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. Shae

    Hey so I know this man who has an older dog that he takes on the road with him. This man is a truck driver so he spends a lot of time in his truck and so does this dog. The dog has arthritis so it’s hard for him to get in and out of the truck. This dog has also started losing patches of fur on his elbows from sitting in a single spot for extended period last of time. Does this count as animal abuse? This dog also had an ear infection of sorts and instead of giving the dog the prescribed medication he put vinegar in the dogs ear in an attempt to help it heal but it hurt the dog to the point where he was shaking. Nobody saw it but he did text or called my mother saying that he put vinegar into the dogs ear. I want to report this man but unfortunately these incidents happened a few months ago is it still possible to report it? The man no longer speaks to anyone in my family so there’s no way to find recent evidence of him hurting the dog but I’m trying to find a way to get this dog out of this situation. I’m also wondering if there is a possibility that the dog will be taken and then euthanized by the humane society? I do not want that to happen to the dog because he is very sweet , but he’s old and I feel like it’s a possibility that this could happen, is there any way to avoid it?

  2. Orianna

    Patricia Liatti, Marie and others who ask should I call someone? Who should I call. The article CLEARLY states DO NOT ask, should I call someone? In your 2 cases yes you should. The WHOLE article is about what constitutes abuse and what to look for. If a dog is howling or barking for extended periods, it is in need of attention. Call police, humane society, animal enforcement or if those do not intervene call rescues until you find one who will help. If an animal is in imminent danger, I say intervene yourself unless it puts you in danger. YOU are not confronting your neighbour, the authorities are. They will not say who called them. My neighbour had a dog with an eye infection and dirt all stuck in it for days. I called enforcement. Then sent someone and she had to get vet care within 24hrs and prove it. By law called me with an update at the time and 24hrs later. They did not give info as to who called. And they won’t, because it may cause problems. And they don’t want more work and they want to keep ppl safe not just the animals. So… if you wonder should you call or intervene, re read the article. And if I’m doubt call an agency/angencies anyway. They will tell you and only intervene if neccisary. No one will know you called unless the abuse is so bad they are charged. You may later have to write what you witnessed in a police report. But that rarely happens. Call, …report. Better safe than sorry.
    Cheers!

  3. Carolina

    I really need help on this one…. This dog is outside 24/7 caged up outside. The cage is 4×4×5 and I hear him whimper every night. I’m not scared to call the cops I’m just scared that nothing will be done about it. This dog has never been out it’s cage even though the owner has a backyard the dog can run in.

  4. DeeDee

    State of California , my roommate leaVes her ittle chihuahua locked in her bedroom from 6am to 5-6 pm he howls cries scratches all day , & when. She gets home he so excited to see her , I just want to punch her in the face , I also have a little chihuahua he could be pl.aying with if she wasn’t so selfish , wnhat she’s doing I’m I feel is animal neglect , she’s the one houlxd be Ed up

  5. Samantha Lee

    Okay so my grandfather passed away and my uncle took his dog. My grandfathers dog had a condition that he needed antibiotics and when my uncle took his dog I believe he didn’t get the antibiotics. My grandfathers dog passed away the other day and I saw pictures and he looked very skinny that you could see his spine. Is this considered animal abuse?

  6. Abby

    I am a huge animal activist and want to stop animal abuse because they don’t deserve it. Please help

  7. Abby

    I am a huge animal activist and hearing that their are animals living on the roads or being chained up is not cool. I am doing a project about how to stop Animal Cruelty. It is a very hard subject for me to talk about because it kills me to see that not many people out there care about the animals and will just leave them to starve. Please Help.

  8. anonymous

    Some cruelty isn’t recognized by law so contacting law enforcement is not always going to help. When an animal is being abused, sometimes it’s best to take things into your own hands instead of having a gang take care of it for you. Law enforcement is not there to help. It’s there to control. They don’t care about a lot of real problems. Just do what’s right, not what’s legal.

  9. anonymous

    literally everyone- if you see an animal that is possibly being abused- LITERALLY JUST CALL 911!!!! i cannot stress this enough. animal abuse / neglect is a serious situation and it needs immediate attention! stop searching the internet for answers or asking people and bogs, just act! cALL 911 :))))))

  10. Pam

    HEIDI — why didn’t you just take the dog to a shelter where at least he’d have a chance to be adopted by a loving family? Why did you keep returning him to what you could obviously see was an abusive and neglectful situation? I don’t get it!

  11. Kylie

    yes everyone should take action if you see an animal being abused because it is the right thing to do.

