Animal cruelty is not only wrong—it is against the law in every state in this country! Animal abuse can also be part of a pattern of other violent acts within families and society. Abuse of any kind should be reported to the appropriate authorities immediately.
WHERE DO I REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY?
In NYC: Cruelty situations involving animals in New York City should be reported to the ASPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement department at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4450, or humanel@aspca.org.
Outside NYC: You will need to find out the name of the persons in your area who are responsible for investigating and enforcing the anti-cruelty codes in your town, county and/or state. These people typically work for your local humane organization, animal control agency, taxpayer-funded animal shelter or police precinct.
To find out what agencies are authorized to investigate and arrest instances of animal cruelty in your state (i.e, does the enforcement of animal cruelty laws fall under the authority of the police department or animal control officers?), visit our state-by-state list of state anti-cruelty investigatory-arrest powers.
If you run into trouble finding the correct agency to contact, you may wish to call or visit your local police department and ask for their help in enforcing the law. Similarly, you can ask at your local shelter or animal control agency for help. To find contact information for your local shelter, check the yellow pages or visit the ASPCA’s searchable database of nearly 5,000 community SPCAs, humane societies and animal control organizations.
TIPS FOR REPORTING ANIMAL CRUELTY
Once you have found out which law enforcement agent you should speak to, it’s important to provide him or her with a concise, written, factual statement of what you observed, giving dates and approximate times whenever possible. If at all feasible, try to photograph the abusive situation and date your pictures. It would also be helpful to get short, factual written statements from other witnesses.
When you call to report animal cruelty, always make sure to keep a careful record of exactly whom you contact, the date of the contacts and the content and outcome of your discussion. Never give away a document without making a copy for your file! Make it clear to the agent that you are very interested in pursuing the case, and that you are willing to lend whatever assistance you can.
FOLLOW UP IF NECESSARY
If you don’t receive a response from the officer assigned to your case within a reasonable length of time, don’t be afraid to present your information to his or her supervisor and, if necessary, to local government officials, such as the county commissioner, and ask them to act.
If you have witnessed the cruel act yourself, you can go to your local police commissioner and ask to swear out a warrant to summon the accused person to court. Remember that expert witnesses are sometimes necessary in animal cruelty cases. A veterinarian, for example, can sign a statement that it is his or her “expert opinion” that a dog suffers when hit with a chain, is deprived of food, etc. Expert opinions will very often make or break a case, so if you happen to know a sympathetic veterinarian, you may wish to seek his or her assistance and tell the officer that you have expert support lined up for your case.
ANIMAL CRUELTY ON TV AND FILM
The ASPCA shares your concern about the media’s depiction of violence and cruelty towards animals for entertainment purposes. Please know, however, that many of these instances are constitutionally protected free speech—and may not even involve a real animal.
If you are offended by something you viewed, we suggest that you contact the network that aired the program or the publisher of the film in question.
You may also wish to contact the American Humane Association Movie and Television Unit online or at (818) 501-0123. This unit oversees the use of live animals in movies and television as part of an agreement with the Screen Directors Guild.
WEBSITES THAT DEPICT ANIMAL CRUELTY
The Internet delivers an astounding array of images and ideas into homes across the world. But not all of these images are particularly animal-friendly. In fact, some of what is being sold and shown online crosses into the realm of criminal activity. And in some cases, there are laws against showing and selling these images.
To report websites that display acts of cruelty to animals, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice.
