Recognizing & Reporting Cruelty

Recognizing and reporting animal cruelty is easy once you know what to look for.

Physical signs:

• Are there any open wounds on the animal?
• Is the animal so skinny that you can easily see bones protruding?
• Is the animal limping or having difficulty moving around? 
• Does the skin or coat look normal or are there patterns of hair loss or signs of lesions?
• Is the coat matted or preventing the animal from moving around properly?
• Is the animal acting lethargic or not getting up from the ground?

Environmental signs:

• Does the animal have protection from the sun, rain, or snow?
• Is the animal chained to an object in a manner that jeopardizes health and/or safety? 
• Is the animal kept in a crate that is too small for him or her to maintain normal body postures or confined for too long a period of time?
• Is the animal forced to live in his or her own waste?
   

If you see any of these signs, please contact our Humane Law Enforcement Department immediately at 202-723-5730. Yours may be their only voice.

Combat Cruelty

The Humane Rescue Alliance has been combating animal cruelty for more than 100 years, and we could not help as many animals as we do without the help of our friends who care so much.

There are several ways you can help us combat cruelty.

• Volunteer to join our Missing Animal Response Team (M.A.R.T.)
• Don’t ever look away from animal cruelty; report it immediately.
• Educate others on what to look for and how to report it. Animal cruelty doesn’t always stem from violent or callous acts. Often, it come from the animal's owner being uneducated about proper pet care. When this is the case, we all have an opportunity to make a better world for animals by working with owners to help them understand the animal’s basic needs.
• Donate to the Combat Cruelty Fund: Donations to this fund help the HRA Humane Law Enforcement team investigate abuse, prosecute offenders, save animals in danger, and fight animal cruelty.