Recognizing cruelty is simple, right?

Not quite, timid or fearful behavior doesn’t always
tell the whole story. Animals may appear to be timid or frightened for many reasons other than abuse.
“It’s almost impossible to make conclusions based on a pet’s behavior alone,” says the ASPCA Animal Behavior Center’s Kristen Collins, CPDT. “The best way to tell whether a pet is being or has been abused is to examine him and his surrounding environment.”

Physical Signs

cruel

  • Collar so tight that it has caused a neck wound or has become embedded in the pet’s neck
  • Open wounds, signs of multiple healed wounds or an ongoing injury or illness that isn’t being treated
  • Untreated skin conditions that have caused loss of hair, scaly skin, bumps or rashes
  • Extreme thinness or emaciation- bones may be visible
  • Fur infested with fleas, ticks or other parasites
  • Patches of bumpy, scaly skin rashes
  • Signs of inadequate grooming, such as extreme matting of fur, overgrown nails and dirty coat
  • Weakness, limping or the inability to stand or walk normally
  • Heavy discharge from eyes or nose
  • An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal
  • Visible signs of confusion or extreme drowsiness

Environmental Signs

    • Pets are tied up alone outside for long periods of time without adequate food or water, or with food or water that is unsanitary
    • Pets are kept outside in inclement weather without access to adequate shelter
    • Pets are kept in an area littered with feces, garbage, broken glass or other objects that could harm them
    • Animals are housed in kennels or cages (very often crowded in with other animals) that
      are to small to allow them to stand, tum around and make normal movements possibly
      with too many other animals

    Reporting suspected animal cruelty ensures that animals in jeopardy receive prompt and often lifesaving care. By making a complaint to the police or humane society in your area (you can even do so anonymously) you help ensure that animals in need are rescued and that perpetrators of cruelty are brought to justice.

    If you see signs of animal abuse, don’t keep it to yourself

    North Myrtle Beach
    Police (843)280-5518
    Humane Society (843)249-4948
    Beach Myrtle
    Police (843)918-1300
    Humane Society (843)448-9151
    Horry County
    Police (843)248-1520
    Humane Society (843)915-5170


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