Report an abuse case
When a violent crime is committed against anyone you love, there is always a barrage of emotions that comes flooding in: anger, outrage, hurt, worry, helplessness... Your pets are no exception, and when someone deliberately causes them harm, the reaction isn't much different than if they had attacked a human family member. This very site was started as a product of that feeling of helplessness that we felt. The fact is, there are some things you can do. Animal abuse IS a crime in the United States, and depending on where you live, it can be a pretty serious one.
The fact is, most violent criminals started off causing harm to animals. I cannot impress to you enough how important it is to get the police and Animal Control involved. As Dr. Randall Lockwood, VP of the Humane Society has said, "While not everyone who abuses animals will become a serial killer, virtually every serial killer first abused animals..."
Authorities
If you have witnessed or have information on an animal abuse case, the very first thing you should do is contact your local Dept of Animal Control, and/or the local Police. DO NOT try to confront the abuser by yourself. This will not only endanger you, but it will also not do any good with regard to getting the abuser criminally prosecuted. The ONLY way for an abuser to be brought to justice is to allow the ASPCA, Dept of Animal Control, Humane Society, or Police to handle the case. If the authorities have not already been contacted, you should immediately contact your local police and the local Department of Animal Control - (these numbers can be found in your local yellow pages).
Thirty-one states currently have laws making certain types of animal cruelty a felony offense: AL, AZ, CA, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, LA, MA, ME, MI, MO, MT, NC, NH, NM, NV, NY, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, VA, VT, WI, WA. The remaining states allow for a misdemeanor only. The Humane Society website has an excellent detailed review of state animal cruelty laws, and how individual states handle prison time, fines, and psychiatric counseling.
If you have witnessed or have information on an animal abuse case, the very first thing you should do is contact your local Dept of Animal Control, and/or the local Police.
DO NOT try to confront the abuser by yourself. This will not only endanger you, but it will also not do any good with regard to getting the abuser criminally prosecuted. The ONLY way for an abuser to be brought to justice is to allow the ASPCA, Dept of Animal Control, Humane Society, or Police to handle the case.
If the person who committed the crime has not been identified yet, many times you may want to go to the community for help. In that case, you have several options open to you. Depending on each individual case, you may want to pursue one or all of these ideas.
Flyers and Pamphlets
Oftentimes, the simplest way to go about this is to distribute flyers in your local area, going door to door. Remember to get your point across sincerely, and make it clear that you believe there to be a threat to the animals in your community. You may want to contact your local branch of Animal Control to help you suggest things that your community members can do to prevent their pets from becoming victims, such as suggesting they keep them indoors until the threat has passed. Remember that it is illegal to put anything in anyone's mailbox. If no one is home, leave the flyer on their doorstep, or bring a box of rubber bands with you so that you can attach your flyer to their door, mailbox, gate, etc.
Media
Media is tricky. The media can be one of your best allies, but when it comes to cases of animal abuse, they will often only run the stories if the shock value is high enough. Obviously, no matter *what* type and level of abuse that has been committed, it's ALL wrong, but the media has its own agendas, and they will often run stories more for their shock value rather than their importance. Depending on the extent of the abuse, contacting the media such as local TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers may enable you to get the community involved. Many times, this can be an important move in getting other people to come forward with any information they might have about the crime. If you have any funds available, offering a reward for information leading to the capture of the criminal can often be an effective way to get information which can lead to the arrest of the criminal responsible.
If funds are not as readily available, you can contact independent animal rights organizations and find out what funding they might have to offer. Many times, celebrities and rich folk unlike ourselves donate large sums of money to animal charities for exactly this purpose.
Additionally, if you get the media involved, sometimes TV and radio personalities will get personally involved, and help you out with offering reward money. In our case, a local radio morning show personality took an interest in the case and upped the reward money $4000.
If you have any questions or concerns, or require assistance with dealing with an abuse case, please e-mail us at [email protected].
Special Situations
Legal Organizations
Although it may feel like it at times, you are not alone in wanting to make a difference. The hardest part about doing something about is abuse is understanding the legal options, limitations, and implications - fortunately, there are some great organizations out there that can help.
- Animal Legal Defense Fund - is a national non-profit organization of legal professionals (including 700 attorneys who volunteer their time) working locally and nationally to defend animals from abuse and exploitation. Some of ALDF's activities include providing free legal assistance to prosecutors handling cruelty cases anywhere in the U.S., working to strengthen state anti-cruelty laws, and taking direct legal action to help ensure the enforcement of state and federal animal protection laws.
- ALDF- Legal Information regarding Animal Damages - One of the resources offered through ALDF's web page is this excellent introduction and guide to handling companion animal wrongful death or injury cases. This information is helpful for caretakers of animals who have been injured or killed, and for attorneys handling these cases for their clients.
- Humane Society of the United States - educational resources for just about every companion animal issue that relates to behavior, health and responsible companion animal guardianship.
- PAWS - Although local to Washington state, they provide excellent reference materials and links to all manner of abuse information.
- ASPCA
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