ANIMAL CRUELTY

At Second Chance Rescue Center, our Humane Officers Rosey Quinn and Dana Wigg enforce the South Dakota State laws regarding animal abuse, neglect, and cruelty. 

To Report Animal Cruelty outside of Sioux Falls, call 367-7000.  You may also contact SCRC at 362-1722 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

What is Animal Cruelty?

Animal Cruelty encompasses a range of behaviors harmful to animals, from neglect to malicious killing. Most cruelty investigated by humane officers is unintentional neglect that can be resolved through education. Intentional cruelty or abuse is knowingly depriving an animal of food, water, shelter, socialization, or veterinary care, or maliciously torturing, maiming, mutilating, or killing an animal.

Why is It of Concern?

All animal cruelty is a concern because it is wrong to inflict suffering on any living creature. Intentional cruelty is a particular concern because it is a sign of psychological distress and often indicates that an individual either has already experienced violence or may be predisposed to committing acts of violence.

What Constitutes Animal Neglect?

SD State Law 40-1-2.3:  The neglect of an animal is the failure to provide food, water, protion from the elements, adequate sanitation, adequate facilities, or care generally considered to be standard and accepted for an animal's health and well-being consistent with the species, breed, physical condition, and type of animal. 

Animals suffer and die from neglect when they are denied proper food, water, shelter, veterinary attention - causing them to slowly starve to death or die from lack of needed medical care or harsh weather conditions.

1.  Provide Protection from the Elements:

Protection from the elements means that an animal must have access to protection from wind, snow, rain, heat, and inclement weather.  An insulated dog house provides great protection for an animal to seek.  Utilize a tarp over a fenced-in pen to provide shade and protection from the sun.  A shelter is still required for an outside animal even if it doesn't use it!

A pet carrier is not an adequate shelter.  (see below)

2. Provide Food & Water:

Water must be available for an animal at all times.  It is especially important in winter and summer as a dog can become dehydrated quickly.  A heated water bowl is sufficient to prevent water from freezing in winter.  In hot weather, move the water bowl to a shaded area to keep the water cool.  Keep the water fresh; old, stale, brown, and green water harbor parasites and bacteria.  Feed your animal on a regular basis with fresh food.

3. Provide Adequate Sanitation:

Maintain a clean area where the animal is kept.  Pick up feces and garbage in and around the dog's area. 

4. Provide Adequate Facilities:

Keep your animal in a safe area where there is adequate room to move around, exercise, and sleep.   

Examples of neglectful shelter & care:

 You must provide veterinary care for your animal: 

The animals in the photos below were denied essential medical care, however since arriving at Second Chance Rescue Center, have recovered and found new homes.

Before    After

Animal Cruelty & Human Violence

Many studies in psychology, sociology, and criminology during the last 25 years have demonstrated that violent offenders frequently have childhood and adolescent histories of serious and repeated animal cruelty. The FBI has recognized the connection since the 1970s, when its analysis of the lives of serial killers suggested most, as children, had killed or tortured animals. Other research has shown consistent patterns of animal cruelty among perpetrators of more common forms of violence, including child abuse, spouse abuse, and elder abuse. The American Psychiatric Association considers animal cruelty one of the diagnostic material of conduct disorders.

A Few Common Types of Animal Cruelty

Direct Violence

The types of violence that animals suffer every day at the hands of people include being beaten, mutilated, shot, set on fire or otherwise tortured. The intentional suffering inflicted on these animals can result in severe injury or death.

Puppy Mills

U.S. animal shelters euthanize 3 - 4 million cats and dogs every year, and yet pet industry statistics show that about one third of the nations 11,000 pet stores continue to sell puppies. Many of these dogs come from "puppymills" - mass commercial breeding operations that put profit above the health and welfare of the puppies and their parents.

Hoarding

"Hoarding is very often a symptom of a greater metal illness, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. For most hoarders, it is likely that their actions are the result of a true pathology, even though they are still usually able to function quite well in society" says Randall Lockwood, HSUS vice president for Research and Educational Outreach. Because animal hoarders quite often appear to lead normal lives, its important to recognize when a person's fixation  with animals has gotten out of control. The HSUS defines an animal hoarder as a person who has more animals than he or she can properly care for. Another defining characteristic is the hoarder's denial of his inability to care for the animals and his failure to grasp the impact his neglect has on the animals, the household, and the human occupants of the dwelling.

 What You Can Do to Help Animals:

Take Animal Cruelty Seriously

Learn to Recognize Animal Cruelty - THEN REPORT IT!

Phone: 605-362-1722

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Support Humane Education, and strong laws against animal cruelty.

Donate to the "Gadget-Trotter Fund", a specific fund that allocates financial resources to help us provide medical services to injured strays, abandoned and rescued animals.