Animal abuse statistics show that animals are, unfortunately, subject to everyday assault. Many cases never make it to court, so animals continue to suffer, and abusers get away with torture, often even with murder.
Abused animals show recognizable signs of neglect, such as poor body condition, lack of sanitation, food, or water. Sometimes they may be tied or even caged in poor surroundings.
To recognize and stop animal abuse, familiarize yourself with the animal cruelty laws, gather evidence and report the abuse. Remember not to endanger yourself to obtain the evidence.
The sad truth is that in the US, over 10 million animals die because of abuse every year. Below, you will find more alarming statistics on animal abuse.
Heartbreaking Animal Abuse Facts (Editor’s Choice)
- 65% of all abused or killed animals in the US are dogs
- Each minute, an animal becomes a victim of abuse
- 95% of the lab animals in the US aren’t included in the Animal Welfare Act
- Animal cruelty statistics reveal that over 100 million animals in the US participate in lab experiments every year
- 75% of the elephants that are part of the entertainment business live in poor conditions
- Over 6.5 million animals end up in shelters in the US every year
- 92% of the horses sent for slaughter in the US were in good health
- 97% of the animal abuse cases happen on farms
General Statistics of Animal Abuse
Since 2019, animal abuse is punishable by the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT). Violating it could result in up to seven years of imprisonment. Animal rights activists hope that the animal cruelty numbers will decline due to that law, and many existing cases will receive justice.
Let’s take a look at some detailed animal abuse statistics.
1. Dogs represent nearly 65% of all documented abuse cases.
(Fabiosa)
Approximately 40% of US families have at least one dog as a pet. Dog abuse statistics show that due to their popularity, dogs end up among the most abused animals — often tied or caged, left to starve and die.
2. The RSPCA UK receives an animal abuse report every 30 seconds.
(LAD Bible)
Among the disturbing facts about animal cruelty in the UK is the constant rise in animal cruelty hotline calls — over 1 million yearly.
The RSPCA encourages sharing on social media platforms to increase awareness of the practice of animal abuse reporting.
3. According to facts about animal abuse, 6.5 million animals are brought to shelters every year.
(ASPCA)
Every year, the animal shelters in the US accept nearly 3.3 million dogs and 3.2 million cats, most of which suffered poor health, malnourishment, and other types of animal abuse.
Animals that don’t find a home within a year are euthanized — 1.5 million each year.
4. Nearly 75% of reptiles don’t survive a year of domestication.
(Business Standard)
Animal neglect stats reveal that reptiles and amphibians often show signs of distress that their owners miss. They require special care and diet, and in most cases, the new owners aren’t aware of the difficulties and don’t prepare adequately.
5. Stats on animal abuse expose that over 75% of elephants that are part of entertainment programs live in severe conditions.
(BBC)
The entertainment industry separates baby elephants away from their mothers at a very young age to tame and teach them tricks. Sadly, animal abuse facts reveal that many of the elephants face beating and abuse during the rough training.
Among the animal abuse in circuses facts is that elephants spend their off-stage time chained or locked in small cages in miserable living conditions.
Why Do People Abuse Animals?
There are many types of animal abuse — from neglect to beating, burning, and shooting. Other signs of abuse may be unusual and untreated wounds on their bodies, broken extremities, lack of proper meals or shelter, and many more.
Based on the animal abuse cases, intentional cruelty is a sign of psychological distress and may indicate that the aggressor, too, has experienced abuse. Feelings of powerlessness, neglect, and pressure are among the many reasons causing animal abuse acts.
Here are some more animal abuse and neglect facts.
6. 52% of US adults oppose testing and experimenting on animals.
(Pew Research Center)
Scientists and researchers perform medical studies, product testing and teaching on over 100 million animals yearly. Sadly, the Animal Welfare Act doesn’t protect 95% of these animals. Despite the animal cruelty facts, scientists argue that lab testing is crucial for developing treatments for various diseases.
