Animal Cruelty

The – Big – D is cruelty Free

DETROIT IS CRUELTY FREE

Cruelty, Brutality, Torture, Violence, Abuse, Neglect, Indifference, Abandonment, Exploitation
ANIMAL ABUSE IS 100% PREVENTABLE

ANIMALS ARE CREATURES CREATED BY GOD. ANIMALS COMMUNICATE, THINK AND
FEEL. ANIMALS HAVE EMOTIONS AND COMMUNICATE THEM. THEY EACH HAVE A
UNIQUE PERSONALITY; ANIMALS EXPERIENCE PAIN AND ANIMALS CAN SUFFER.
It cannot be stated enough that animals/pets are thinking and feeling creatures and that they DO feel the
pain and brunt of cruelty. This world can be free of animal abuse, cruelty and exploitation. It takes
knowledge and action on our part.

Here are some terms to bring awareness and insight.
CRUELTY: IS callous indifference to or pleasure in causing pain and suffering.
BRUTALITY: is extreme cruelty, deliberate violent meanness
TORTURE: the action or practice of inflicting severe pain or suffering on someone/something as a
punishment or in order to force them to do or say something.
VIOLENCE: behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill
ABUSE: treat an animal with cruelty or violence, especially regularly or repeatedly; improper treatment
NEGLECT: the state or fact of being uncared for.; fail to care for properly/can be knowingly or unknowingly
INDIFFERENCE: without interest or concern, not caring; apathetic
ABANDONMENT: desert, forsake; means to leave without intending to return; leaving behind an animal
alone or permitting the animal to be abandoned in circumstances which might cause harm and lack of
protection to the animal; A person commits the crime of animal abandonment if the person intentionally,
purposely, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence leaves a domestic animal at a location
permanently or temporarily without providing for the animal's continued care; Abandoned pets are
companion animals that are either inadvertently or deliberately abandoned by their owners by either
dumping the animals on the streets, leaving them alone in a vacant property, or relinquishing them at an
animal shelter..

EXPLOITATION: the act of selfishly taking advantage of a pet or animal by someone or a group of
people in order to profit from that pet or animal or otherwise benefit oneself from that pet or animal.

Hitting, striking, smacking, kicking, punching, pummeling, whipping, chaining, binding, cutting, cutting
off body parts, burning, scalding, poking, piercing, shooting with a gun; choking, strangling, stringing up;
tying up; withholding food, water, shelter, not giving enough food or water; not providing sanitary
conditions such as being confined to a space littered with urine, feces, broken glass, garbage or other
objects that could harm the pet; intentionally giving something harmful to the animal to eat/swallow;
dumping in the trash; releasing the pet to the outdoors without provision; Locking in a home or chained to
a dog house, fence or tree without provision for care; dog fighting/baiting; cock fighting, withholding
medical care; incorrect confinement to houses, garages, cages, kennels or being placed in a cage or kennel
that is too small and does not allow normal movement; improper control/supervision such as allowing
animal to run unsafely through the streets; lack of proper grooming; any form of animal sexual abuse;
hoarding of animals in such a large scale that the needs of the animals cannot be adequately met; being
left outdoors in poor weather (too hot or too cold) without access to adequate shelter; pitching, tossing, or
throwing as if the pet was a toy.

Cruelty oftentimes falls into two categories
Omit=failure to do something that is needed/proper
Commit= doing something that should not have been done
Knowingly; Acts of harm/pain/suffering inflicted upon a pet or failing to supply what one knows a pet
needs
Unknowingly: In ignorance failing to provide the pet with needed food, water, shelter, medical care or
giving something to the animal that should not have been given such as candy, chocolate etc.
Recklessly: showing a lack of care about risks or danger and acting without thinking about the results of
your actions toward a pet
Data on domestic violence and child abuse cases show that a large number of pets are targeted and abused
by people who abuse their children or spouses.
If you know or think your child is harming a pet purposely as a way of coping with his or her own
traumatic experience or emotions, please get professional help immediately for your child and make
arrangements for the ongoing safety of your pet.

RECOGNIZING SIGNS OF CURELTY, ABUSE OR NEGLECT

PHYSICAL SIGNS: observing a human physically harming an animal; matted/long/dirty coat; coat
infestations with fleas, ticks, parasites, long untrimmed nails; emaciation/able to see bones through the
skin; sickly looking; scars; dogfighting signs such as fighting scars seen on the back or front legs or
face; mangled ears, swollen face or puncture wounds are also possible signs of dogfighting; collars too
tight causing wounds or embedding; signs an animal is not being treated for an ailment such as a broken
bone/open wound/parasitic infections or other injuries; being observed chained for long periods of time
outdoors or left in a kennel with no adult intervention; unexplained fractures or limping; changes in
appearance such as fur loss, dull-looking fur or mange which is caused by mites

EMOTIONAL SIGNS: extreme fright; extreme unprovoked aggression; withdrawn; depression; does not
want to be touched; flinches with human contact; tucked tail; whining; whimpering; overly
submissive/rolling onto back/urinating; attempting to bite or scratch when being petted; suddenly
avoiding any contact physically

ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNS: chained to garage/doghouse for long periods of time; chained for long periods
of time without adequate food and /or water; confined outside in extreme weather such as heat or cold;
confined to a space littered with urine, stool, broken glass, confined cages or kennels that do not allow
adequate movement

HOW TO REPORT LOCAL CRUELTY in the city of Detroit: If you know or suspect that an animal is
being abused or neglected, report it immediately by contacting the Michigan Humane Society
cruelty hotline at 313-872-3401. The Michigan Humane Society will be able to investigate this. If
it is outside business hours for the Michigan Humane Society, then call your local law
enforcement (the Police) or call 911.

HOW TO REPORT CRUELTY SEEN ON TV/MOVIE: If you are offended or concerned about something you
have viewed you can contact the network that aired the program and you can also contact the American
Humane Association Movie and Television Unit online or by calling 818-501-0123

HOW TO REPORT CRUELTY SEEN ON THE INTERNET: Gather information. Take a screenshot of the cruel
content you see as well as any comments being made that might bring light to who is responsible for the
content; Also, make note of when this posting or event occurred. You can then share this information
with your local police or with the police in the area in which the posting took place. You can also reach
out to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3); The Internet Crime Complaint Center is a division of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning suspected internet-facilitated criminal activity. You can
also consider reporting this cruelty to your local news as media attention may be helpful in bringing
corrective action to this situation.

HOW TO REPORT DOGFIGHTING OR COCK FIGHTING: Call 911 or your local police department or your
local animal control agency. You can also contact the Michigan Humane Society cruelty hotline at 313-
872-3401.

ANIMAL CRUELTY DOES CARRY SIGNIFICANT LEGAL PENALITES
INCLUDING FELONY CHARGES, MONETARY FINES AND JAIL TIME.

Don’t be afraid to speak up about animal cruelty in any form. You are the important link for a life of
safety and freedom for animals experiencing this suffering.

Every animal Every Time Deserves Love, Care and Respect!