#abuse statistics

The Rise in Morphine Abuse

Morphine belongs to the analgesic group of substances that block opioid receptors in the brain,…

The shocking number of cruelty cases reported daily in the media is only the tip of the iceberg. Most cases are never reported, and most animal suffering goes unrecognized and unabated.

Although there is no national reporting system for animal abuse, media reports suggest that it is common in rural and urban areas. Cruelty and neglect can also cross socio-economic boundaries.

Based on media reports, we can review animal cruelty in terms of:

Most common victims

Horses

Livestock

Domestic violence

Legislative trends

Unless otherwise noted, the following statistics are compiled from pet-abuse.com.

Most Common Victims

In media-reported animal cruelty cases, dogs—and pit bulls, in particular—are the most common victims of animal cruelty. Of 1,880 cruelty cases* reported in the media in 2007:

64.5% (1,212) involved dogs

18% (337) involved cats

25% (470) involved other animals 

Reported abuse against pit bulls appears to be on the rise: in 2000–2001, pit bulls were involved in 13% of reported dog-abuse cases; in 2007, they were involved in 25% of reported dog-abuse cases.

*some cases involved multiple species

Horses 

According to the American Horse Council, Americans own more than 9 million horses, up from more than 6 million in the mid-1990s. Backyard breeding fueled the boom in pet horses. Of the more than 2 million Americans who own horses, more than one-third have a household income of less than $50,000. [1] 

Neither the total number of horse neglect cases nor the percentage of total animal abuse cases classified as horse neglect has risen since the closure of all U.S. horse slaughter plants.

Livestock

As HSUS investigations into slaughterhouses and cattle auctions have revealed, animal abuse abounds in the factory farm industry. Despite increased feed prices, we found no indication in the news media that the number of livestock neglect cases is increasing, other than a few shocking, high-profile cases. This may, however, simply be a reflection of the weak protections afforded to livestock under state animal cruelty laws.

Many states specifically exclude livestock or any "common" agricultural practices from their cruelty laws, and even when good laws exist, it can sometimes be difficult to convince law enforcement to make an arrest and/or to seize livestock who are being neglected or abused.

Over the past few years, the number of reported animal neglect cases involving cows and pigs has dipped slightly.