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One Hundred of the Worst Animal Cruelty Cases: Introduction

April 18, 2007

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People abuse animals in every state, but legal punishments vary widely.

Introduction

To deepen the public's understanding of animal cruelty and the types of cases that occur in every corner of our nation, The Humane Society of the United States offers this report summarizing a hundred of the most barbaric animal cruelty cases reported in the media during calendar year 2006. In compiling this list, HSUS staff examined nearly 2,500 animal cruelty cases, using internal records and documents and the privately operated website www.pet-abuse.com.

Selection Process

To keep the list manageable, certain types of cases were immediately removed from consideration. These include:

No dogfighting-related cases. (One exception was an animal control officer using dogs supposedly under his protection for dogfighting. The officer's inherent responsibility to the animals made this case worthy of the exception.)
No bestiality cases.
No wildlife cases.
No hoarding cases.

In addition to these restrictions, the decision was made not to base inclusion on the number of animals affected in a single case.

What You Can Do

If an animal is in immediate danger and you don't feel able to help, call law enforcement right away. Provide as many specific details as you can.

Find out how to report cruelty or neglect.

Learn what your state's cruelty laws are.

Incidental Findings

What remained after the vetting process were hundreds of cases of intentional burning, stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, drowning, torturing and other horrific, illegal acts against animals.

While it was not the intent of this report to gather information on the causal situations surrounding animal abuse cases, some commonalities became clear during our research. Many cases were accompanied by verbal or physical domestic abuse. Most cases were perpetrated by males. A few cases were included not only because of the brutality to the animal, but because of the tender age of the abuser—one as young as four years old. In the final analysis, it became clear that animal cruelty occurs across lines of age, race, gender and social status.

"Suffering is suffering, and its victims cannot be ignored"

"Whether it be the suffering of a starving child or a starving calf, suffering is suffering, and its victims cannot be ignored ... .But it is not finally the victims of suffering that must be confronted and healed, I submit, but rather its perpetrators.

The fundamental essence of animal protection is ... an ethic that refuses to permit man-inflicted suffering to become either operative or normative, whether its victims be animals or humans."

—Former HSUS President John A. Hoyt at The HSUS's National Symposium on Oct. 9, 1993

State Analyses

Some states have more cases included in this report than others, and four states (Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming) and the District of Columbia do not have cases listed. This does not mean that animal cruelty is less of a concern in states with fewer cases on the list—it may mean quite the opposite. States with multiple cases highlighted may in fact be doing a much better job of addressing animal cruelty, and their aggressive efforts at investigating, prosecuting and publicizing animal cruelty cases may have led to their inclusion in this list. Similarly, a state with no cases included may simply be under-prosecuting or under-reporting animal cruelty.

The Law

Currently, 42 states include felony provisions in their animal cruelty statutes. Several more states will consider felony language this year. A chart explaining each state's current animal cruelty statute is at www.hsus.org/crueltylaws.

Conclusion

Animal cruelty occurs in all types of neighborhoods, all across our country. Because animals are unable to speak for themselves, the American public must intervene on their behalf. For information on how to recognize and report suspected cases of animal cruelty, visit www.hsus.org/reportcruelty.

When a case is reported, the public should let prosecutors, judges and legislators know that they want animal cruelty taken seriously. Those who commit acts of violent brutality, regardless of the victim, must be held accountable for their actions.

The Cases

Browse the list of 100 cases, or jump to the cases in a specific state:

Reporting Animal Abuse or Neglect

Dog Named Chevy Beheaded in Crime that Shocks Investigators

Reward in St. Paul, Minn. Dog Beheading Case Grows to $10,000

Children and Animal Cruelty: What Parents Should Know

Frequently Asked Questions about Animal Cruelty

Neighborhood Watch for Animals Tip Sheet

Pet-Abuse.com database of animal cruelty cases