According to a new report from the ASPCA released on May 5, New Yorkers tend to report incidents of dog abuse and neglect far more frequently than those involving cats.
Out of 2,783 animal abuse cases documented by the ASPCA and NYPD from 2013 to 2022, a striking 2,271 cases were related to dogs. One notable example involved men in Queens who were arrested in 2022 for neglecting nearly 50 puppies.
In contrast, there were only 408 reported cases concerning cats. This included a troubling incident in Brooklyn where a man was sentenced after sharing a video in 2014 that showed him kicking a defenseless cat.
The ASPCA noted in its report, “Cat cruelty does not seem to be well understood and may be underreported or worse, hence the need for more research and caution.”
Interestingly, while most dog abuse incidents in the city (1,424 cases) involved allegations of neglect, the cat cases (233 incidents) predominantly featured intentional harm, leading to many cats barely surviving.
The ASPCA emphasized that cat abuse is “more serious than it is currently perceived.”
Since January 2014, the ASPCA has collaborated with the NYPD to address animal abuse across all five boroughs.
Brooklyn has seen the highest number of reports with 736 cases, followed closely by the Bronx, which has over 800 cruelty reports.
In Manhattan, 570 animals were reported as abused or abandoned, while Queens recorded 472 cases.
In Staten Island, the “Outerbridge Cowboy,” Doc Mishler, who faced animal cruelty charges in 2016, reported 187 abuse cases.
Over the past nine years, the ASPCA and NYPD also responded to 33 reports related to organized animal fighting.
The final report stated, “The ongoing prevalence of animal cruelty indicates that its causes are both complex and widespread. A coordinated and innovative approach is necessary to tackle these issues and reduce future incidents of cruelty.”
