Reporting Animal Abuse or Neglect

If you suspect animal abuse or neglect, please report it! Contact your local animal shelter, humane society, or animal control agency immediately. Ask if there is a trained cruelty investigator to whom you can speak. If none of these agencies exist in your area, call your local law enforcement agency or local health department. It is best to give your name and contact information because many abuse/neglect cases go unprosecuted when witnesses refuse to sign a complaint. However, you can choose to remain anonymous, but please whatever you decide to do, report it!

When reporting cruelty, be sure to have ready a concise, written, factual statement of what you observed. Include addresses, specific dates and times, photographs if possible, and any statements from other witnesses. Write down the name of the person with whom you speak, the date of your report, and the content of your conversation.

You can find the name and numbers in your phone book’s yellow pages under “animal shelter,” “humane society,” or “animal control,” or by calling Information. In Wisconsin, certified Humane Officers investigate animal abuse reports. The Wisconsin Puppy Mill Project has a list of Wisconsin humane officers. Check the link below to find an officer in your area.

Please remember to always be courteous when dealing with law enforcement officers and those involved with animal control. You are a representative of the animals, so do your best to utilize the grace and integrity of those you are seeking to protect.

The Alliance for Animals (AFA) does not have animal control capabilities; that is a function of local animal control programs.