  12. Crystal Hosack

    Understand that not all accusations or abuse/neglect are valid. I have a crazy neighbor that thinks my dog looking out the picture window, barking and/or howling while we are at work is neglect… she is a beagle mix… that’s what they do. If she wasn’t such a busy body she’d see the same behavior when we are home because, like I said before, she’s a beagle… that’s what they do. She has food and water as well as the shelter of my home (she sleeps in my young adult son’s bed with him at night). Perception isn’t always reality.

  13. Karin

    So, I live in a townhome complex and my neighbors have 2 husky mixes, both very sweet animals. Both parents work long hours, so they usually keep the dogs on their back deck in full exposure. The deck is covered in feces and other debris and the dogs will be out there for hours at a time in the VA summer heat. I can’t tell if they have access to food or water. If they don’t keep the dogs outside while they are at work, I believe they are crated for long periods of time. The dogs look a little dirty and matted, but not underfed or injured. I have never seen the dogs leave the house and I don’t think they get any exercise. However, the owners are very affectionate with their dogs whenever I have seen them interact, and their little girl absolutely adores them. I don’t really feel comfortable confronting them and I don’t want to be the reason that their pets get taken away. I have tried talking to them about it, but it has been over a year of this kind of behavior and I’m not sure if this qualifies as abuse or if the authorities would even be able to press charges. Not all cases are black and white, and I am not sure how to proceed.

  14. Terri

    This is how I have trained all my dogs to go potty outside. It’s never failed.

    When I get them home, their feet never hit my floor. I get a collar and leash and handful of treats. Then we hit the backyard. Eventually they will go and you give them treat. Then every time they eat or drink, outside with more treats.

    Even old dogs pick up on this one. May take more time and more accidents but it will work. Never make outside punishment for an animal. Outside is fun time, play time. And please don’t spank them for accidents. If they had an accident, you didn’t take them out in time.

    Happy training.

  15. Cheesecake.

    The “regular collar” thing is dumb. So if I were to put a collar on my dog with a tag on it so he won’t get lost automatically means I abuse him? So if I was to walk my dog and put him on a collar and leash automatically means I abusing him? So you’re going to call the cops on me for walking a dog that has a collar so he wouldn’t run off, get lost, or potentially hurt someone if he wasn’t used to other people?

  16. MAD PEOPLE

    WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP

  17. jen

    WHAT COULD WE DO TO HELP?

  18. Deb

    I live in an apartment building and this lady has 3 cats and 2 dogs she says she keeps diapers on the dogs all the time I have never seen them outside you wouldn’t even know she has them except for TBE barking. I want to know is this considered cruelty to always keep diapers on them and to never let them out for play time or for just breath of fresh air?

  19. Gabriel

    I had a dog in my previous neighborhood and there’s not much I can do now since the owner died of a heart attack and I haven’t lived there for years but it looked like a Pitbull and it was chained to the floor outside, and it was always outside and had a bowl of food and water but this isn’t relevant. I know you said not to ask what to do but there’s a dog in my new neighborhood that we always pass by if we’re on our bikes or scooters and we give him some attention because he always tries to follow us but is alone in the front yard and I never see the neighbors go home, there’s just one car that never moves ever and when we leave it tries to follow us (his name is Robert because we read the tag). But he always whimpers and when we pet it from the front of the yard on the concrete his fur is HOT almost making it seem like it lives outside and he breathes really heavily and there’s not even any food for him out there, but I just feel bad and I don’t know what to do.

  20. Dae

    Honestly sometimes people make all these cruelty stuff too much but for a dog to be kept in the cage forever is saddening my Grandma had a Bull-Pitbull Mix and as kids she never let us give the dog attention and just left him the cage and take him out every night and morning and give him food and water I will admit he was never harmed or starved but was a really big dog just kept in the cage 7 years later he died in his cage randomly and it was so sad and a kid I couldn’t do anything about it but my dog also a pitbull is able to roam in our back yard and has a big cage but we took the door off and put a shade over the cage he gets to go in and out and has a big bed inside the cage he’s a really old baby he’s 12 years old and each time I try to give him attention he looks at me and goes back sleep I would say these days people seem to mistaken dog abuse but what my grandma did was dog abuse I hope everyone has a good day AND ALWAYS TAKE CARE IF YOUR PETS AND IF U THINK U DONT HAVE TIME FOR ONE DONT GET ONE JUST BECAUSE IT LOOKS CUTE< my sister got a dog and doesn’t take care of it and I do so stressful oh I also have a cat btw so I don’t get why she gets a dog and cat take care of it okay bye..

  21. unknown

    just frieking go and tell police!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  22. Jada

    Hi i needed some advice I have a 4 month old Rotweiler I got her from a store they never left the puppy’s our side so she’s used to doing her business on the floor. Sometimes she uses the pee pads we put out. Sometimes she doesn’t she does not know how to go outside yet. So as punishment we put her in the garage she has a big bed food and water and we leave her for like 3-4 hours is that to much?? What should I do? Does anyone have advice on how I can train her to go outside I take her out but she’s either scared or she just sniffs around I even put her poop in my backyard to try to show her this is where you do it.

  23. kyle

    Be prepared: Most large municipalities have a local animal control department, or an animal shelter or humane society responsible for cruelty investigations. Do an online search to identify the agency in your area, and program the number into your mobile phone so you are prepared to report abuse.
    Speak up or call 911: If you witness overt violence against an animal or suspect it, speak up! If you don’t feel comfortable intervening in a situation directly, call 911 or your local animal welfare organization immediately (see step #1). It’s essential to call law enforcement when violence is involved, since it is likely part of an ongoing pattern that may include abuse against against people as well. If you’re traveling or living in a more rural area or community without an animal control agency, call 911 or the local police department.
    Document the details: Tell the officer as many details of the situation as you can: the location, date, time and descriptions of the people and animals involved. Video and photographic documentation – even a mobile phone photo – can help bolster the case. Provide names of others who may have witnessed the incident. Remain on the scene until authorities arrive, if you can do so safely.
    Prepare to testify: While you may remain anonymous, the case will be much stronger if you’re willing to identify yourself and testify to what you witnessed. A human witness is crucial for building a strong, prosecutable case.

  24. kyle

    animal cruelty is absolutely horrible and cruel. People should get a life time of prison and get sentenced. If you see a animal on the street all beaten up, or see animal cruelty you should call 911 right away if you don’t you are a piece of poop!!

  25. Brad

    Having dogs outside isn’t cruel. Having dogs tied isn’t always cruel. Either way, they are animals, not humans. I love my dogs with all my heart and they’re my babies, so don’t tell me I abuse them. They stay outside, and are tied. I live on a farm and whenever I’m home they are loose and free to do whatever. They always have food and water, and if it gets colder then normal they get warm air blown into the top of their boxes. They can’t be loose all the time because people drive so fast, and don’t pay attention. My dogs get more running then the rest of yours ever will, and are some of the happiest and healthy dogs you will ever meet. Stop making people out to be so mean and evil that tie their outside dogs, because I garuntee they’re happier then your dog’s will ever be! Don’t believe me? Leave your dog’s with me for just 1 week, and then come back and see who they wanna stay around and be with.

  26. Jallisa Sin

    Jeff you sir are an idiot

  27. Jane

    It’s not always so simple. For example I have a neighbor who has several outdoor cats. One of them is covered in little lumps. I’m not sure why, but I think they might be scabs. She’s got something and needs to go to a vet. But otherwise she looks healthy and at least she’s spayed, although she did manage to have one litter before she was spayed. The poor cat comes to my porch for some affection and sometimes I feed her. She has no collar and she seems jumpy like she wants me to love her but is scared I’m going to hurt her. During the cold winter months she was outside on some of those days where it would have been illegal to leave an animal outside, and I felt bad because I couldn’t bring her inside since I have a cat of my own and a very small house, plus I have no idea if the owner gives her constant access to the indoors and she just likes being outside. She’s been around for a couple of years and nothing has happened to her so I assume she must have shelter somewhere. I’m not sure if the owner feeds her or if it’s the neighbors that feed her, because the neighborhood knows her and I’m not the only one who leaves food for her. So it’s impossible for me to tell if she’s making it on her own or if her owner actually feeds her. She is skinny, and I’m pretty sure she’d be fat or at least a bit more meaty if she was over-eating several times a day. Her owner is not a nice man, and we live in a mobile home community in the woods where all of the houses are very close to each other. I don’t want trouble with a neighbor that is known to be mean and lives a few feet away (he once kicked his wife out of the house for hours). Especially since I’m a small, defenseless woman and my husband works at night. So I’m in this predicament where the cat may or may not be neglected, mostly just needs to see a vet (I might see if I can take her myself but I have to be able to afford it first), and I doubt anything will come of it if I call the authorities because it’s like this in-between situation that I’m pretty sure will just anger the neighbor and make me a target and I’m afraid. I do plan on buying a little insulated cat house to put in my yard though, so that if she ever IS locked outside in extreme weather even if I can’t prove it, she at least has a place to go and I’ll keep fresh water in there for her. But once again I can’t afford that yet so I’m just sad about it in the meantime. I also have flea medication for my own cat that I’m thinking I’ll just give to her because my cat lives indoors and is less likely to have an issue. But once again I don’t know if someone else already gave her medicine…. her owner is sadly impossible to talk to and I’m scared of him. Her two now grown kittens seem healthy enough, although they’re not fixed and also always outside. I don’t know if I have to wait for a more obvious sign to do something and when I do see an obvious sign it’s not as simple as call the cops and never suffer any long-term consequences for it.

  28. Jazmin Pettingill

    That is so sad I will try my hardest to help these poor little animals

  29. Bob lopez

    For fucks sake people. Stop being such cowards when you see something that is clearly not okay. If you see a dog or any animal that needs immediate help, DO SOMETHING OR AT LEAST CALL 911. Don’t just search the internet for answers. If you see an animal that clearly needs help and you do nothing about it, you are a worthless piece of shit.

  30. Jloud

    For all of you witnessing these awful situations, please stop searching the internet to find obvious answers to your questions! Here is your universal answer- call your local animal control or humane society and report the situation immediately!!! WTH people??? Be their voice, these poor animals don’t have one!! And if they fail to do something, KEEP calling and demand to speak to a supervisor every damn call!

  31. Emily Willis

    I have a person that I am friends with and have brought up several times that I do not agree with how she takes care of her pets. She has two dogs, and two cats. There’s Raven, a one year old German Shepard, and a two year old Pit-bull named Stone. The two cats are named Star, a seven month old cat, and Fluffy a 17 year old cat. The 17 year old cat is never taken care of. She isn’t being groomed, she is long haired and her fur is completely matted together and is all skin and bones, and needs to go to the vet. The dogs are not taken care of, they don’t get let out when they need to, when they aren’t let out they pee in the house and get punished for it by being put in a kennel for hours on end. They dig through the garbage and are told it’s okay to chew on metal cans. The dogs are yelled at for barking, and the German Shepard has been taught that it’s okay to put the the other dogs head in her mouth and they aren’t separated until one of them yelps.

  32. georgetta

    I live in McCreary co. Kentucky and there are so many neglected animals around here, it is so pitiful. I wish there was a humane society around here to rescue all these poor, poor animals. They need help bad. The law around here does not care.

  33. marie

    I got a new neighbor about over a yr. ago..one week before they moved in I heard an animal barking all night long..The yard is fenced but for it to cry bark all night is sad..I peeked through the fence once and saw they had this medium german shepherd, i think, tied to a long chain. In the back is a little bitty dog house. Don’t even know how he gets in..Problem it hasn’t stopped barking almost day and night. When I peeked once I saw the poor animal all wrapped around over something in the middle of the yard. He cried and barked and whimpered. The owners were at work..Right now its super cold heer in 77365.The poor animal has been barking none stop..I live alone and I don’t want to comfront my neighbors. Is there some place that can come and ck and find out what’s going on..I feel so for that animal, and feel as tied as he feels. Thanks for any feedback you can give me.

  34. Jeff

    I suspect a local animal shelter in walla Walla washington of animal neglect caused by poor dental care, of a animal that i am pretty sure was physically abused or neglected by her previous owner(s) after i adopted her from the shelter, and then when the local animal shelter took custody of her they neglected to regularly clean her teeth. How i found out about her/my adopted rescue puppies poor dental condition is when i took my puppy into walla Walla petsmart for her first grooming appointment and thats when the groomer told me that my puppies teeth needed attention. So if it were up to me, that local animal shelter would be under criminal investigation for animal neglect.

  35. Houston Petting Zoo

    Great topic you choose to write. Gave crucial tips to help abused Animal. Thank you so much!

  36. Patricia liatti

    I live in a Condo, my neighbor leaves her pug on the back patio all day and night. The patio is covered but it’s in the low 40s. Nobody pays any attention to this dog, I’m not sure if he has water or even feed ever day. Our City of Phoenix police can’t do anything and the Humane Society won’t either because the patio has a cover. The puppy has a small baby blanket on the ground that’s it. What can I do.

  37. Love Animals

    I don’t understand why people let animals be outside and freezer to death. I don’t think that is right but would any one keep a child outside and freezer out there. I am saying that’s is so wrong of doing that to beautiful animals.

  38. Jayne

    Hi. A woman in my neighborhood has 3 dogs who are not house broken and they end up going to the bathroom in the living room of the house. The neighbor is constantly cleaning up after the dogs though. I have noticed that one of the older dogs had cherry eye but the neighbor won’t have it fixed by a vet. I offer to give the dog drops but the neighbor won’t do it consistently. All 3 dogs have long nails that are never trimmed. They are fed, given water, live inside, have beds and toys and lots of hugs but I can’t seem to get her to get the dogs to the vet. Besides from the long nails and cherry eye they seem happy but I worry about the mess inside the house with the dogs not being housebroken. Should I have animal services check on the dogs? Thanks

  39. Jorge Cortes

    My neighbor has a small dog tied up in a very small patio but he barks all day and night and doesnt let us sleep. Ive told them many times about it and at the beginning thry did something about it but now they dont care what can i do?

  40. dorothee

    My problem with the dam SPCA is that they say that as long as the animal has shelter its OK but a dam dog house is not adequate shelter if its freezing out. what good is A cold dam dog house going to do for the dog? Every time i call the dam SPCA when I see animal abuse or neglect they give me A reason why they can not do anything.Hey you dam garbage SPCA what good are you you don’t help animals you just kill them!!! Do not donate to the SPCA they are quickly to kill a animal my heart go out to the poor animals that the dam shit SPCA get.

  41. Ashley Elizabeth

    I’ve contacted animal control and the sheriffs department and The Humane Society for years about animal abuse. This abuse continues because not one person has returned my multiple calls or my emails. I’ve contacted people in these organizations for over 6 years. The one dog I reported last was dead 3 days after my report and I still haven’t even heard back from The Humane Society and I reported him over 6 months ago. Bless his little soul, at least he is safe now. Anyway, my point is….I don’t have anyone to report animal abuse to. I see it all the time next door. Many dogs, cats and even a bird have lost their lives. I literally can’t get help because no one really cares. In fact one of the dogs from over there we (my family and I ) rescued. I contacted animal rescue teams and animal control. I was informed to call back after the hurricane and they would come and investigate the alleged abuse, now no one answers the phone. I left a message and have called multiple times, since September. The dog we rescued was sick when I got him. He had an abscess on his eye and was starving and thirsty. He is much better now and happy but yet all the others are suffering because the people who claim to care don’t give a @*#%. I’m so disappointed in these organizations and what they claim to be/do. I even donated to The Human Society but now wonder what really happens with the money. Anyway…if there are suggestions to help solve my issue I’d appreciate anything. Thank you. PLEASE TO OTHER VIEWERS: DO NOT let my issue stop you from reporting. Not all organizations are like this. Taking action is the first step to any rescue. These animals need us humans, the ones who truly love them. I refuse to back down regardless of these issues I’m faced with.

  42. Al

    Dear God people! I’m reading post after post of people describing Animal cruelty and yet you still ask “What should I do?” YOU CALL YOUR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT AND YOU REPORT IT. You call 911 but what you dont do is nothing. If you see an animal being hit by a family member, or a neighbor’s pet being abused, a stray thats wondering the streets,
    a nrglected animal is a form of animal cruelty! DO SOMETHING TO HELP THEM! CALL THE POLICE! Otherwise you become part of that animals suffering. SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING!!!

    • bethz

      Thank you!! People think we’re rude by telling them not to contact us, but there’s nothing we can do. Contact local law enforcement – always!!

  43. Helen

    Estonian laws say that any animal can not be helped or taken from the owner unless their life is in direct danger (uncontrollable bleeding, terminal illnesses etc). No attorney will help. Estonian animal services are helpless. I got a restraining order from an owner who keeps his sick, old and matted dog in a tiny fence covered in poop and rusty metal scraps. He sometimes forgets to feed her for days. He won the case, all my begging was ignored and I can’t bring her food anymore. I named her and brought her clean bowls and toys but the owner removed and discarded them. I don’t know of she’s alive anymore because of the restraining order. May your soul rest in peace, sweet little Emma.

  44. Malkowski

    All of you people ….report this abuse. Just do it till someone listens..animal abuse is a felony. These poor animals are severely abused. If you don’t stand up for these babies shame shame on you. You will be saving lives and you will become a better person. Don’t wait another minute make a huge difference now. The animals know when you are helping them. God. Bless the animal and the people who care.

    • bethz

      Amen! Asking us what to do when our whole article is about recognizing animal cruelty and tips on how to report it wastes precious time that may cost an animal his or her life.

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Petco Foundation

Shop 1800PetMeds for all of your pet’s health needs and we’ll get 10% of your purchase!

Shop BISSELL for your home cleaning needs and they will donate 10% of your purchase to us!

Because a shelter is not a home

Long-term shelter pets available for adoption