WHAT'S THE ISSUE?

SMACC defines animal cruelty as:

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a range of human behaviours, performed intentionally or unintentionally, that cause animals harm or suffering which may be  immediate or long-term, physical or psychological.

 

We propose that since cruelty is not always obvious, input from specialists familiar with specific species, contexts or behaviours should be valued.

 

Animal cruelty content depicts anything that has been posted on a social media platform by an individual, organization, or business, that depicts animal cruelty or suffering for any reason apart from valid campaigning, journalistic or educational purposes. While it is true that suffering is a part of life and that it sometimes serves an important purpose, cruelty content has no discernible meaningful purpose and we consider it to be a barbaric form of entertainment.

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Please find bellow a list of animal cruelty themes, specific abuses and categories. You can use this list to help you identify and define animal cruelty online.