they were never made for. A good example is having a seal or dolphin perform to entertain.
About 90% of a dancing bear’s life is in cages, yet they are forced to perform in circuses. Bears need to roam for exercise and get mental stimulation. They cannot achieve this while caged in those small cages.
How can to stop animal cruelty
Sometimes you may feel so helpless thinking of everything animals are subjected to. However, there is a lot you can do to stop all these abuses of animals.
Educate: shade some light to everyone around you, neighbors, relatives, and friends, on animal abuse.
Report: if you notice any incident in your neighborhood, do not hesitate to report to the nearest local animal control unit or dial 911 to report the matter. An investigation will be carried out to validate this claim, and legal action will be carried out.
Donate: visit the animal shelters as a volunteer and render some help to those organizations.
Boycott products from companies that test on animals: before getting products, research where they are manufactured to prevent promoting and encouraging factories that are known to test their products on animals.
FAQ
What is animal abuse?
Animal abuse is the improper way of treating animals without considering the effect it imposes on the particular creature. Unfortunately, animal abuse is practiced worldwide, either knowingly or unknowingly. This is so through beating, fighting, petting, hoarding, and killing.
Several countries and states have done much to help enforce animal care laws. But on the other hand, other states have displayed the highest animal abuse cases with no action to curb the issue.
Why do people abuse animals?
Yearly more than 10 million creatures in the United States are tortured in cases of domestic mistreatment. Some human beings abuse animals because of issues such as general dislike making them fight the animal away and end up hurting or killing it. In other circumstances, animals are abused if the keepers lack an anger management system.
How can you stop dog abuse?
Over 60%of abused animals are dogs. Dogs are among the animals that are abused largely since they are kept in homes as pets. Dog abuse can be corrected by ensuring laws are upheld. But first, we have to create awareness on ways of proper care for dogs.
Also, people should be encouraged to report cases where dogs have been treated improperly or cruelly. Environmental litter management can help prevent dogs from eating anything that might endanger their lives. At home, it is advisable to use dog-friendly products to ensure our dogs have healthy living.
How many animals are abused every year?
In the United States, over a 23.3million animals are killed yearly in different situations. While the latter number includes animals that live on land only, the number goes beyond 150 million if sea animals are included.
Where does animal abuse happen most?
Dog abuse happens mostly in Asia. Dogs are slaughtered to provide meat for consumption. Almost 1000 dogs are killed daily to cater to the large population that depends on dog meat.
What are the examples of animal cruelty?
Improper treatment of animals happens in ways such as poaching, an illegal way of hunting down animals, killing due to cruel beating, or shooting. In addition, neglect and lack of concern are abuse to voiceless animals.
75%of domesticated reptiles die yearly due to changes in the ecosystem. Animals such as lizards, turtles, and snakes should not be tamed but instead left to be free in the wild. If domesticated, they are unable to the unfit environment and end up dying. Other reptiles are used for clinical testing and don’t make it out of the labs alive.
Among 10 animals, 5 are mutilated to achieve satisfactorily desires. Animal abuse through castration in bulls, docking in dogs, and dehorning are also highly recorded. This is to prevent cows from uncontrolled reproduction and increase dogs’ speed or for cosmetic reasons in pet dogs.
Is it a crime to kill animals?
In some states where laws against animal abuse have been put into place, killing an animal is a crime. It is a great offense to end an animal’s life despite the threat they pose. Wild animals can be caged in cases where they impose insecurity on human life.
It is illegal to kill an animal and is punishable by law though not everywhere. Killing any animal is cruel and wrong unless it imposes health problems on human beings. All creatures deserve to live in a comfortable environment.
What state is the leading in animal cruelty law enforcement?
Some states, such as Kentucky, have improved in enforcing laws. Kentucky in North America is the leading state in animal cruelty law enforcement. This is so since they recorded the highest cruel treatment of animals over the years, which became alarming. Laws had to be implemented to reduce the high rate at which animals were tortured and killed.
Which state has the highest animal cruelty rates?
It is paramount to have researchers check the rates at which animals are abused in every state. Delaware is the state that has the highest rate of animal cruelty. A minimum of 100 cases of animal cruelty are reported in a population of 100,000 people.
Can you get arrested for killing a dog?
In most states, killing a dog is a crime; therefore, one can be arrested if found guilty. Expect to receive a jail term of not less than 12 months. In addition, all states should implement laws to help reduce dog abuse cases.
Wrap up
Each year industries subject animals to massive torture, and more than 100 million animals are abused. As a result, they either end up dead or injured. Some live the rest of their lives getting tested in the labs, while others remain caged as they are forced to entertain people.
None of these animals deserve the cruelty they receive from people. With the rising rates of animal deaths, I am afraid some species are subjected to extinction. Treat every animal with love, kindness, and care, and let us create awareness of animal cruelty statistics.
