Resources within the City of Los Angeles:

• The Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACTF) primarily investigates the more egregious animal cruelty violations in the City of Los Angeles, such as beatings and poisonings, dog fighting, cockfighting, and other animal abuse violations.  Contact them at (213) 847-1417
• Los Angeles Animal Services handles barking dogs, loud cats or loose animals.  Contact them at (888) 842-7381 or see their website at www.laanimalservices.com for more information.
• Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Animals (Los Angeles) – call the Cruelty Tip Line at 800-540-SPCA or report it online at  spcala.com
• California Laws: See the entire California Penal Code as it relates to animal cruelty and abuse at the SPCA LA website: spcala.com/APS/penalcode.shtml
  • In 2007, California became the first state in the nation to legally limit the amount of time an animal could be tethered: SB 1578, otherwise known as the tethering law, makes it illegal to tether, fasten, chain, tie or restrain a dog to a doghouse, tree fence or any other stationary object for more than three hours in a 24-hour period.

Resources within Ventura County:

• For barking dogs, loose or vicious dogs, contact Ventura County Animal Regulation at (805) 388-4341. 
• Otherwise contact the Humane Society of Ventura County at (805) 646-6505, unless indicated below.  The Humane Society of Ventura County has an online form to report abuse. 

• Special note about abuse or neglect:  Please be advised that the following situations usually DO NOT constitute abuse or neglect according to the Humane Society of Ventura County:

  • Animals chained outside if they have access to shelter and water and are not in danger of choking because of becoming dangerously tangled.
  • Livestock (including horses) without shelter.
  • Animals enclosed in vehicles unless temperatures are likely to cause harm.
  • Also, the Humane Society does not investigate barking dog complaints, loose or vicious dogs or too many animals (unless this constitutes a health risk for the animals).   

Whether by an acute act of violence or by chronic neglect,
animal cruelty is a crime in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The Animal League Defense Fund has a wealth of resources
to help you when your companion animal has been harmed at their website.

 

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Making changes happen in animal cruelty and abuse laws during your lifetime

An essential part of any movement for social change is the effort to create new legislation. To do this, you must know how to communicate with your elected officials.   First, find out who they are. For a list of federal, state, county, and city officials, call your local board of elections, library, or Project Vote Smart at 888-VOTE-SMART (or visit www.vote-smart.org).  Do not confuse your federal legislators with your state legislators. Federal legislators have virtually no effect on state and local legislation, and vice versa.

Next, get to know as many legislators as you can. Don’t wait until your group wants to introduce a bill. Lay the foundation now, before you start a legislative campaign.  Despite your personal political leanings, avoid party politics. The animals need the support of all parties, people from all walks of life and social standing, old and young alike!

There are currently almost a thousand cases of animal cruelty or abuse listed for California in the largest online database tracking this issue in our country.  For greater details and locations, please see Pet-Abuse.com’s database. Text and statue verbiage for California laws and codes regarding abandonment, abuse and cruelty can be found at the Animal Legal & Historical Center online.

Do you believe animals deserve basic legal rights?  Deprived of legal protection, animals are defenseless against exploitation and abuse by humans. Through the Animal Bill of Rights, the Animal Legal Defense Fund is working to show Congress a groundswell of support for legislation that protects animals and recognizes that, like all sentient beings, animals are entitled to basic legal rights in our society.  To sign the petition being presented to Congress (or more information on this issue), see their website here.

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We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals.  Animals suffer as much as we do.  True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them.  It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it.   Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace.

~~~ Rev. Dr. Albert Schweitzer, German physician and author
Nobel Peace Prize 1952

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