Animal Cruelty Awareness

Animal Cruelty Awareness 

What is animal cruelty?
Animal cruelty is defined as the malicious and intentional maiming, mutilating, torturing, neglecting, and/or wounding of a living animal, or the malicious and intentional killing of an animal.

What does animal cruelty include?
Animal cruelty includes any activity that causes injury, disability or death of an animal. Examples of animal cruelty include kicking, hitting, choking, punching, hanging, stabbing, shooting, setting on fire, electrocution and animal hoarding.

What is animal hoarding?
Animal hoarding involves keeping an unusually high number of animals as pets without having the ability to properly house or care for them. Hoarding can be characterized as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Hoarders are typically deeply attached to their pets, and believe they are truly caring for their animal companions.

Why shouldn’t we tolerate animal cruelty?
Cruelty to animals is a crime. Cruelty to animals can also be evidence of emotional disturbances, which could later lead to violence toward humans. Infamous killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer, “Son of Sam” David Berkowitz, “the Boston strangler” Albert Desalvo and many more each have histories of animal cruelty. Psychologists and criminal profiling experts have documented a strong link between animal cruelty and violence against humans.

What does ACTF investigate?
The Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACTF) investigates animal cruelty, neglect, hoarding, mutilation or sacrifice, bestiality, cockfighting and dog fighting. ACTF investigations are a combined effort of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Los Angeles Department
of Animal Services.

What happens to the impounded animals?
Impounded animals are taken to the nearest animal shelters located citywide. At the shelters, some of the impounded animals are entered into the Special Treatment and Recovery (STAR) program, where they receive the medical treatment needed from experienced
veterinarians.

May I foster or adopt animals that have been impounded by the ACTF?
Yes. The Department of Animal Services has a foster program that trains volunteers to provide temporary homes for animals with special needs until they are healthy enough for adoption. Please contact the Department of Animal Services at (888) 452-7381 or
visit www.lacity.org/ani for more information on the foster or adoption programs.

Do suspects who commit animal cruelty go to jail?
Yes. Animal cruelty is a violation of California Penal Code Section 597 and is punishable by imprisonment in a state prison, or by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or by both the fine and imprisonment.

Does the City of Los Angeles require all dogs within the City to be licensed?
Yes. Dog owners are required to obtain a license for their dog(s). Having a dog without a license is a violation of the Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 53.15.3. Dog licensing violation imposes escalating fines. Go to www.lacity.org/ani for more information
on obtaining licenses.

Can I make my complaint anonymously?
Yes. Any animal cruelty complaint may be made anonymously. The complainant’s identity will be kept with utmost confidentiality.