Second Chance Ranch

"Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others,

or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope; and crossing

each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build

a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." 

-- Robert F. Kennedy
 

If you see an animal that you suspect is being abused or neglected, take the following steps to report it. Don't turn a blind eye to a suffering animal.

Evaluate The Situation

There are basically two forms of animal cruelty - abuse and neglect. Common signs of neglect are lack of grooming (matted hair, sores, dirt or mud-caked coat), weight loss or emaciation caused by lack of food, improper diet, disease, or parasites, poor hoof condition (hooves that are grown out, split, or deformed) and unsafe living conditions (improper fencing, falling down structures, junk or garbage, excessive mud).

Abuse typically involves physical abuse such as kicking, hitting, working to exhaustion, etc. If you see someone physically abusing an animal, your first impulse might be to confront the abuser, which can often escalate the situation and put you in danger. If you can safely take video or photos of the incident, do it. This will create evidence for the authorities, help prosecution, and save the animal from further abuse.

Document the Situation

You will need to provide the investigating agency with a concise, written, factual statement of what you observed, so document dates, times, addresses and other details. If at all feasible, try to photograph the abusive situation and date your pictures. It would also be helpful to get short, factual written statements from other witnesses.

Report It

If you witness animal abuse or neglect, report it to your local animal control, police department, and humane society. If they agree there is probably some form of abuse, they will investigate. If the animal is seriously unhealthy or obviously abused, the investigator can take it into protective care for the duration of the investigation.

If you are concerned about the immediate safety of the animal, tell the officer about your concerns. Although it is heart-wrenching to see an animal suffer, do not try to feed, water, or save the animal, or you might hurt the investigation. The authorities must see the abuse at its worst, and if you feed or water the animal, it might weaken the case against the abuser. If the authorities do not investigate in a reasonable amount of time, contact them again.

When you call to report animal cruelty, always make sure to keep a careful record of exactly whom you contact, the date of the contacts and the content and outcome of your discussion. Never give away a document without making a copy for your file! Make it clear to the agent that you are very interested in pursuing the case, and that you are willing to lend whatever assistance you can.

Follow Up if Necessary

If you don’t receive a response from the officer assigned to your case within a reasonable length of time, don’t be afraid to present your information to his or her supervisor and, if necessary, to local government officials, such as county councilmen, and ask them to act. If you have witnessed the cruel act yourself, you can go to your local law enforcement agency and ask to swear out a warrant to summon the accused person to court.

Remember that expert witnesses are sometimes necessary in animal cruelty cases. A veterinarian, for example, can sign a statement that it is his or her “expert opinion” that a horse suffers when it goes without farrier care, is deprived of food, etc. Expert opinions will very often make or break a case, so if you happen to know a sympathetic veterinarian, you may wish to seek his or her assistance and tell the officer that you have expert support lined up for your case.