April is Animal Cruelty Awareness Month
Getting a pet means a commitment to treating this furry friend like another member of the family! There are countless loving families across the United States who care and treat their dogs, cats, and other pets just as well as they would their children. Unfortunately, this isn’t the situation for all animals. April is Animal Cruelty Awareness Month and your Jacksonville veterinarian wants to share the different types of animal cruelty and what you can do to help.
Dogfighting
Dogfighting is one of the most well-known blood sports, where dogs are forced to fight one another for entertainment and/or profit of the spectators and the owners. There are certain breeds of dogs that are commonly found in this blood sport, including Pit Bulls and their mixed breeds.
Some signs that you may notice that could indicate that a dog is being subjected to dog fighting are aggressive scars around their lips, cropped ears, severely underweight, heavy chains to keep them restrained, and much more.
If you ever think that you’ve spotted a dog who’s been put through dog fighting or notice any of the signs above, call your local SPCA immediately.
Animal Hoarding
Animal hoarding is a serious epidemic, where one household contains far too many animals that cannot properly be cared for. With a combination of issues such as mental health, animal welfare, and public safety concerns, an enormous number of animals can be contained in one home without the care, attention, and love that they deserve. Animal hoarding can result in starvation, illness to the other animals around it, and possibly death.
People who have a lot of pets aren’t always necessarily categorized as animal hoarders. It’s important to note these signs of animal hoarding:
- An overwhelmingly large amount of animals that seem to be scouring for food and water
- Insect infestation
- Strong smell of ammonia, feces, urine, or vomit
- The home is deteriorated and not well-kept to care for the animals
- Animals are extremely unsocialized and aggressive
Call your local authorities if you believe you’ve found a home that is hoarding animals in an unhealthy and unsafe manner. They’ll be able to tell you what steps to take next so you can help properly protect these animals.
Your Jacksonville veterinarian urges you to reach out and speak up when you notice any animals that may be in distress that’s out of their control. Every animal deserves to live a healthy and long life and we want to help!