Should i call animal control

There are several reasons to call animal control and animal cruelty or animal neglect is not the only one. They include:. Animal neglect is already considered animal abuse. But not all cases of neglect are intentional and are sometimes only a result of a lack of education regarding responsible pet ownership.

In that case, the owner may be given a warning and advice on how to responsibly take care of a pet. According to the Humane Society , any individual committing acts of intentional cruelty may signal psychological distress. That person could also be a victim of violence or is more inclined to commit violence. If you witness animal neglect and want to report the situation, you should call your local animal control number.

Many cases of animal neglect often go unreported because witnesses are hesitant to speak up. You can help in some way by reporting the poor creatures and help them get out of the situation.

But of course, you have to gather enough proof that the animal is being neglected. Proof can include a series of recordings showing the bad living conditions of an animal. These should help officers take immediate action.

Understandably, when someone is first exposed to this digital carnage, their initial reaction is to get those images pulled off the site as soon as possible. However, that is the worst possible first step because once the data is pulled off of the site it is as a general rule gone and not recoverable and cannot be used as evidence at a trial.

That means the key evidence contained in the file and the ability to trace the posting back to the IP address used to upload the content is gone. So, resist the impulse to get the offending content removed before law enforcement has an opportunity to preserve it for trial. While most social media sites scrub or remove metadata from uploaded images, downloading the image makes it easier to diagnose whether a still image is authentic or has been Photoshopped in some form.

Yes, there are people out there who doctor photos and post them just to see the outraged reactions they will get. In that report, be sure to include an express request that:. Once law enforcement has access to the devices, the officer can search for the original images that were the subject of the offending post and all of the metadata that comes with digital images.

A word about metadata associated with digital images: unless special care is taken, those who shoot videos or take photographs create more than just the images at issue—they also capture the metadata for those images. Thus, EXIF data is highly relevant to prosecutors who will later have to prove the identity of the offender, the jurisdiction and venue of the offense, and that the acts depicted in the images occurred before the expiration of the relevant statute of limitations.

But here is the rub: as a general rule, the only way to get EXIF data is from the file itself and that generally means retrieving it from the original recording device. As noted above, gaining access to those devices is, at least, a two-step process that only works if the host site still has the original posting at the time law enforcement gets to work on the case.

This could tip them off that law enforcement is on the case, leading them to remove the image or video before police can preserve essential evidence. This protocol will work most of the time, but as is true in life, not in every case.

However, making a good-faith effort to ID these people is the best we can do. It is an ugly world out there, but with your help, we can visit some real accountability on those who use the Internet as a vehicle to stroke their egos when preying upon the voiceless and vulnerable.

To obtain local ordinances, contact your city council, local humane organization, visit your local library or check online at www. Since , the Animal Legal Defense Fund has been the leader in the fight to win animals the legal protection they so desperately need—and deserve. Your generous support is vital to our continued success. Professional Legal Resource. Since , the Animal Legal Defense Fund has led the charge to win animals the legal protection they so desperately need—and deserve.

Your generous gift will assure that we can continue to take on cases that advance the interests of animals. Here are a few services they perform. Animal control agencies help to ensure that domestic animals like dogs, cats, and ferrets are vaccinated against rabies to help prevent the spread of disease.

While outbreaks are unusual in the United States, rabies is still a dangerous disease that requires active prevention. They may do this by hosting low-cost vaccination clinics or by simply educating the public about prevention. Also, animal control agents are trained to evaluate sick animals for signs of rabies and take appropriate measure depending on their results. Because they reproduce rapidly, dog and cat populations can grow almost exponentially if these animals are not spayed and neutered.

Animal control agencies seek to help control the populations of these pets to reduce the number of unwanted animals and strays in the community. You may see your local animal control offering low-cost sterilization to pets to help combat this problem. Animal control agencies often provide temporary homes for pets in the form of shelters. Usually, animal shelters offer veterinary clinics, grooming services, and meet-and-greet areas where potential pet adopters can get to know the residents.

While most non-profit animal shelters are non-kill, government-run shelters may euthanize animals that are not adopted. Because rabies poses such a severe threat to pet populations—and the humans around them—animal control officers thoroughly investigate dog bite cases.

Animal control officers help protect cats and dogs from abuse and neglect. They rely on tips from neighbors and passers-by to alert them to inhumane situations. Animal control agents will investigate to determine if the pet is a threat to people and animals in their neighborhood. Unlike animal control, which is often a government-funded agency, wildlife removal companies tend to be for-profit businesses. Wildlife removal also focuses primarily on issues caused by non-domestic animals like raccoons, bats, snacks, etc.

These professionals are often skilled at problem-solving and dealing with a wide variety of wild animals.