(WSBT) It's National "Be Kind to Animals Week." Local humane officers say many people in the area need to learn how to treat animals because animal cruelty is a big problem.

Humane Society experts see everything from animals who have been beaten and denied veterinary care to starvation, abandonment, even pit bull fighting.

In fact, they say St. Joseph County, Ind., has the biggest pit bull fighting problem in the country. Maxine Riley, a humane officer at the Humane Society of St. Joseph County, says cruel treatment like that usually stems from people who aren't educated in how to care for animals. Even though local animal shelters see a lot of cases of mistreatment, Riley says taking care of animals is really all about common sense.

"Just treat them how you would want to be treated," Riley told WSBT News. "You don't want to be chained up outside 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the weather, being hot or cold. Take them inside, feed them."

Riley also says animal abuse gets worse when the weather gets warmer. It often causes pet owners to leave their animals outside for extended periods of time in the heat. That can lead to stroke and even death.

Another common cruelty case that happens in the summer is leaving pets inside hot cars. Temperatures inside a car can easily be 10 to 20 degrees higher than the outside temperature on a hot day.

The Humane Society says another big problem in the area is the way kids treat animals. St. Joseph County sees a huge jump in animal abuse cases when school lets out for the summer.

Riley told WSBT News kids shoot pets with BB guns and perform other kinds of torture. Experts say it's important to educate children about animal cruelty and report any cases.

"If anyone knows of anything, any cruelty, it's all done in a confidential way," said Riley. "The defendant will never find out who is the person whose complained and told us the information."

Witnesses can remain anonymous when reporting animal cruelty, but testimony can help with prosecution. Riley said it's often difficult to prove the abuse happened unless they see it or have it on tape.

That's why statements from witnesses help tremendously when it comes to removing an animal from an abusive situation and punishing the abuser.

Once the Humane Society learns about the abuse and knows who's causing it, the punishment depends on the offense. Pit bull fighting, for example, is treated as a felony and can lead to jail time.

As for starvation, abandonment and other cases of abuse, the punishment can be anything from community service to fines. In any case, the officers say statements from witnesses help a lot — because abuse is often difficult to prove.

Anyone who knows of an animal abuse situation can call the local Humane Society. Also, anyone who has an animal they cannot care for or don't want anymore, the local shelter will probably take it.

Another way local animal shelters are trying to curb animal abuse is fighting over-population. Riley says it's a big problem locally.

In just seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce 42,000 cats. The numbers are similar for dogs.

Local shelters often find animals dumped in the country or mistreated — treated in other ways because people don't want to care for them. Riley told WSBT News the solution lies in spaying and neutering dogs and cats.

Experts say other benefits include reduced risks of cancer and less aggression.

Riley said there are five million animals that are euthanized every year in the United State because people are not getting their animals spayed or neutered.

"We've got people who have a male or female dog and they breed four times a year," she said. "And we get puppies, so we have to adopt them out so it's just an on-going process every year."

At least one local program is available to help cut back on over-population. The S.T.O.P (Stop the Over Population of Pets) initiative is designed to cover the spaying and neutering costs for low-income pet owners.

There is an approval process applicants must go through to participate in S.T.O.P. For more information, call the Humane Society of Elkhart County at (574) 848-4225.