Missing & Exploited Children
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The
AMBER Alert Program is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies, and
the wireless industry, to activate an urgent bulletin in the most
serious child-abduction cases. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to
instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for
and the safe recovery of the child. |
Alerts
are broadcast through radio, television, road signs and all
available technology referred to as the AMBER
Alert Secondary
Distribution Program.
These broadcasts let law enforcement use the eyes
and ears
of the public to help quickly locate an abducted child.
The
U.S. Department of Justice coordinates
the AMBER Alert program on a
national basis.
The AMBER Alert Program was named in
honor of 9-year-old
Amber Hagerman who was abducted
while riding her bicycle in Arlington,
Texas, and was later found murdered.
The program is used in all 50
states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
What
does Radio SAM-SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC CAMPAIGN DO.
We fight and Support
diffent group Over the World Wide Network ,
We Spread the Word , World Wide .to Stop Child Abuse and
Miss use and all
Missing Children world wide ,
Woman Abuse and Animal abuse and
many
other things that has to do with Abuse.
We Link our Groups and work as
Partners.
If you want to become a partner and Spread the News
,you are
welcome to share our Links and Banners,
Welcome to Radio SAMs Campaign
Keep The Hope Alive
Report Your Missing Teen, Runaway Teen or Missing Child
This is your time of greatest need. We can provide concrete help:
- Professional caseworkers with over 30 years collective experience counsel you on ways to search for your child.
- Create a personalized missing child poster for your child.
- Post your child's photo and poster on our website.
- Work directly with the police handling your child’s case.
- Help you work with your community, law enforcement and the media.
- Alert the Polly Klaas Rapid Response Team consisting of thousands of volunteers across the country.
The
shocking number of nimal cruelty cases reported every day i ust the
tipf the iceberg—mst cases are never reported. Unlike violent crimes
against people, cases of animal abuse are not compiled by state or
federal agencies, making it difficult to calculate just how common they
are. However, we can use the information that is available to try to
understand and prevent cases of abuse.
Who abuses animals?
Cruelty
and neglect cross all social and economic boundaries and media
reports suggest that animal abuse is common in both rural and urban
areas.
- Intentional cruelty to animals is strongly correlated with other crimes, including violence against people.
- Hoarding
behavior often victimizes animals. Sufferers of a hoarding disorder
may impose severe neglect on animals by housing far more than they are
able to adequately take care of. Serious animal neglect (such as
hoarding) is often an indicator of people in need of social or mental
health services.
- Surveys
suggest that those who intentionally abuse animals are predominantly
men under 30, while those involved in animal hoarding are more likely
to be women over 60.
Most common victims
The animals whose abuse is most often reported are dogs, cats, horses and livestock.
Undercover investigations have revealed that animal abuse abounds in
the factory farm industry. But because of the weak protections
afforded to livestock under state cruelty laws, only the most shocking
cases are reported, and few are ever prosecuted.
Organized cruelty
Dogfighting, cockfighting and other forms of organized animal cruelty go hand in hand with other crimes, and continues in many areas of the United States due to public corruption.
- The HSUS documented uniformed police officers at a cockfighting pit in Kentucky.
- The
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has prosecuted multiple cases where drug
cartels were running narcotics through cockfighting and dogfighting
operations.
- Dozens of homicides have occurred at cockfights and dogfights.
- A California man was killed in a disagreement about a $10 cockfight bet.
The
HSUS’s investigative team combats complacent public officials and has
worked with the FBI on public corruption cases in Tennessee and
Virginia. In both instances, law enforcement officers were indicted and
convicted.
Correlation with domestic violence
Data
on domestic violence and child abuse cases reveal that a staggering
number of animals are targeted by those who abuse their children or
spouses.
- There are approximately 70 million pet dogs and 74.1 million pet cats in the U.S. where 20 men and women are assaulted per minute (an average of around 10 million a year).
- In one survey, 71 percent of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted pets.
- In
one study of families under investigation for suspected child abuse,
researchers found that pet abuse had occurred in 88 percent of the
families under supervision for physical abuse of their children.
To put a stop to this pattern of violence, the Humane Society Legislative Fund supported the Pets and Women’s Safety (PAWS) Act, introduced
to Congress in 2015 as H.R. 1258 and S.B. 1559. The PAWS Act would
give victims of domestic abuse means to escape their abusers while
keeping their companion animals safe—many victims remain in abusive
households for fear of their pets’ safety.
State legislative trends
The
HSUS has long led the push for stronger animal cruelty laws and
provides training for law officials to detect and prosecute these
crimes. With South Dakota joining the fight in March of 2014, animal
cruelty laws now include felony provisions in all 50 states.
First vs. subsequent offense
Some
state laws only allow felony charges if the perpetrator has a
previous animal cruelty conviction. Given that only a fraction of
animal cruelty acts are ever reported or successfully prosecuted, the
HSUS is committed to supporting felony convictions in cases of
egregious cruelty regardless of whether the perpetrator has a prior
conviction.
- 46 of 50 states’ felony provisions are first-offense provisions.
