Tips For Preventing Animal Cruelty

It has been said that a society can be judged by how it treats its animals. Many people don't know that they can help make the world a safer place for animals by simply staying alert and reporting problems.

ASPCA Special Investigator Annemarie Lucas, star of Animal Planet's award-winning series "Animal Precinct," offers these tips on how you can help crack down on animal cruelty in your community:

1. Be aware. Get to know and look out for the animals in your neighborhood.

2. Learn to recognize animal cruelty. Signs to look for include tick or flea infestations, wounds on the body, patches of missing hair, limping, dogs who are repeatedly left alone without food or water, dogs who are kept outside in extreme weather conditions and animals who cower in fear or act aggressively when approached by their owners.

3. Know who to call to report animal cruelty. Every state and town has different regulations. In New York state, the ASPCA can step in, but in other states you may need to call the police, animal control or another municipal agency.

4. Provide as much information as possible when reporting animal cruelty. The details you provide can go a long way toward assisting an investigation.

5. Call or write your local law enforcement department and let them know that investigating animal cruelty should be a priority. Animal cruelty is a crime, and the police must investigate these crimes.

6. Know the law. Animal cruelty laws vary from state to state, even from city to city. You can visit the ASPCA's Web site (www.aspca. org) to get a wallet-sized printout with outlines of the animal welfare laws in all 50 states.

7. Talk to your kids about how to treat animals with kindness and respect. Children realize that animals are living creatures who have the ability to feel pain, joy and sadness.

8. Support your local shelter or animal rescue organization. It's a great way to make a difference. You can find a list of shelters and rescue groups by accessing the ASPCA Web site.

Preventing animal cruelty has become a central theme for many Animal Planet TV programs, including "Animal Precinct," "Animal Cops: Detroit," "Animal Cops: Houston" and "Miami Animal Police." To learn more, and to find shows related to this topic, visit www.discovery.com and click on "Animal Planet."

By knowing the animals in your neighborhood, you can pick up on signs of cruelty.