What do I do if I suspect Animal Abuse?

What should I do if I witness animal cruelty or neglect in my local area?

Unless you feel comfortable and safe speaking to the pet owner directly about your concerns, you should contact your local animal shelter, law enforcement agency, or municipality. Humane society agents, law enforcement officers and board of health officers all have the authority to investigate animal cruelty complaints, but their level of involvement will vary depending on the location and nature of the complaint.

The law enforcement authority in your town could be your local constable, dog officer or animal control officer, a police department, the state police or the county sheriff. Contact your town office to find out who provides law enforcement services for your town. You may download a list of police agencies in Vermont at http://www.vcjtc.state.vt.us/agencylist.htm. In addition, you may or may not have a private animal shelter that provides animal care and control services to your town. You may download a list of animal shelters and rescue organizations in Vermont, along with the counties they serve. At the very least, one of these agencies should be able to tell you whether your complaint warrants further investigation, or refer you to the appropriate enforcement authority in each case.

How will my complaint be handled?

There is no one formula for handling animal cruelty complaints. The response you get may vary greatly depending on each situation and the available resources in your community. Typically, an investigation will start with a visit to the pet owner who is the subject of the complaint. In most cases, the humane agent will first try to rectify the situation by educating the pet owner about how to provide better care for their animal. If the situation does not improve, and there is enough evidence to warrant it, the animals may be seized as part of a criminal investigation.

Can I remain anonymous?

Your anonymous complaint may be used to gather further information relevant to the case. Although cases may not always proceed to court, signed statements from witnesses who are willing to testify are always more reliable and useful if no further leads can be found.