Fighting Animal Cruelty

Cruelty to animals is a crime in every state. Are you—or do you want to be—involved in fighting animal cruelty in your community?

Effectively identifying, reporting, investigating, prosecuting and raising awareness about animal cruelty poses special challenges for all involved. In this section you'll find resources and tools especially for veterinarians, law enforcement and prosecutors, and animal advocates and shelters. We've also included sample forms you can use to assemble thorough forensic documentation in animal abuse cases.

"As in many child abuse cases, the animal victim cannot speak for himself and therefore cannot describe the severity or duration of pain he has experienced," the ASPCA's Stacy Wolf, Esq., on why veterinarians are vital witnesses in animal cruelty cases.

Veterinarians: How You Can Help Veterinarians have a vital role in the legal process of identifying cruelty and bringing its perpetrators to justice: speaking for the victim.

The Expert's Toolkit: Sample Forms & Charts
America's premier animal CSI has compiled forms used to document physical evidence of cruelty and neglect.

For Shelters: The Costs of Caring for Seized Animals
Would you like to help house and care for animals seized in cruelty cases, but don't have the financial resources? Here are some solutions.

Free Course: Investigating Animal Abuse
Animal Control officers and other law enforcement professionals, our free online course helps you learn how to identify and investigate animal cruelty cases.