Stop Abuse - Stop Animal Cruelty and Abuse in South Africa

When you see a child or adult cruelly mistreating an animal, do you keep quiet? If you notice an animal that is clearly being abused, do you turn a blind eye? Here's why you shouldn't.

Research shows that people who maliciously abuse animals (and it usually starts in childhood), often have deeper, more serious psychological problems. If their abusive behaviour is not dealt with adequately, it could set off a cycle of violence, abuse and future criminal behaviour.

The NSPCA (www.nspca.co.za) defines animal abuse as a range of behaviours that are harmful to animals - from neglect to malicious killing. Many cases of animal cruelty are unintentional and can be addressed through proper education. Intentional abuse, however, could be warning signs of underlying violent behaviour that could escalate with time. Intentional animal abuse means to deliberately deprive an animal of food, water and shelter, deny socialisation or veterinary care; or to maliciously torture, maim, mutilate or kill an animal. Animal abuse is most often the first step towards other forms of violence. The FBI recognised this connection back in the 1970s when they analysed the lives of serial killers. They found that most had killed or tortured animals as children.

Two more recent studies yielded the same finding. In 1996, Drs DS Hellman and Nathan Blackman analysed the lives of 84 US prison inmates and found that 75% had abused animals earlier in their lives. In 1997, criminologist Jack Levin and sociologist Arnold Arluke compared 153 animal abusers to neighbours of the same age and gender. They found that those who committed cruelty towards animals were five times more likely to commit violence against humans. The animal abusers were also more likely to damage property and use drugs.

Why would someone intentionally hurt an animal?

The Humane Society of the United States suggests that animal cruelty, like any other form of violence, is committed by someone who has been abused or is still being abused. They somehow find it easier to deal with their own hurt, rage and feeling of powerlessness by taking it out on an animal that cannot defend itself. Over time, these acts of violence often become worse and are later develop into abuse of other vulnerable human beings.

It's interesting to note that in families where animals are at risk of violence, children and women are also at risk. A survey among 57 families receiving treatment for child abuse showed that in 88% of those families, at least one person had abused animals. In two-thirds of cases, the parent was the abuser; in the remainder, the child was the abuser. (www.abuse.com)

An organisation like the NSPCA is committed to protecting all animals from cruelty by promoting an animal's:

Freedom to express normal behaviour
Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom of fear and distress
Freedom from pain, injury and disease

The key to stop animal abuse is to prevent it

Through awareness and education, and by condemning animal cruelty as a society; and by recognising that animals are sentient, treating them respectfully and ensuring that their food, shelter and behavioural needs are met. And with a justice system that places a high value on ensuring that those who do abuse animals deliberately, or allow animals for which they are responsible to be abused, are held accountable for their deeds.

How do I recognise animal cruelty?

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." ~ Albert Einstein

"Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled." ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The following categories are very broad but give a good basic overview of what cruelty to animals is. The laws dealing with animal cruelty in South Africa are the Animals Protection Act and the Performing Animals Protection Act.

People do get confused with animal cruelty and it is not an animal attacking a person, it is not animals in the road, animal cruelty is however...

IGNORANCE

Ignorance can usually be resolved by empowering people with knowledge and basic animal care skills unless there is an intent to hurt, in which case there is also a pathological aspect.

NEGLECT

Neglect can be unintentional or occur as the result of ignorance in which case it can be resolved as above. However, neglect can also occur as the result of a person not taking their responsibility towards the animals in their care seriously or deliberately neglecting their animals and deliberately depriving them of food, water and access to medical treatment.

PATHOLOGICAL (DELIBERATE)

In essence it is the desire to hurt or instill fear into an animal, or misuse an animal such as in dog fighting, beating, using cats or small as animals as bait for fighting dogs, greyhounds or hunting dogs etc. This is also a very broad area as there are many underlying causes for deliberate animal cruelty.

These could include psychopaths (also referred to as sociopaths) as well as the people who were never taught that it is wrong to hurt an animal, people who are abusers, or who are victims of abuse themselves, or sadists who experience joy or sexual satisfaction in hurting helpless creature, or teenagers trying to impress their peers, or gang initiations, or abusers using the cruelty to make a point to their victims... and the list goes on and on.

UNINTENTIONAL

This tends to be a problem in rural areas where there is no welfare or veterinary support, and people cannot pick up the phone and call for help, and neither will taxis allow them to take animals in their vehicles even if they could afford it.

The NSPCA Outreach Projects into rural areas have found that people have heard, and buy into, the responsibility messages and want their animals sterilised and vaccinated but due to financial and logistical circumstances are not able to make this happen without outside assistance.

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." ~ Albert Einstein

WHAT IS ANIMAL CRUELTY?

