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Our focus at DuPage County Animal Services, throughout the year and highlighted in this newsletter, is how we as a community can decrease and even prevent animal cruelty. The following modified list is taken from Four Paws International, a nonprofit global animal welfare organization.
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Be a responsible pet owner. Know about and fulfill the needs of your pet. Don’t just concern yourself with basic needs – give your pet positive experiences that enhance its well-being.
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Be an example of kindness to other pets. Foster a pet that has suffered abandonment. Sadly, many pets are relinquished to shelters for various reasons. Foster homes help these animals recover and prepare them to move on to a permanent, loving home.
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Intervene if you witness animal cruelty, abuse, or neglect. Do what you can to stop someone from mistreating an animal. However, be sensible and don’t put yourself in danger.
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Report animal cruelty, abuse, or neglect. If you witness any form of animal cruelty, report it to the police or other authorities.
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Teach your children to have respect for animals. Set a good example by being respectful towards animals. Show children how to treat animals with love and consideration. Help them grow up to become the next generation of animal advocates.
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Demand stricter laws for the protection of animals. Stronger animal welfare laws and harsher penalties will lead to fewer cruelty cases.
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Shelter an animal in need. You can be the helping hand an animal needs.
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Consider that neglect of animals can be closely linked to domestic violence. Animal abuse and domestic abuse are often closely connected. By reporting your suspicions, you may also be helping both the animal in need and the family concerned. https://aldf.org/article/the-link-between-cruelty-to-animals-and-violence-toward-humans-2/
- Educate people around you about the issue.
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Offer help to people who are overwhelmed with their animal. Animals aren’t necessarily neglected out of a lack of love. An owner may not have the psychological resources to provide an animal with the appropriate care. Any help you give to an animal may help a human too.
Your town’s local animal ordinances:
DuPage Animal Ordinances
https://library.municode.com/il/dupage_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH5AN
Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1717&ChapterID=41
Animal Welfare Act
https://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/animal-welfare-act
Illinois Animal Welfare Act
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1375&ChapterID=24
Please take action today and urge your legislators to support language in the Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bill that would ensure reforms to the USDA’s licensing and enforcement program under the Animal Welfare Act. Click the link to support Animal Protection in the 2022 Budget.
Dr. Barbara Hanek,
Veterinarian Administrator
While an aggressive, timid, or fearful animal may appear to be a cruelty victim, it is not possible to know if an animal is being abused based on their behavior alone. It is best to observe the animal and the surrounding environment to determine whether or not he or she needs help.
Physical Signs of Cruelty
- Tight collar that has caused a neck wound or has become embedded in the pet's neck
- An owner striking or otherwise physically abusing an animal or open wounds, signs of multiple healed wounds, or an ongoing injury or illness that isn't being treated
- Untreated skin conditions that have caused loss of hair, scaly skin, bumps or rashes
- Extreme thinness or emaciation—bones may be visible
- Inadequate grooming: extremely matted or dirty fur, overgrown nails,or parasite infestations
- Confusion, extreme drowsiness, weakness, limping, or the inability to stand or walk normally
- Heavy discharge from eyes or nose
Environmental Signs of Cruelty
- Tied up alone outside for long periods of time without adequate, sanitary food or water
- Kept outside in inclement weather without access to adequate shelter
- Kept in an area littered with feces, garbage, broken glass, or other potentially harmful objects
- Housed in kennels or cages (very often crowded in with other animals) that are too small to allow them to stand, turn around, and make normal movements
If you see an animal living under these conditions, please contact your local law enforcement agency.
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The Orange Paw volunteers, lovingly referred to as OPs, are the highest skill level volunteers at DCAS. They have gone through extensive training with a certified trainer to attain the skills needed to work with dogs that need the most support. DCAS takes in many stray dogs and sometimes the only history we have is what the scars or heavily matted fur tells us. These dogs are scared, shut down, and need time to learn trust. Our OP volunteers use Fear Free methods of training to gain each dog’s trust. They focus on the quality of the relationship with the dog first instead of worrying about the dog’s basic manners. Our OP volunteers spend countless hours providing quality time with these dogs and enrichment like the Dogsgiving celebration pictured above. In return, they are rewarded with amazing transformations as the dogs blossom with confidence and are able to move on to a foster home, rescue organization, or adoption. Thank you OP volunteers!
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Princely kitty Reiner has been waiting for an adoptable family for far too long. We don't know much about his life before he arrived at DCAS as he came in as a stray. He originally needed a lot of medical attention and FLC - Foster Loving Care! Now he is all set and ready to meet his new family. Once this fluffy gentleman settles in to a new house, he'll be a super cuddler, but he needs all the attention for himself. A household where he's the only animal will be purrfect! Click on Reiner's picture to view his adoption profile and learn more about this special boy! Are you the family he's been waiting for? |
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