According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty), the first humanitarian organization, founded in 1866, in the Western Hemisphere that works to save animals from abuse and adopt humanitarian laws. , the definition of animal cruelty is “acts of violence or neglect perpetrated against animals.” This definition is presented in an article written by Learning To Give, an organization that teaches children to give back, take voluntary civic actions and civic engagement and presents it through a philanthropic approach. Animal cruelty is a horrific act that must be understood and not minimized. It's easy to put something to the back of our mind and go into denial when the problem isn't in front of us. Many of us know that animal cruelty exists, but how many of us know how widespread it is? The only way to start solving it is to recognize the problem. Animal cruelty goes back further than many of us realize. Learning To Give used sources including the ASPCA, the American Humane Society, and a veterinary forensics symposium to verify that dog fighting as a sport began as early as the 12th century. Dog fighting continued throughout Europe for several centuries until baiting of larger animals was strictly prohibited in 1835. Dog-on-dog fighting became a cheaper alternative and was exported to various other countries, including the United States (Learning To Give). This landmark in history was just the beginning, as we see many forms of abuse today. The most common victims, based on a report from the Humane Society, the largest animal welfare organization and also considered the most effective by its peers, tend to be dogs; pit bulls in particular. From a 2007 media report on 1,800 cases of cruelty...... middle of paper ...... April 2014. "Circuses." PETA. Internet. April 24, 2014. “Facts About Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence.” » American Animal Welfare Association. Internet. April 16, 2014.Flynn, Clifton P. “Recognizing the “Zoological Bond”: A Sociological Analysis of Animal Cruelty.” Society and Animals 9.1 (2001): 71-87. Print. “Human abuse linked to animal cruelty. » PETA. Internet. April 21, 2014. Mellor, David and all. “Children’s Cruelty to Animals: A Trinational Study.” Child Psychiatry and Human Development 40.4 (2009): 527-41. Print."SHARK - Investigations and campaigns against animal abuse." SHARK - Investigations and campaigns against animal abuse. Internet. April 15, 2014. “Top 10 Ways to Prevent Animal Cruelty.” » PHAC. Internet. April 15, 2014. “Secret Investigations into Factory Farms and Slaughterhouses.” » MercyForAnimals.org. Internet. April 16, 2014. “Zoos and pseudo-sanctuaries. » PETA. Internet. April 24. 2014.