Animal Neglect
We’re liberating animals from neglect.
The Issue
Group 4: Our group members are Celia, Christiauna, Cadence, ValliAnn, and A’kylah.
Root Cause:
Our advocacy issue is animal neglect. Animal neglect is the failure to provide basic care required for an animal to thrive. One of the main root causes of animal neglect is uneducated pet owners.Facts and Statistics:
-Animal neglect is also often associated with human neglect, meaning an animal abuser will often also abuse children, elders, or other dependents.
-About 6.5 million pets enter U.S shelters nationwide each year. Handling neglect in large-scale neglect cases requires considerable effort and expense.
-According to the American Pet Products Association, approximately 40% of dog owners and 46% of cat owners learned about their pet through the word of mouth. This information may not always be adequate and safe.
Goal:
Our goal is to help educate new pet owners on how to properly care for their pet.
How you can help with this issue:
A way for people to help with this issue is report any suspected animal neglect. Also, the owner should make it a responsibility to research information about the pet they are wanting to adopt and request basic care information from a vet or sources such as the ASPCA or the Humane Society of The United States. Taking these steps can help/impact the animal shelters and eliminate the stray animal issue.
https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/Pages/Money-tips-for-caring-pet-owners.aspx
https://jeffersoncountyhumanesociety.net/animal-abuse-kitten/
http://www.allthingsdogblog.com/2011/07/dog-care-dos-and-donts-for-first-time.html
Taking Action
"Animal owners and caretakers, under local and state law, must provide nutritious and wholesome food and water; dry shelter with adequate ventilation and protection from direct sunlight; and proper veterinary care from a licensed professional as needed." (Fort Worth Texas)
What we Learned
Celia: I learned that a big part of neglect is unintentional, and that the owners may not know that they are mistreating their animals.
Valli Ann: I learned that a lot of animals are being mistreated and and people don’t understand how their being treated.
A’kylah: this year at camp I learned that it is against the law to chain up dogs.
Cadence: I learned more than 7.5 million dogs die every year due to animal neglect, abuse, put downs, and diseases.