Animal Cruelty.

Animal advocates are still fighting to keep animals safe in South Dakota, which came in dead last for animal protection laws in the Humane Society of the United States' 2012 Humane State Ranking that was published last week. The HSUS graded states based on their policies dealing with animal protection, pets, animal fighting, farm animals and animals used in research. According to the HSUS, "South Dakota is one of only two states with no felony level penalties for egregious acts of cruelty, and also has some of the weakest laws against cockfighting in the country." South Dakota was also ranked in the bottom five states in the Animal Legal Defense Fund's 2012 animal protection law ...

Cardiff University is speaking out about their animal testing after coming under fire recently for sewing shut the eyelids of 31 kittens. Representatives for the institution said that the action was necessary for their studies on lazy-eye syndrome in children. The condition, which affects two to four percent of kids, can sometimes cause a child to go blind in the affected eye. Cardiff states they sewed up the kittens' eyes to recreate the effects of lazy-eye syndrome and see how vision and the brain are connected. Kittens were allegedly chosen for the test because they are one of the few animals with frontally positioned eyes like humans. The university stands by the tests, saying it will ...

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, 26-year-old John Molar III of New Jersey is facing 30 counts of animal cruelty after the veterinary staff at the Good Hope Animal Hospital discovered 30 emaciated cats and newborn kittens crammed in the back of his Jeep. Molnar had brought his Jeep to his neighborhood Pep Boys for servicing. When mechanics saw the animals, they sent him and his vehicle to the animal hospital. Molnar waited in the air-conditioned room while his cats were sitting in 90-degree heat. RELATED: Pawsome Cat Record Breakers When Molnar checked in with Holly Dupont at the Good Hope Animal Hospital, he told her he had a "couple of cats." She continued to press Molnar and he ...

After being nearly starved to death, Precious the Pit Bull Terrier mix is finally getting the kind treatment she deserves. According to WPVI-TV, the dog was found wasting away in the basement of a Pennsylvania home. Precious was discovered by visiting maintenance workers who at first thought the dog was the remains of an animal. Once they realized Precious was alive, they had her moved to an animal shelter. RELATED: Amazing Animals That Beat the Odds The Delaware County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is now caring for Precious. The facility said for a dog her size, Precious should weigh around 50 pounds, but she currently weighs only 17 pounds. Due to this ...

Margaret A. Hamilton, a 69-year-old judge for the American Kennel Club, was prosecuted for hoarding around 100 dogs in horrific conditions. King County officials received an anonymous tip from Pasado's Safe Haven, an animal sanctuary in Sultan, Washington. According to b-townblog.com, officials with an animal rescue group illegally entered a home in Burien through an open door. They recorded footage of the deplorable state in which the dogs were living in. Countless dogs were crammed into cages infested with waste and scattered with empty food and water bowls. ...