Starting Next Year The FBI Will Add Animal Cruelty Cases To National Crime Report

The Federal Bureau of investigation announced this week that it will start reporting crimes of animal cruelty - intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly taking an action that mistreats or kills any animal without just cause, such as torturing, tormenting, mutilation, maiming, poisoning, or abandonment.

The FBI will treat animal cruelty  as a separate offense under its uniform reporting system, leading the way for more comprehensive statistics on animal abuse.

Previously, crimes against animals were recorded under a generic “all other offense” category in the Uniform Crime Report, widely considered the most comprehensive source of crime statistics in the United States.

More recently, social media sites have provided platforms for caught-on-tape exposés and forums focused on publicly shaming animal abusers. The proliferation of such online venues has helped fuel the outrage of many Americans.

The Humane Society, the Animal Welfare Institute Program and the Animal Legal Defense Fund were among the groups to laud FBI Director James B. Comey's decision to include animal cruelty as a distinct category on the annual index, the nation's prime source for US crime information.

Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, wrote on his blog on Wednesday, "No longer will extremely violent cases be included in the 'other offense' category simply because the victims were animals."

Included are:

• Instances of duty to provide care, e.g., shelter, food, water, care if sick or injured;
• Transporting or confining an animal in a manner likely to cause injury or death;
• Causing an animal to fight with another;
• Inflicting excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering, e.g., uses objects to beat or injure an animal.

This definition does not include proper maintenance of animals for show or sport or use of animals for food, lawful hunting, fishing or trapping.

Before establishing the special category, there was no easy way to track the number of animal cruelty cases in the US But high-profile cases ranging from NFL quarterback Michael Vick's illegal dog fighting ring to a puppy-kicking episode implicating Desmond Hague, the former CEO of a sports catering company that provides services to several NFL teams, have helped shine a national spotlight on the issue.

The issue is a national problem, while cruelty cases occurring in all 50 states.

Humane Society: Faux Fur On Kohl's Jacket Is Real Raccoon Dog

An investigation by The Humane Society of the United States has found that a men's parka sold by retailer Kohl's with the description "faux-fur trim" uses real fur from raccoon dogs.

The Humane Society tested the men's R&O Hooded Parka which was purchased online for testing on June 23.

"Raccoon dog fur is the species we'd consider the most misrepresented," said PJ Smith, the Humane Society's corporate outreach manager. He said the raccoon dog traces back to Asia and is in the same family as the domestic dog, fox and wolf.

Once the coat was purchased online by investigators, Smith said it was sent to a lab that determined with "a great degree of certainty that it was this particular species."

It's the second time in a year that the Humane Society has used investigators to reveal real fur marked as fake fur from Kohl's — on Cyber Monday in December 2013, the organization released a consumer warning that the retailer was selling handbags lined with real rabbit fur.

Raccoon dogs, seen here in Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, are often used in clothing and can be mislabeled as faux fur.(Photo: Chiaki Tsukumo, AP)

Kohl's is not the only company caught mislabeling fur. In 2011, The HSUS filed an Federal Trade Commission petition resulting in enforcement action against Neiman Marcus, Revolve Clothing and DrJays.com, which could result in fines of $16,000 an instance if they were found mislabeling again.

The Humane Society claims Kohl's is in violation of the Fur Products Labeling Act that requires retailers to disclose the name and origin of the animal killed.

"This is obviously problematic for people who want to go to a store and buy something not associated with the fur trade cruelty," said Smith. "We believe the best way for retailers like Kohl's to correct these problems is to go fur-free because this is an industry-wide problem."

USA Today Network has reached out to Kohl's for comment. Initial efforts have proven unsuccessful.

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It Could Cost as Much as $2,000 a Year to Have a Dog

A new report says many of the most popular breeds these days are also very expensive, and can cost you thousands of dollars a year, something many people don't realize at the time of adoption.

Dog lovers won't like a report in Daily Finance  that says the first year cost of a puppy in 2014 can exceed $2,000, for initial cost, vaccinations, spaying, and training.

And, depending on the dog, you could easily pay another $2,000 a year after that.

For the average grown dog, you'll pay:

$200 to $500 a year for food ($1 a day for an average dog, but it adds up)
$200 a year for boarding for your week's vacation (unless you have relatives willing to help)
$500 for grooming (small designer dogs can cost much more in grooming costs)
$200 for annual vet visits (which is actually a low figure)
$500 for flea, tick, and heartworm medicine
That does not include leashes, travel boxes, rawhide treats and other items that cost several hundred dollars over a year.

And it does not include the cost of installing the very popular invisible fencing around your yard, which can cost $1,000 or more.

High cost of emergency vet care, as pets these days get care as good as humans.

Consumer Reports Magazine says to avoid a surprise $5,000 bill, you may want to consider pet insurance, or put a little bit in a "pet emergency fund" every month.

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This Portly Pig Was A Beloved Pet That Had To Leave Her Family: Thankfully She Found A Forever Home!

Pigs may start out small and cute, but people often don’t realize how large they can really get. This family raised Peggy Sue from a tiny piglet to a full grown pig. Sadly, Burbank California limits the weight of pets to 100 pounds, which Peggy easily exceeded. Her family had to find a solution, and it was equally heartbreaking and up-lifting.

See her lucky journey below!

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