Pets911

Finding home for our nation's pets



Members login

Become a member




Animal Cruelty

More on Pet Resources

Search For…

The recent high profile cases involving staged dog fights and other types of violence against domestic animals have heightened awareness nationwide about the problem of animal cruelty. Hopefully this heightened public awareness about the plight of domestic animals subjected to cruelty will help put an end to dog fighting as sport and all other forms of animal cruelty and abuse.

What is animal cruelty?

The term animal cruelty is widely used to describe a range of behaviors, intentional or unintentional, that cause harm to an animal. Many cases of cruelty investigated by humane officers are unintentional neglect that can be resolved through education. Other cases are more complex and involve intentional acts of cruelty or abuse such as knowingly depriving an animal of food, water, shelter, socialization, veterinary care, or maliciously causing harm by torture, maiming, mutilating or killing.

Whom do I call to report animal cruelty or abuse?

There are things that you can do if you suspect that an animal has been abused or is being abused. The most important thing you can do is to report the cruelty to your local law enforcement agency. In some places, this may be a county or city animal control department, the police, or the sheriff’s department. Use the PETS 911 shelter search to find information about the public animal control agencies and shelters in your area. If you witness animal cruelty in progress and do not know the number to the appropriate agency, CALL 911. Animal cruelty is a crime and the police dispatcher will be able to determine which department should respond. Do NOT confront or attempt to deal with any person(s) involved in animal cruelty or abuse yourself. The authorities are there to help you, and the sooner they are involved, the better.

How do I report animal cruelty or abuse?

The legal definition of animal abuse or animal cruelty is what determines how law enforcement may respond to a reported incident. To help facilitate law enforcement’s ability to prosecute animal abusers it is important to collect factual information when you suspect abuse or neglect, and to place a report with the law enforcement agency in your jurisdiction. If you suspect or witness an act of animal cruelty, you should contact your local law enforcement agency. As a witness, you will need to be able to provide information about the situation, such as:

  • What happened? Include a description of the incident(s), information about the animal’s physical condition, information about what act(s) were committed against the animals. Is the situation still happening? Include all details no matter how small.
  • Who is the person(s) involved? Be sure to include as much information as you can gather including name, description of the person or persons involved. If a vehicle was involved, be sure to include a description of the vehicle and the license plate number.
  • Where did the incident occur? Include the specific location, address, cross streets where the incident occurred or is occurring.
  • When did the incident occur? Include the date and time and whether the situation is still ongoing.

    • The more detailed you can be in your description the more evidence animal control will have to pursue your report. If there are other witnesses, ask them to report the incident as well. Corroborating evidence supports your case. Animal control officers may not be available to respond immediately to a reported incident of animal abuse.

    How can I report animal abuse or cruelty that I have seen on the internet?

    Animal abuse on the internet is a crime and needs to be reported. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the National White Collar Crime Center. When reporting a crime to IC3 be prepared to include:

  • Your name
  • Your mailing address
  • Your telephone number
  • The name, address, telephone number, and Web address, if available, of the individual or organization you believe committed the action.
  • Include specific details about the act of cruelty and any other relevant information you believe is necessary to support your complaint.

    • What if I am not sure what I witnessed is classified as animal cruelty or against the law?

    When in doubt, contact your local law enforcement agency to discuss the situation with them. By reporting suspected animal cruelty, you may save more than the animal’s life. The link between animal abuse, domestic violence, and child abuse is well documented. Do not wait until an animal’s life is in danger if you suspect abuse. Document it and report it to the appropriate law enforcement agency. You may also want to follow up with the law enforcement agency to find out if the situation fell under the legal definition of animal abuse, and if not, why.

    Sources:

    Sequoia Humane Society: What is animal abuse?
    Humane Society of the United States: Animal Cruelty/Domestic Violence Fact Sheet
    AAHA: The Link between Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence