11 signs of animal cruelty and how you can help

11 signs of animal cruelty and how you can help

Animal cruelty is not only abhorrent in its own right, but it is often a gateway crime to violence against adults and children.

If you witness any act of abuse, neglect or cruelty against an animal it is your moral responsibility to report it to local law enforcement, or to whomever is responsible for cruelty investigations in your community.

In most cases you may do so anonymously if you fear reprisal. Doing nothing does nothing to help animals in need.

DO NOT ask us in the comments section what to do if you suspect cruelty or abuse. Contact your local police department and/or humane society even if you are unsure if what you observe qualifies as animal cruelty since laws vary by state and municipality. PLEASE STOP ASKING US WHAT TO DO; TAKE LEGAL ACTION!

The 11 signs of animal abuse, neglect or cruelty

11 signs of animal cruelty and how you can help
1 – Poor body condition and noticeable trauma

The animal has severe matting and a filthy coat, open sores or obvious wounds. He appears to be flea or tick infested. He is underweight with bones visible clearly. He might be limping or unable to walk at all, or have congested eyes or ears. He is in obvious physical distress and in need of veterinary care.

2 – Lack of food or water

Every time you see this animal you notice that she has no obvious sources of food and/or water. She may be aggressive due to starvation and thirst, and perhaps very lethargic.

3 – Lack of shelter

The animal is contained in an area that is largely or fully exposed to inclement weather or constant sun. In many states, if an animal dies as a result of being left alone in a hot car the owner can be charged. See the laws in your state.

4 – Lack of sanitation

Feces and/or debris cover the animal’s living area.

5 – Abandoned

The animal is left in a house, yard, or other area that appears empty or devoid of normal human activity. Reports of companion animals abandoned and left to die inside vacant buildings are alarmingly common.

It is a crime in all 50 states to abandon an animal.

11 signs of animal cruelty and how you can help

If you notice a neighbor has moved or has stopped visiting a residence where you know animal live, be extra vigilant. Some dogs bark and whine to express anxiety at being left alone. But a dog who is howling or barking for several hours is sending a signal that it is in need of immediate, life-saving care.

6 – The animal is tied or caged

She has little or no room to move, and/or is unable to stand or turn.

7 – Chains or padlocks around the animal’s neck

Be on the lookout for anything around an animal’s neck that may have become embedded and/or infected, including regular collars. A chained animal is an abused animal.

Chaining or tethering is illegal in many states.

8 – Signs of an animal being trained to or having been used to fight

This is especially common with bully breed dogs, and even roosters. You may see training implements, treadmills, spring poles, etc. More likely you will notice obvious signs of trauma, including scars, open wounds, infections, and even missing body parts, such as ears or tails.

9 – The animal’s behavior is abnormal

She may be very aggressive or severely shy, e.g., cowering, hiding, fear-biting, even with or especially with her owner.

10 – Too many animals living on one property

This can be a sign of animal hoarding, which makes the conditions no less cruel. An estimated 250,000 animals are hoarding victims each year.

11 – Overt acts of violence

An owner or any person who is being overtly violent against the animal, striking or throwing objects at him, or otherwise physically abusing him.

There is no violence against an animal that is justified. And a person who would abuse an animal in public or plain sight is likely doing far worse outside of view.

Download our flyer: 11 signs of animal cruelty and how you can help
11 signs of animal cruelty and how you can help

The worst thing you can do if you witness or suspect animal cruelty or neglect is nothing. Be that animal’s voice and get him out of his abusive situation immediately. If you have to make multiple reports, do it.

Four steps to help an animal who is a cruelty victim

Animal cruelty is illegal in every state and a felony most. If you make a report of alleged animal cruelty the responding agency is required to investigate.

If you see an animal in distress, do not assume that someone else will take care of the situation. Animals cannot speak for themselves; it is up to you to speak for them.

1 – Be prepared

Most municipalities have a local animal control department, or animal shelter or humane society that is responsible for cruelty investigations.

Do an online search to identify the agency in your area and program the number into your mobile phone. This way you are always prepared to report abuse.

2 – Speak up or call 911

If you witness overt violence against an animal or suspect it, speak up! If you do not feel safe intervening in a situation directly, call 911.

It is essential to contact law enforcement when violence is involved since it is likely part of an ongoing pattern that may include violence against people as well. If you are traveling or in a community that is not familiar to you, you can look up the local police department.

3 – Document the details

Tell the officer as many details of the situation as you can: location, date, time, description of the people and animals involved.

Video and photographic documentation, even on a mobile phone, can bolster a legal case. Provide names of others who may have witnessed the incident. Remain on the scene until authorities arrive if you can do so safely.

4 – Prepare to testify

While you may remain anonymous, the legal case will be much stronger if you are willing to identify yourself and testify to what you witnessed. A human witness is crucial for building a strong, prosecutable case.

Additional resources

DO NOT ask in the comments section what to do if you suspect cruelty or abuse. Contact your local police department and/or humane society even if you are unsure if what you observe qualifies as animal cruelty since laws vary by state and municipality.

408 Comments

  1. LandlordDrama

    So I don’t want to ask a humane society because I live in my friends house and I have no money to move out at the moment and I don’t want to be homeless, my friends have two 1-3 year old dogs ones a husky and the other a mastiff Pitt mix, they never walk them or exercise them ever and they cage the husky basically all the time because he tears things up and they poop and pee everywhere because they rarely get taken out then they “scold” them for going to the bathroom on the floor even though they couldn’t help themselves, they get fed about once every night maybe because my landlords work practically all day and the dogs poop and pee otherwise even though they pretty much do anyway without the food and both dogs seem to be food aggressive? When husky has been left outside without leash he has run away 20 times or so and they’ve had them both for 3 months or less, Landlord doesn’t seem to care about tenants, shows signs of possible future animal hoarding by past and present statements of wanting rabbits,sugar gliders, more cats and more dogs, talks about wanting to save them yet they have insufficient funds to keep them vaccinated and healthy , they are in debt to the bank and are constantly paying for things that are not exactly needed even though they do not have money to do so. On top of those two dogs that they poorly care for they have 4 cats who the landlords are trying to train the cats and dogs to be okay around each other. Unsure what to do at the moment but thinking about talking to humane society when I move.

  2. Anonymous

    I am helping a friend and his 80 pound pit bull/mix. I honestly didn’t think I’d have some of these issues that are daily starting to get worse. Because I thought he truly loved and took care of his dog from when I knew him before he moved in. But now, the dog can hardly walk on the tile without slipping due to his nails being so long, they are curling under his paws. It’s so sad. He’s constantly scratching, and chewing on himself. He had a small sore when he first moved in, that now 3 months later has gotten so much worse, moving up his back legs. And he has a fowl smell. Not the normal wet dog smell either. Something worse. Now he stays in his room most the day. And if he comes out, he’s so skittish. But other times he’s extremely hyper. And recently when his owner was walking him (which he only does 2 times per day for a maximum of 4 minutes, once before he goes to work and once before he goes to bed) but on that walk he nipped one of our neighbors hands. And on another day, when I took him out for fresh air. I tied a long leash to my patio so he could just chill for a good hour… But he tried to attack the next door neighbors dog! So I had to put him back inside. I think he’s losing it. He’s a sweet, loving boy, but unfortunately because of lack of care and attention from his owner, and no space (we all live in a 1 bedroom apartment) due to his size, he needs to find a better home one that’s bigger with a yard to run in. And on a few occasions his owner actually forgot to feed him before leaving to work!!!! No water or food. And he’s gone a minimum of 9-10 hours 6 days aweek. And plays video games at a friend’s on his days off and is gone about 6-8 hours. So wouldn’t this all consist of animal cruelty and neglect on the owner? I don’t want him in trouble, I just want him to realize he has a responsibility, like having a child!!! But He doesn’t listen to me… Something needs to be done soon or this poor dog isn’t going to make it.

  3. adame

    Hi I had neighbors move in since June and witnessed the cruelty and abuse to the dog. I made reports to animal control right away they came out only once and I sent video with evidence of the cruelty but they never did anything about it. Couples months later another neighbor called to complain and saw animal control come by but still didn’t take the dog. Now a couple days ago my friend witnessed them running out the door with the dog dead and I haven’t seen the dog since. I have evidence of all emails sent since then and my friends written statement of what she saw. Can I sew local animal control for negligence on this case? I am really traumatized by this situation and having to see my neighbors laughing away really adds to the trauma how can people be so un caring and evil.

  4. Crab Cake

    I’m about to say something rude, but honest. I say it because I don’t want to give anybody here the impression that this person’s behavior is correct or should go unnoticed and unmentioned. I saw some young people are frequenting this sight and we must all be respectable role models at all times.

    People like Mason are what’s wrong with the world. He took offense and immediately came back with unwarrented animosity. Instead of letting his low self esteem get in the way of his reasoning and intellecandhe should instead try to understand another person’s point of view. Ibstead of assuming that it was meant to be offensive he should automatically ask himself why they would make that kind of tag at the tops and bottom of the article. Think of it from the writer’s perspective. The people running the site cannot and should not have to answer a billion requests each day. It would be nice for us, but it’s unrealistic. They have their own lives and probably only spe d three hours or less a day here. Likewise, the warnings don’t mention anyone being stupid if they don’t know what to do. It is a little assertive, but that’s not to say it is in any way cruel or untrue. When you see an animal being neglected, even if you aren’t sure what steps to take–that’s okay. But you are probably the only one capable of saving that creature and the longer you wait the less time they havr to live. It’s not a good idea to send a question in a comment to this article and then wait for a response that could take a week. Two weeks. Longer. And by then the animal might not have a fighting chance anymore. This page mentions some options. Take them. As soon as you can. It’s not a proper response to just lash out at others because you feel you’ve been slighted personally when you absolutely have not. Ignoring the actual message completely. And to go as far as saying that he thinks those that wrote the article are stupid and cruel and that he wishes he could destroy this website as a whole? To admit he will spread false information and slander them at every opportunity he may get? How entitled and ridiculously overemotional. Grow up.

  5. Kim

    Everybody here who witnesses animal abuse and/or questions it are guilty if you don’t take action. If your unsure do something about it!! Call your local animal clinic or the police. The longer you wait the more an innocent animal suffers!!

  6. Linda Domke

    Dee, this dog gets let out once every 24 hours. The floors are completely covered in feces. The pet owner lives a hour away and the landlord lives over 2 hours away. The smell it’s self is alful

  7. Dee

    my neighbor keeps his three dogs in pens in his garage. As far as I can tell, he must be feeding them, but I do see him and his friends washing out the pens probably daily which makes me think the dogs are not getting any sort of a life other than the pens. What is there to report?

  8. Linda Domke

    I have witnessed 2 dogs and a cat who live in a empty house in my city. My friend lives acRoss the street. One dog has already died. Before her death, she was carried out to the yard to go potty but they only give her a few minutes. Now it’s just one cat, 1 large dog. I also want to mention that there is no power to the home. The pet owner lives in another town and the landlord lives a little over 2 hours away. My friend has called, the animal protection League, The Humane Society Animal Control and the City of Anderson Police Department. even the landlord had received a phone call from the police department and told the police department that they can break in if they want to. the police department did not want to break in and they said there is nothing that they can do. The windows are open on the house but they’re the kind that you can slide either all the way up so the bottom part of the window can get air or slide them both down and just the upper part of the window can get air. They have just upper air. the pet owner states that she goes there every day to let the dog out and you can see by looking in the window there’s lots of feces all over the floor and it smells horrible. the pet owner must come at night for the cat gets locked outside. There’s absolutely no furniture for Utilities in that house. the landlord recently came down last week to mow the very tall grass and he chose not to go inside of his rental and take a look for himself. I don’t know where to turn because my friend and I have tried several Avenues and nobody can help us. It has been in the 90s with the heat index at around a hundred degrees here in Indiana. I need to know who will help us. Who will help those animals! I know you said you do not want to have this in the comments but I have tried your suggestions. Thank you so much.. midnitecryer@gmail.com

  9. Anne

    I have a neighbor who keeps their dog in a large high chain link fenced area. 24/7. Basic needs are met. Food, water and a plastic igloo dog house. The enclosure has shade during the day due to trees. Which is fine. Problem is there is no interaction with the dog even when they go out to feed him/her. No walking the dog, absolutely no socializing. They now have a blue tarp hung up on their porch blocking the view from the enclosure to the dining room sliders. Why have a dog? It’s emotional abuse. A neighbor reported them, but since basic needs are met, they wont do anything. What are my options.

  10. herbret martin

    my friend killed my dog by running her in the with 100degree heat she collased 3hrs llater she died at the vets of a heat stroke he knew she sick and getting no water or shade he didnt try to help her cant get anything done police said freak accident i call it neglect

  11. herbret mertin

    my friend no longer ran my dog into the ground untill she collasped died at the vets 3hrs later he knsw she was getting too hot and sick heat stroke took her cant get anything done about it sue him but he doesnt have anything

  12. Mason

    You know what I have to mention one more thing. I took another look at the website and you actually write it twice in bold in red about what to do if they suspect animal cruelty. You immediately turn them off and make them feel stupid is the only word. So you know what I think whoever wrote that is stupid. And I am very confident in myself and I am not stupid but that is a very stupid and intimidating in a very unusual self-doubting way I wish I had the ability to terminate this website

  13. Mason

    My only comment is the abrasive language that is used in the beginning of this webpage. Do you use bold text in red basically saying that if we are making the wrong comment in the comment section that we were stupid. Some people have never been on this website. Me being one of them I’ve never been on this website and I was looking for information on animal cruelty specifically fleas if a owner is not taking care of their pet and is flea infested with fleas and mites in their ears. But after I saw what you wrote and then further down again in red who in the world is going to listen to anything on this website. Sometimes people need a little empathy and not the have the first thing they see the basically insulting somebody and they have no idea what you are talking about because they have never been on this page. As for me I will never return and I will absolutely put it in every blog that I know not the pay this website any mind. I will go even further to say in every blog that I can get on that you specifically do not know what you are talking about and you are giving false information out to people. No I do not work with pets but I work with humans everyday very closely and emotionally I work in a crisis center I don’t need to say anymore. I was appalled when I first opened your website and I felt compelled to tell you now I know nothing will make a difference cuz you won’t change anything and you don’t care probably people just have comment sections in things like that to make people feel better so good luck

  14. April Berisha

    Hello I have an unusual situation where my friend has a dog & she shares an apt with a male who is just a friend & y have known eachh other for years. My friend ended up having some complications & had to bee Admitted into the hospital. After spending almost 2 weeks on the hospital she was eventually transferred to a care facility because she had to have surgery on her knee 3 times. So in the meantime she has spoke to her roommate once & she informed him off what was going on & both him, her neighbor, and another friend @ the time agreed to take care of her dog. Well since this all began she is having problems with her neighbor & other friend saying that they are going to have her dog put down by saying that she abandoned it (yes her dog is old), but they are also aware & agreed to administer her the medicine to help her get around. But because these woman are trying to hurt her INTENTIONALLY they are i am assuming not doing as they promised what can she do if she is not physically able to get to her dog? Wouldn’t that be Animal cruelty, and NEGLECT? THANK YOU APRIL

  15. Justice

    PLEASE HELP!!!!
    There is a dog in an apartment across from mine, and the poor thing has been stuck outside on the balcony for over a week in not only the summer heat, but also the down pour rain! It seems that this dog has no food or water. I HAVE called animal law Enforcement, but no action has been taken.

  16. Alicia

    Fir everyone out there who’s animal is been abused or u know someone that is.. please report it something has to be done and people have to stop treating dogs,cats or any animal that way. U would want help if that was happening to u do please help them. I know our neighbors were cruel to there child and I called the cops and they did nothing to them and now there dog runs from them so that lets me know there abusive towerd him to but I know if I call nothing will be done about it. Sad so sad

  17. Blake

    My roommate has two beautiful labs that are both. Around two years old they aren’t my dogs but I walk them an feed them when I’m home it’s just hard cause I’m gone working all day. But the owner keeps both of them in the same little cage together for 8 hours at least an that’s what I’m home an can take them out. It she leaves them in there for 10+ hours a day an has the nerve to say she doesn’t feed or give them water so while they are locked up all day so they don’t go to the bathroom. It’s sick. But they do anyways Then she beats them because they went to the bathroom but I have a hell do you blame them when they’re in a cage at least 10 hours a day a tiny cage with two labs and it’s for Deculus she should not own a dog I really want to know how to get these dogs taken away from her. It makes me sick.

  18. Michelle

    ZANICA CALL 911 . Don’t worry God will help you help the animal

  19. Priya

    Hi,

    One of my neighbor always try to harm the street dog(bitch) along with her 4-5 months old puppies. He always said that he will kill her and throw stones and iron rod on her and forced her to stay away from our street. I have asked him many times not to do this but he don’t want to listen and say i will kill her definitely. What should I do?

  20. Jack

    THIS IS SOOOO WRONG WHAT IF A DOG ABUSED A HUAMN

  21. Marilyn Haire

    We recently took a long awaited vacation expecting to be gone 4-5 weeks, carefully choosing an in home part time pet sitter. We wrote detailed instructions on each pets (2 dogs & a cat) needs on iridescent green poaster board and left it with the leashes on our dining room table. We left enough food & puppy pads for 6 weeks.

    We got home after only 2 weeks (thank God hubby got sick) to a filthy house, ruined stove, and under weight, paranoid pets!

    None of the pet food or puppy pads had been opened! The dog treats were gone, though, and may have stood between life & death. One dog was very ill with diarreaha and had to go to vets. She had lost more than 4.5#! All our animals looked & felt bony.

    It’s been a month and we’ve been fighting with her to pay for the new stove she ruined. She refuses, though she promised to. We have decided to press charges on as many fronts as possible, including animal cruelty & endangerment. That way she can’t take advantage of someone else’s animals. May not even be able to keep her own!

    We don’t know what she did to make our male dog do it, but when we leave and tell him “You can’t go.” he makes a Bee-line to our closet and hides there! He’s absolutely paranoid of us leaving him.

    We’re encouraging others who experience such abuses by briefings to do the same!

  22. lucy

    living next to people that neglect there pet dog. i could hear a dog bark inside the house after couple of months i noticed the situation would not change it was coming from the garage this was kept on the garage 24/7 barking whining . i made a call to animal control still no change i called the city police they now have their dog out door kennel the neglect is on going the dog barks i see no inter reaction by the owner only time is he goes and yells at the dot to “SHUT UP”!!
    2 weeks ago the family went on a weekend getaway again the dog barks and whines never noticed anybody caring for the dog. it brakes my heart this dog does not deserve this sort of treatment.

  23. Mary

    Zanica, have you called animal control. Please do immediately, they will have the dog removed.

  24. Zanica

    Hi. I SAW A DOG. THE DOG IS UNDER WAIT WITH NO FOOD OR WATER AND NO SHELTER. THE PEOPLE DON’T CARE ABOUT HIM AND TIEDED HIM BY A POLE WITH A CHAIN. I WANT TO SAVE HIM BUT MY PARENTS SAID NO BECAUSE I AM TOO YONG. WHAT SHOULD I DO. I NEED HELP. DATE WHEN I SAW HIM 19 MAY 2018 SATURDAY. PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT TO DO

  25. Zanica

    Hi. I SAW I DOG. THE DOG IS UNDER WAIT WITH NO FOOD OR WATER AND NO SHELTER. THE PEOPLE DON’T CARE ABOUT HIM AND TIEDED HIM BY A POLE WITH A CHAIN. I WANT TO SAVE HIM BUT MY PARENTS SAID NO BECAUSE I AM TOO YONG. WHAT SHOULD I DO. I NEED HELP. DATE WHEN I SAW HIM 19 MAY 2018 SATURDAY. PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT TO DO

  26. Dog Training Collar

    Awesome Article. This is a great information on dogs. I don’t think that I have read such an amazing writing/blog before. Keep up the good work. Thanks.

  27. Desi

    Is yelling at a dog a crime

  28. Donna Zumpano

    If someone is abusing your dog or someone else’s, call the police. It is an anonymous call. Your parents/neighbors/friends will not know it was you that reported them. And continue to report the abuse until it stops.

  29. Luke

    Please do not do a basic reply. This is serious. My Dad has just hit my dog really bad in my eyes. He has no regret. He raised a broomstick above his head and hit her several times. My dog was growling at my little brother which I do not support, but there are other ways. I think this is cruelty, but I need to know if it does qualify. I looked around and nothing describes what I saw, but I think it should be. Anchorage, Alaska. Please help, someone!!! I am crying out. No basic reply please!!!!! I’m not sure

  30. Jazzi

    I love my dog to death, but am not able to move out yet, and my father AND brothers constantly seem to be aggressive towards him, whenever they’re in a bad mood, they’ll take things out on him by walking into him, shoving/ kicking him as if he were in the way, when there’s clearly space for them to go around the dog, and he takes VERY well to commands like “move, back, get back, ” and he’ll get right out of the way! But they Dont use verbal for him, instead, if he doesnt move, they shove him. I hate it but i don’t really want to report it, as I love my dog, and mom and I both love him and do our best for him.
    Id yell at my dad And brothers for hitting/ kicking him but they Just give me snarky pathetic remarks like “he shouldn’t be in my way” or “he shouldn’t give me attitude (which he has not done to me or mom hardly ever, but does to them a lot.) The men in this house alone are verbally abusive and toxic. Is there anything i can do about this??

  31. cass

    my neighbor’s dog is a husky and they have a small yard and the dog is constantly outside whether its raining snowing or its 90 degrees out it has been raining all morning and half the day and the dog has no food or water out in the yard or a shelter from the mud and rain is there anything I can do without involving the police? in Pennsylvania

  32. Menyona

    So A 9 year old was stabbing my dog in the face. When my dog went for him. He pushed his younger brother in front of him my dog bit his leg.
    Truth is my dog was on his log chain.
    Does anyone know my rights as a dog owner.
    Thanks so much

  33. Hugo

    I have a neighbor who keeps his dog outside if it’s cold or if it rains and it’s really sad. The dog is pretty much neglected and they seem like they don’t care if the dog is there. Well from the looks of it. It’s heartbreaking and i feel something should be done.

  34. jessica

    i have a neighbor who has a blue helor dog and it has ecaped form its cage and it was so frindley it was starving and i had to return it that was the second time saterdey it excaped and today it did too we went over there an and the man’s son wanint there and he was not a bit worried about it and……when we went over there it has no food or water and we told the man and he sed that he whould get it some water but you know how that goes and as we was walking away it was a barking and going over there and….. on our way it did not want to go it was pulling back on is leash like NO i DONT TO GO BACK and i have been worried about the little thang every sence

  35. patty kelly

    I have a Neighbor who constantly yells at my Chihuahua/Jack Russell. Not only yells but raises her foot to kick her also. My Pup has NEVER even attempted to bite. She’ll continue to bark at her because she keeps yelling at her waving her leg to kick her.
    Anyone else will Greet my Pup and she’ll stop barking and wag her tail like crazy
    She was only sayi g HELLO !. Long story short the neighbor wants a Service Dog but she’s mean to not only my Pup but I have witnessed her towarxs other Dogs. I don’t think she should ever have any Dog. Help !

  36. patty kelly

    What if a neighbor verbally yells at my 5lb. Chihuahua/ Jack Russell…saying that she wants to put a choke collar on her and raises her foot to kick my Dog. The poor Pup, yes barks but if you’re nice to her She’s a Love. The Pup associate’s this neighbor as the person that wants to kick her. My Pup has Never attempted or bitten anyone and she’s 3 1/2. Help ! Plus…this neighbor wants to get a Service Dog but if she’s this mean maybe she shouldn’t be allowed !

  37. cjlind12

    So my neighbors have a German Shepherd. They are high strung dogs design for lots of activity. They need to be worked hard every day or they tend to have anxiety which can cause redirected aggression. The Shepherd by me is in a small closed off area. With not alot of room to run. Can I do anything?

  38. Bethzaida Lopez

    I no a person who does not bring her pet to the vet. The dog is now blind. And hits walls and falls constantly. Should person/owner be acountable?

  39. Annalyn Meenach

    Hi. Is it considered animal cruelty when a female is bred at just 1 year old. Then have her puppies deprecated from her at 4-5 weeks? The owner claims that the puppies sharp teeth were hurting the mother and was not comfortable with it. These puppies are now fearful of other dogs and even people an just one month old.

  40. Tristaninin

    What should I do if the animal control/police are abusing dogs? I.E. Blowing air horns in the ears of the dogs, beating/scalding the dogs, or starving the dogs to death? The people I’m supposed to report to are the ones commiting the abuse. Nobody in my town seems to care either because the animal abuse is viewed as entertainment. People here accuse me of being a weirdo who likes animals more than people, I’m worried that if I speak up animal control might take my pets away to torture them.

    • bethz

      If the police in your town are abusing animals, try to get photo/video
      proof as long as doing so is legal within your state. Then take the
      evidence to the district attorney of your county.

      If you don’t speak up for these defenseless animals they will continue to
      be abused and suffer. And animal control cannot take away your pets for
      speaking up.

  41. Tim

    Hi my sister has 5 dogs 2 parrots 1 rooster a turtle and a cat .she lives in my mom’s unfinished basement. My sister works full time .She is gone 8 hours or more a day. The dogs are let out to use the restroom in the morning and when she gets home at night. Other than that thies dogs don’t get to see the light of day. She has a English bulldog that is caged 24/7 because it fights with the other dogs. The cat she has I have only seen 1 time in the last year and a half . She has 2 parrots down there a rooster and a turtle. This house has a strong odor of pee and my sister does not bathe their dogs like the should be and when there is something wrong with the animals, she trys to doctor them herself. My mother is 87 years old and she will not make her clean or keep this area in the basement sanitary. I stay at this house to. My mother don’t condone the animals being treated like this but won’t do anything to make this condition any better for the animals. I consider this neglect of thies animals they are fed and watered. But I don’t know what to do about it because of my elderly mom making excusses for my sister. Im afraid that if i don’t do something about it me and my mom could get in trouble to for not doing anything about the way my sister is treating their animals. Please let me know what your opinion is of what’s going on here and what possibly I should do about this problem. Thank you

  42. Chloe

    Hi! I have witnessed my next door neighbors physically abusing a dog, leaving it without shelter in bad weather, and keeping it in a small space for extended amounts of time. My parents say I should wait to call the police until I witness one more act of abuse, and to consult with them first, but I desperately want to get this dog help! I have no idea what to do, because I am scared that I will act too rashly or that I may be overreacting. What do I do!?

  43. Sydney Davis

    Is it abuse if I have a husky with a chain on outside,he’s under shade and we feed him he’s also with another dog who’s not chained up so they can play anytime.the reason he’s tied up is because he jumps my best friends fence and kills their cats he’s already killed like 6 of them he also escapes all the time,and it’s not just a chain on his neck he has a collar and we could easily take it off ,and the collar has space.My brother also plays with him everyday but not for long and sometimes my dad goes out there with them

  44. Chloe

    Hello! Is also consider animal abuse if they drag and slam them towards their kennels?

  45. Anayah

    Hi i live in ohio and i am currently staying with my grandparents.My grandparents have a cute pit mix puppy named Miley. This morning i woke up to my brother and sister playing with Miley. The dog was super energetic and happy. Miley ran upstairs and was super happy. My grandpa came to the bottom of the stairs and yelled at her to come down stairs. She cowered and barely came down stairs. My grandpa grabbed the dog by her collar and held her in the air and walked her to the kitchen and threw her from above his head and told her to get in the cage. The dog didn’t wine but, i know that hurt her. What do i do? I feel so horrible. When i saw it all happening i couldn’t move. I was just laying in bed and almost burst into tears.

  46. Alexia

    I once had a neighbor who would leave her Pit bull named Princess outside 24/7. I broke my heart to hear her whining whenever her owner didn’t even pay attention to her. I once saw her beat her with a stick because she was howling to loud. Whenever I go to school,I would always pet her while I wait for my bus. She was so lovey and yearned for affection. Everyday when I get off the bus,I always give her water and/or food before I do my homework. But one day,Princess somehow got out of her chains and ran away from her house-to me. She stayed with me for a while but my parents were a bit against it. When I told them the situation,they called the cops. When they arrived,Princess’s owner was arrested for animal abuse and neglect. Princess had to get treated for her wounds. I then fostered Princess until she was ready for adoption. However she didn’t trust anyone else but me,so I ended up adopting her. Bad thing though,She was a senior dog and she ended up dying in her sleep. I gave her all my love I had for her and she passed away peacefully. We had her cremated so that she can stay with us. But I know I will have to soon leave her ashes in a good place. I miss her goofy smile,and her stinky breath whenever she licked my face. But at least I saved her from an awful death at the hands of her previous owner.

