Reporting Animal Cruelty

Is Someone You Know Abusing Animals?

If a friend, classmate, neighbor, or relative is abusing animals, tell someone. Find an adult you can trust. If you do not feel comfortable talking to your parents, try a teacher or school counselor. If no one will listen to you, report the abuse yourself.

Ask the adult to help you find out who is responsible for enforcing anti-cruelty laws in your area. Usually, humane societies, public shelters, animal control, or SPCA's have that responsibility, and their numbers are typically listed in the Yellow Pages. Contact whichever agency is responsible as well as the police. Write down everything you can remember about the abuse: who committed it, when, where, and what was done to the animal. Also, give the officials a description of the animal. Be as detailed as you can.

Give the authorities the name of anyone who saw the animal being abused.

Keep a record of every police officer, humane society representative, or any other person you spoke to, when you spoke to them, what was discussed, and what that person said he or she would do about the abuse.

Feel free to contact animal protection organizations for help at any point.

If someone you know talks about abusing animals, take it seriously. Tell someone who can help.

If you are worried that the abuser will find out that you reported him, ask if you can make an anonymous complaint.

Animals cannot speak up for themselves –they depend on us to speak for them.