7. Stats on animal abuse estimate that organized dogfighting is responsible for over 16,000 deaths every year.
(Love to Know)
Organized dogfighting, which dates back to Roman times, is a big problem, especially in the US and gathering such animal abuse information and facts is complicated due to the secrecy of the events.
Even though in 2008, the Animal Welfare Act proclaimed dogfighting a felony in all states, it is still a common and deadly practice.
8. Children who have suffered physical abuse are twice more likely to abuse animals, as shown by animal cruelty facts and stats.
(MedCrave)
Young children are very impressionable, and if they witness or experience abuse, they are inclined to repeat it. Animal abuse facts for kids show that often, abused children use their pets as scapegoats for their anger and repressed emotions.
9. Denmark slaughtered nearly 17 million minks due to Covid-19 concerns.
(BBC)
Due to fears of theCovid-19 mutation found in minks, Danish authorities took a rushed and ill-advised decision to cull all mink. Denmark is home to more than a thousand fur farms — so that scare led to the death of millions of minks.
10. According to animal welfare statistics, broiler chickens spend 20% of their lives in chronic pain.
(The Humane Society)
The market demand for cheaper meat has led to broiler chickens living in pain due to their enormous and unnatural weight. They are locked in small cages, with many other chickens, and in poor conditions to optimize the production.
That is not the only case of animal mistreatment on farms — 92% of the horses sent for slaughter for consumption were in good health and could have led a healthy life.
11. Seaworld animal abuse facts show that two sharks died in the theme park three days after their capture and display.
(SeaWorld of Hurt)
In 1978, SeaWorld in San Antonio captured two adult sharks from the ocean. Only three days later, both sharks ran into a wall, sank and died.
Unfortunately, that isn’t the only case of SeaWorld animal negligence and cruelty. Five years later, SeaWorld captured twelve dolphins in Chile, and within six months, half of them had died.
12. According to the latest farm animal abuse statistics, 34,000 newly-hatched male chicks die every hour in the US.
(Animal Equality)
The US has the second-largest egg-producing industry in the world. Sadly enough, the industry considers male chicks useless, and over 300 million of them face extremely cruel deaths yearly. The techniques include gassing, suffocation, or electrocution.
Statistics about animal abuse show that 97% of assault cases happen on farms.
How to Stop Animal Abuse? — Concluding Thoughts
Animal abuse data reveals the horrific mistreatment animals face every day, and it is up to us to speak up for those without a voice. Be aware of the signs of animal cruelty and where you can report such cases.
If you know or suspect someone is abusive towards animals, don’t be afraid to take action. Make sure you aren’t endangering yourself by confronting them, and instead report them to the local law enforcement or animal control agencies.
When reporting cruelty, write a detailed statement of your observations — date, time, names, contact information, and ideally, photo evidence of the act.
People Also Ask
Over 10 million animals die of abuse every year in the US, and 97% of these cases happen on farms. Roughly, one animal suffers abuse every minute.
Dog mistreatment represents 65% of cases of abuse. US shelters report an average intake of 3.3 million dogs every year, half of which show signs of abuse.
Asia has the most cases of abused animals and has very few laws on animal protection. Due to that, regulations in Asia are a priority to animal rights activists.
The Chinese have a well-developed bile farming industry that requires bear gallbladders for traditional medicine. Most captured bears spend the rest of their lives in captivity.
Every year in Southeast Asia, nearly 10 million dogs and cats end up slaughtered for their meat.
Unlike abuse against people, animal abuse can’t be registered adequately, but official animal abuse statistics estimate over 10 million cases every year in the US.
Over 200 million animals are slaughtered for the food industry every day. Adding wild-caught and farmed fish, that number goes up to 3 billion. Many of them have suffered live in miserable conditions, lack of enough space and cruelty.
Every minute, somewhere in the world, an animal suffers abuse. What’s worse, many countries don’t have any laws to protect animals.
Animal abuse statistics reveal that many of the cases don’t make it to court. So, if you ever witness animal abuse, make sure to report it.
