This guide begins by describing the problem of animal cruelty
and reviewing factors that increase its risks. It then
identifies a series of questions to help you analyze your local
animal cruelty problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the
problem and what is known about these from evaluative research
and police practice. Animal cruelty is but one aspect of the
larger set of problems related to animals. This guide is limited
to addressing the particular harms created by animal cruelty.
Related problems not directly addressed in this guide, each of
which requires separate analysis, include the following:
Nuisance or Hazardous Animals Harm to Animals Incidental to
Other Motives Some of these related problems are covered in
other guides in this series, all of which are listed at the end
of this guide. For the most up-to-date listing of current and
future guides, see www.popcenter.org. Animal cruelty includes
many kinds of mistreatment, from temporarily failing to provide
essential care to the malicious killing