My thinking is that while we have to watch our own backyards, we also have to pay attention to what other countries, organizations and peoples are doing...The following article came from www.dogworld.co.uk.

RSPCA CASES ‘BASIC NEGLECT’

THE RSPCA’s latest cruelty statistics show that neglect is at the heart of virtually all cases the charity prosecutes.

Of the 1,977 convictions last year, 1,761 (89 per cent) were classified as basic neglect charges.

After a year in which RSPCA staff rescued or picked up more than 195,000 animals, responded to 1,509,317 phone calls (one every 20 seconds) and secured 2,449 convictions, the charity says it is frustrated that so many of the cases could be prevented if legislation enabled it to act sooner.

Prosecutions decreased last year compared to 2000 from 824 to 736; convictions too, from 2,473 to 2,449; and the number of defendants dropped from 1,059 to 949.

Prison and suspended sentences imposed were up from 57 to 61 and banning orders down from 787 to 734.

Cases of cruelty to dogs dropped from 1,175 to 871; cruelty to cats rose from 256 to 289; to horses rose from 137 to 182; and to wildlife up from 143 to 253.

There were 1,761 cases of neglect, 80 of abandonment, 57 of ill-treatment, 34 improper killing and 20 of fighting