Animal Cruelty

Many of you may remember the story of Chuck. In 2013, he was abandoned with hind leg fractures outside of a New York City park. It was a frigid December day, and Chuck, unable to walk, had been left for dead. At the ASPCA Animal Hospital, the 2-year-old pit bull received surgery and underwent intensive physical therapy, and by the summer of 2014 he was ready for a forever home.

Update—May 29, 2015:  Great news! Governor McCrory vetoed H.B. 405, the dangerous ag-gag bill that would have silenced whistleblowers and kept North Carolina residents in the dark about horrific animal abuse on industrial farms.

By Matt Bershadker, ASPCA CEO

We can’t go back in time to protect animals before they become victims of neglect and cruelty, but there is a next best thing. At the ASPCA, we call it Cruelty Intervention Advocacy (CIA), a holistic intervention approach that takes into account how the societal challenges pet owners often face—including poverty, housing restrictions, lack of transportation, and limited resources—profoundly affect the animals under their care.