    • bethz

      Alexia, thank you for being a beacon of hope for Princess. You did the right thing every step of the way, and although she passed in her sleep and didn’t have as much time with you as you both would have liked – she knew love. You’re our kind of human!

  47. Teresa

    Okay…. I’m really at a loss as to what to do…
    I live in a “county” where there is no leash ordinance. Now I say county because if I lived within city limits it is illegal to allow you to let your dog run loose but in the county it’s perfectly legal. My neighbors got 2 puppies and they are allowed to just run all over and the neighbors don’t look for them. The first time I remembered seeing them I thought “hey those are the neighbors puppies, I bet they don’t know they are out “, so I took them home knocked on the door no answer. So next thing you know it’s a daily thing to get visits. It’s winter time mind you and in the 30’s…. they usually never remain out and about at night but this one particular night they were sleeping in my flower bed… I made them a bed in a laundry basket with a blanket and a box with a blanket…. I also fed them and THEY WONT LEAVE! The neighbors WONT ANSWER THE DOOR!
    I called the police because I wanted to figure out if I found the dogs a home am I going to be held legally responsible because technically I’m giving away someone else’s dogs…. I have 4 dogs already and one is older and temperamental that’s why I don’t just bring them in. I’m kinda partial to the puppies now and have also named them. I’m taking them to the vet on pay day to see about shots. I’m thinking of keeping them.
    Guess what I’m asking is what should I do????

  48. Machete Clark

    My landlord (rent basement), sometimes leaves her male dog in the house all day wearing a diaper, she hits him with a stick/switch, if he does not poo at the bush sitting on her property line (which she does not clear up). He is completely toothless and has ran away at least three times. If he’s not in a diaper all day then he is in a cage. She is a retaliatory, I also fear he may be put down if I report her. So feel stuck in a hard place. Am I reading too much into this? I do not cage my dog. I put her in the bathroom with water when I’m gone for work…I hear him cry and carry on sometimes past 24 hrs when she pots to stay overnight somewhere. Please advise me as to if I’m overreacting.

  49. Thomas

    This is a long story including multiple animals.
    one day I saw a cat under my balcony, we live in a unit, Everytime I saw it i dropped some tuna off the balcony onto the little playtform that it played on, then i dropped my parrots unwanted toy and it played with it it seemed like a really happy cat. I saw it return to a balcony near the platform (the unit in which it lives) soon after that I was walking in the courtyard and came across this same cat only it was dirty and hissing at me, I checked the bush the next day, there were five kittens!
    Another lady had known about them we were working it out together and we realized that the neighbours were the owners, the lady then told me that she had seen a black orange and grey cat up on their balcony the mother in the bush was grey and white all of these colours could be seen in the kittens!, the RSPCA took them away and after that the neighbours got a big white husky each day it would howl, it would howl when I left and it would howl when I came home (this is in nsw) Should I report to the RSPCA? I’m gonna do some snooping see if I can find the exact unit.

  50. Nathan

    Hello….

    I live in NC and currently have to stay with a friend, we made an agreement if I kept the house clean/cleaned it from it’s previous state of disaster I could stay till everything at my house was settled. Well she has over 50+rats/mice and 4cats….sense I’ve been here within a month she has bought 10+rats and 4 battafish that she has yet to remove from the store display cups. She keeps all the rats and mice in her room while I have cleaned the rest of the house to the best of my ability her room is covered in animal urine/feces….she’s a nudest which idk how she dose it but her animals are suffering she knows her oldest cat has tape worm, vomits just about every day and skin issues yet she has not taken her to the vet…..also all her rats and mice have scabs/sores all over them and she says that it’s due to them having fleas and live…… But their cages are piled high with poop and the poor things want out of the cage every time she feeds them but she just never cleans them and I’ve managed to get her to let me clean one cage….only reason she let me was because all the previous ratties she said had to be put down while I was out buying groceries…. Idk what to do and I live here and don’t have anywhere to go ATM….what do I do I don’t want these guys being mistreated anymore…..not only dose she mistreat her animals she only feeds the cats 2 times a day sometimes only once if she thinks they don’t deserve it/she isnt awake for their scheduled feeding…. And she constantly hits and yells at them….plz help I’m really at a loss for what to do

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