The following categories are very broad but give a good overview of what cruelty to animals is. The laws dealing with animal cruelty are the Animals Protection Act (as amended from time to time) and the Performing Animals Protection Act (as amended from time to time).

BESTIALITY

This can be pathological, that is, people who get satisfaction from performing sexual acts with animals; or out of ignorance, namely, people who believe that performing sexual acts with animals will either prevent or cure diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

COSMETIC

Cosmetic cruelty is widespread and has been entrenched for many years, that is, the docking of animals' tails for the purposes of the look of the breed. This is now only acceptable if the tail has had to be removed for medical reasons and veterinary practitioners will no longer dock puppies' tails.

Another cosmetic procedure is the clipping of dogs' ears which is not a practise acceptable in South Africa. Again the same applies as for the tails, ears may be removed partially or completely by a veterinary practitioner if there are valid medical reasons. Ears are often removed by people who use the dogs for fighting (which is illegal) to make it more difficult for the opposing dog to get a good grip.

The reason that cosmetic cruelty is illegal is that it is an unnecessary procedure in terms of the Animals Protection Act. The NSPCA and the SA Veterinary Council are in agreement on this issue.

If a person who is not a vet performs any procedures such as ear docking and tail clipping, their actions are illegal.

However, there are valid reasons for clipping or removing ears such as cancer, and in the case of feral cats their ears are often clipped slightly while they are under anaesthetic so that it is easy to determine that they have been sterilised.

IGNORANCE

Ignorance can usually be resolved by empowering people with knowledge and basic animal care skills unless there is an intent to hurt, in which case there is also a pathological aspect.

NEGLECT

PATHOLOGICAL (DELIBERATE)

In essence, it is the desire to hurt or instil fear into an animal, or misuse an animal such as in dogfighting, beating, using cats or small as animals as bait for fighting dogs, greyhounds or hunting dogs. This is a broad area and there are many underlying causes for deliberate animal cruelty.

These could be people who were never taught that it is wrong to hurt an animal, people who are abusers, or who are victims of abuse themselves, or sadists who experience joy or sexual satisfaction in hurting helpless creature, or teenagers trying to impress their peers, or gang initiations, or abusers using the cruelty to make a point to their victims... and the list goes on and on.

UNINTENTIONAL

By way of example, unintentional cruelty can and does occur when impoverished people, who would like to care for their animals, do not have the resources to feed them properly or obtain veterinary treatment. This tends to be a problem in rural areas where there is no welfare or veterinary support, and people cannot pick up the phone and call for help, and neither will taxis allow them to take animals in their vehicles even if they could afford it.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT ANIMAL CRUELTY?

TIP 1: Keep your local SPCA telephone number handy and also list it on your cell phone - if you are in area where you do not have the number for the nearest SPCA, also have the NSPCA's telephone number on your cell phone

TIP 2: Always call a cruelty report in by telephone. Never SMS, e-mail or report cruelty on a website or blog as this will result in an unnecessary delay which will result in an animal or animals suffering.

The notes below are offered as guidance to members of the public wishing to report cases of cruelty to animals.

The telephone number of the nearest SPCA will be found in the telephone directory under "Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" or "SPCA".
Members of the public sometimes witness acts of cruelty to animals and, appalled by what they see, phone the SPCA to report them.
Often however, the information that they are able to give, is not enough to enable the Inspector assigned to the case to investigate it thoroughly, and even if legal action is warranted, lack of information impedes successful prosecution.

So, what should you do if you see or learn of cases of cruelty? Well, quite obviously each case is different, and specific action does not necessarily apply in every case; but, in general terms, here is what you should do:

Firstly, if cruelty is something that can be stopped immediately, then stop it. If, for example, a horse or a dog is being unmercifully beaten, intervene if you can safely do so.
Of course, the sort of person who would mistreat an animal this way would be quite likely to vent his anger on anyone who interferes, and members of the public should use discretion.
Few occasions arise when a camera is readily available, but if there should be one, photographs are useful evidence.

You will then want to phone the SPCA Before doing so, be ready to give as much of the following information as possible:

Your own name, address and telephone number. This is necessary for record purposes and also enables the Inspector to inform you of the result of his/her investigation. It is stressed that the policy of the SPCA is to treat all complaints in strict confidence. Names of complainants are divulged to nobody unless such complainant has no objection.
The name(s), address(es) and telephone number(s) of the person(s) involved. The date, time and place of the offence.
The names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses. The registration number and description of any vehicle involved. State whether you would be prepared to testify in a court of law. Then give a detailed description of what you saw, as factually and unemotionally as you are able. This is important, for emotion clouds coherence, and important details may be omitted.
And finally, don't be afraid to get involved in any legal proceedings which may ensue.