- Four states (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa and Mississippi) have laws that apply felony charges only to subsequent offenses.
- A majority of anti-cruelty laws are limited to cases involving aggravated cruelty, torture or cruelty to companion animals.
Changes in federal tracking
On January 1, 2016, the FBI added cruelty to animals as a category in the Uniform Crime Report,
a nationwide crime reporting system commonly used in homicide
investigations. While only about a third of U.S. communities currently
participate in the system, the data generated will help create a
clearer picture of animal abuse and guide strategies for intervention
and enforcement. Data collection covers four categories: simple/gross
neglect, intentional abuse and torture, organized abuse (such as
dogfighting and cockfighting) and animal sexual abuse.
The Criminal, Underground World of Dogfighting
Dogfighting
is a type of blood sport in which dogs are forced to fight one another
for the entertainment and/or profit of spectators.
.Dogfighting
is one of the most heinous forms of animal cruelty. Dogs used for
fighting are typically raised in isolation, so they spend most of their
lives on short, heavy chains. They are regularly conditioned for
fighting through the use of drugs, including anabolic steroids to
enhance muscle mass and encourage aggressiveness. Dogfighting victims
may have their ears cropped and tails docked close to their bodies to
minimize the animal’s normal body language cues and to limit areas
that another dog can grab during a fight. Fighters usually perform
this cropping/docking themselves using crude and inhumane techniques.
Although
dogfighting is a felony in all 50 states, it continues to occur in
every part of the country and in every type of community. Fights can
happen in a variety of locations ranging from back alleys to
carefully-staged enterprises. Fights typically take place in a 14-20
square-foot pit designed to contain the animals. Fights can last just a
few minutes or several hours, and both animals may suffer injuries
including puncture wounds, lacerations, blood loss, crushing injuries
and broken bones. Although fights are not usually to the death, many
dogs succumb to their injuries later, and losing dogs are often
discarded, killed or brutally executed as part of the “sport.”
Dogfighting
is often associated with other forms of criminal activity including
illegal gambling and possession of drugs and firearms. By our
estimate, there are tens of thousands of dogfighters in the U.S.,
forcing hundreds of thousands of dogs to train, fight, and suffer every
year.
To learn more, visit A Closer Look at Dogfighting.
Help Us End Dogfighting Today
If you suspect dogfighting or other animal abuse is happening in your community, please speak up. Find out how to report animal cruelty.
How to Spot Signs of Dogfighting
It
is important to be able to recognize the signs identified with
dogfighting so that you can report any suspected dogfighting activity
to your local authorities.
If
you witness the following signs in your community and suspect
dogfighting activity, you should consider contacting your local
authorities immediately:
-
Dogs with multiple scars, possibly with lips or ears ripped off
-
Pit bull-mix-type dogs weighing approximately 40-50 pounds
-
Dogs on heavy chains, tethered to a tire axle or dog house/barrel
-
Dirt ring around the dog
-
Dogs chained inches apart from one another
-
Dogs chained or penned in a secluded area intentionally kept out of the public’s view
Keep
in mind that in urban communities like New York City, dogs used for
fighting are often found living in secluded, indoor areas such as
basements, where they are hidden from public view. Their ears may also
be cropped.
A Complex Issue
Animal
hoarding occurs when an individual is housing more animals than he or
she can adequately care for. It is a complex issue that encompasses
mental health, animal welfare and public safety concerns. Animal
hoarding is defined by an inability to provide even minimal standards
of nutrition, sanitation, shelter and veterinary care—often resulting
in animal starvation, illness and death. In the majority of cases,
animal hoarders believe they are helping their animals and deny this
inability to provide minimum care.
Not
everyone who has multiple animals is an animal hoarder. There are
several signs that may indicate someone is an animal hoarder:
-
They have numerous animals and may not know the total number of animals in their care.
-
Their home is deteriorated (i.e., dirty windows, broken furniture, holes in the wall and floor, extreme clutter).
-
There is a strong smell of ammonia, and floors may be covered with dried feces, urine, vomit, etc.
-
Animals are emaciated, lethargic and not well-socialized.
-
Fleas and vermin are present.
-
The individual is isolated from the community and appears to neglect him- or herself.
-
The individual insists that all of their animals are happy and healthy—even when there are clear signs of distress and illness.
Every
year in the United States, a quarter of a million animals fall victim
to hoarding. Animals collected range from cats and dogs to reptiles,
rodents, birds, exotics and even farm animals. Animal hoarding is
covered implicitly under every state’s animal cruelty statute, which
typically requires caretakers to provide sufficient food, water and
veterinary care. However, only two states, Illinois and Hawaii,
currently have statutory language specifically addressing animal
hoarding. In most cases, criminal prosecution of animal hoarding can be
a difficult process and may not be the most effective route, since
hoarders are often emotionally troubled rather than criminally
inclined.
If
you think someone you know is struggling with animal hoarding, pick
up the phone and call your local humane law enforcement department,
police department, animal shelter, animal welfare group or
veterinarian to initiate the process of getting them—and the
animals—the help they need.
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