How To Tell If A Dog Is Being Abused Or Neglected

Dog owners like you and I know how to take care of our dogs properly and what we should and should not do to our loving pets. We should not only care about our own pets but look out for those pets which seem to have an abusive owner or is simply being neglected. But remember, you cannot simply judge this in one day, you need to observe the behavior of the animal towards the owner over 2-3 days and physically look at the animal to determine health status. Follow the observation rules below to determine if the animal is being abused.

---

Signs The Dog Is Abused or Neglected

1. Obverse the dog's behavior around the owner

• Dog is not happy to be around his owner. Dog owners knows that dogs just love to have a good time and once they are happy, they will be happy when they are around you. This can be observed by tail wagging, barking, running around you or simply approach you for a quick rub down. If the dog cowers when called by the owner or when the owner approaches, that should push up your radar.
  

2. Observe how the dig behaves when the owner calls his name

• Does the animal cower? Lies down or walks towards the owner with its head down and maybe tail between its legs? Or does the animal run away from the owner when called. These could also be signs of animal abuse.
  

3. Observe how the actions of the animal when it's owner raises his/her hand.

• Animals that are always being beaten know the raising of the hand too well, it symbolizes hurt and pain and will run away the very instant the hand is raised.

All the above scenarios represent a very strong possibility if the animal is being abused by the owner. If you observe all three scenarios on one animal, it is best to call the animal protection agencies to verify your observations. Let's also look at the case of pet neglect, it is much easier to spot animals which are practically neglected because most times neglect will manifest into physical deterioration of the animal. 

Look out for the signs below to determine if the Dog is neglected.

The Animal is all skin and bones

• If you can see all skeletal impressions though the dog's skin, it simply means that the animal is either malnourished or is suffering from some sort of disease. A healthy dog will look lean and will be quite active.

The Dog is riddled with ticks and fleas

• Only animal which is neglected could be swarmed by ticks and fleas.  This  simply means that the owner has no interest in the health of the animal and find little importance in taking care of the dog and getting rid of the fleas.

The Dog Is Stink and Filthy

• Pet dogs needs to be taken care of by us because they are not in the wild which allows for natural grooming. You will notice neglected dogs are not bath, not trimmed and groomed and many times quite dirty and smelly

---

It is very sad to see many of our canine and feline friends living under these horrible conditions. If you strongly feel that the animal is being abuses. Go right ahead and call the relevant authorities. Here are some quick numbers listed below.


ASPCA - 1. Report Cruelty:

In New York City: 311 (or 911 for crimes in progress)

In NJ: (800) 582-5979 / online form

Outside NYC and NJ: Reporting Cruelty FAQ.



Animal Cops - Houston, TX 77024 - 713-869-SPCA (77