What happens if someone reports you for animal cruelty

 RSPCA Victoria recommends that pet owners provide their pets with both physical and mental stimulation through exercise and play. However, enrichment is not a legal requirement under POCTAA, so our Inspectorate cannot investigate reports related to this. 

We work to educate owners about the benefits of enrichment activities, as well as the destructive behaviours that can develop through lack of enrichment. We find many people simply aren’t aware of the importance of enrichment, and this is something we are hoping to change.  

Animal Welfare League NSW is an approved charitable organisation which acts under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. This enables us to employ a team of full-time inspectors who operate within the Sydney region. Animal Welfare League NSW inspectors respond to reports of cruelty or neglect of animals and any concerns received in relation to the general welfare of animals.

For emergency cases please contact us directly.

Please fill out the below form to report animal cruelty. The more information you provide, the easier it is for our inspectors investigate.

The Animal Welfare League NSW employs a team of full-time inspectors who operate within the Sydney region. When you report animal cruelty, these are the trained professionals that respond.

If you feel that:

• An animal is being neglected and
• You are concerned for the welfare of the animal, or
• You have witnessed an act of cruelty being committed

When contacting Animal Welfare League NSW to report animal cruelty, please provide as much information as possible. This may include:

• What you have seen, witnessed or are concerned about
• The address or location where the animal is being kept
• Description of the animal
• If known, details such as name and address of the person you think may be involved or responsible for the cruelty or neglect
• Any other relevant details such as other witnesses, vehicle registration and description

REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY

RSPCA Qld urges anyone who witnesses an act of animal cruelty, or notices an animal that has obviously been neglected, to report it to the RSPCA. You can do this by calling our animal hotline on 1300 ANIMAL (264 625) or lodge your complaint online.

Animal cruelty is a serious offence and carries a 3 year maximum term of imprisonment and for this we do ask that you include as much information as possible including the exact location and address and, if there is a car involved, the make and licence plate of the car. You can also take a photo, but only if it is safe to do so.

This is how a cruelty complaint is handled by the RSPCA, please click to download a copy for yourself.

When lodging a cruelty complaint online if you haven't received an acknowledgement email within 7 days please email [email protected] to notify us. Our Cruelty inbox is monitored from 7am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday excluding public holidays. If your enquiry is made outside these hours and the concern would be considered life threatening, please contact RSPCA Qld's Customer Service Team on 1300 852 188.

Due to privacy laws, RSPCA Qld Inspectors are not able to provide a detailed update on investigations even if you were the first person to lodge the complaint. However, if you do notice the situation has or hasn't changed from your original cruelty complaint, please keep us informed by calling or email [email protected]. Your community assistance helps us stay informed.

Every state has laws prohibiting animal cruelty and all of them contain felony provisions. However, a law is only as good as its enforcement and that's why animals rely on you to protect them by reporting animal abuse.

Defining cruelty

Most reported animal cruelty comes in the form of neglect, with direct violence occurring less. Often times, it can be difficult to gauge whether or not you’ve witnessed animal cruelty—the following examples may help you categorize suspected cruelty you do see.

Neglect

Neglect, or a failure to provide basic needs for an animal, makes up the vast majority of cruelty cases that animal control officers respond to. Neglect often includes hoarding, lack of shelter or veterinary care, tethering and abandonment, as well as other forms of abuse.

Direct abuse

It can be very upsetting to see someone beating or physically attacking an animal, but it's important not to turn away. It's crucial to involve law enforcement quickly, as violence toward animals is often part of a larger pattern of violence that can include people as well.

Reporting abuse

If you witness suspected cruelty to animals, call your local animal control agency as soon as possible or dial 9-1-1 if you’re unfamiliar with local organizations. If you make a report of alleged animal cruelty, the responding agency is required to investigate.

If your area lacks the proper animal welfare agency and your local authorities are not equipped to deal with animal cruelty cases, you can also contact us.

Be sure to document the case as well as you can with dates, times, specific details and, if possible, footage and photographs from a cell phone. All of these things can help appropriate agencies during any investigation they may do of the suspected cruelty.

Hoarding

Hoarding behavior often victimizes animals. Sufferers of a hoarding disorder may impose severe neglect on animals by housing far more than they are able to adequately take care of. Contact your local animal control agency if you find out about animal hoarding. Some animal hoarding situations can be more difficult than others to solve.

Lack of veterinary care

Untreated wounds are a red flag that demand immediate attention; emaciation, scabs and hair loss can also be a sign of untreated diseases. If you can, alert the owner to the animal's condition and alert local authorities of suspected neglect as soon as possible.

Inadequate shelter

In extreme heat or cold, temperatures can be deadly. It can seem daunting or unnecessary to report neglect for inadequate sheltering, but conditions can change quickly, causing suffering or even death of the animal. Contact a local animal control agency immediately if you see an animal in inadequate shelter and document the incident with a cell phone camera if possible.

Abandonment

Animals die every year when people move out of their residences and simply leave the animals behind. Sometimes an abandoned dog's barking or cat's howling can alert the neighbors, but it's wise to keep an eye on a recently vacated home, especially if the former residents moved suddenly. Companion animals kept in cages or tanks are often overlooked upon a resident's sudden passing and may suffer neglect as well. If you find or know of abandoned animals, contact your local animal control agency immediately.

Pets left in cars

Time is of the essence when reporting pets left in parked cars. Even if the outside temperature seems cool, these animals could be minutes away from death or irreversible organ damage. If you cannot locate the owner immediately, don’t be afraid to call local authorities, detailing your location and the make, model and license plate number of the vehicle the animal is inside.

Learn More About Pets in Hot Cars

Beating and physical abuse

If you witness direct physical violence to an animal, report the incident immediately to authorities. If you decide to intervene in any way, use your best judgement and do not become physically involved in the situation; remember, even well-intentioned actions could compromise the process of investigation into suspected abuse.

Animal fighting and organized cruelty

Organized cruelty, such as dogfighting, cockfighting and other bloodsports, is illegal in all 50 states and is linked to other criminal activities such as human violence, gambling and drug distribution. If you hear about or witness events like these, immediately report them to the local authorities and the HSUS.

Learn More about Animal Fighting

These are just common examples of animal cruelty. Even if a case doesn’t fit neatly into these categories, take action if something feels off. In many cases, you may be the only chance an animal has at escaping cruelty or neglect.

The majority of people who own or interact with animals treat them humanely and comply with agreed animal welfare standards. There are instances where this is not the case and an investigation is needed to identify whether a breach of legislation has occurred.

The following list of examples  could be the subject of a cruelty complaint:

• animals in immediate danger of death or harm (such as a dog locked in a car on a warm day or an animal that cannot get up and is distressed)
• animals that are hurt or abused
• neglected or abandoned animals
• animals suffering from untreated injury or disease
• animals that are not receiving adequate food, water and/or shelter
• animals that are being used in illegal activity (such as dog fighting or cock fighting)
• animals that have been deliberately poisoned (other than for the control of declared pests)

Who to report a complaint about animal cruelty to

Animal cruelty can be investigated by Inspectors authorised under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 from the following organisations:

• Agriculture Victoria
• RSPCA
• Local Government
• Victoria Police

If you witness cruelty or suspect that cruelty is occurring you should contact the relevant enforcement agency.

If you find an animal left in a hot car, please contact Victoria Police immediately on 000. Victoria Police will be able dispatch officers quickly, which is critical in these situations.

Agriculture Victoria

Our inspectors primarily investigate matters concerning commercial livestock. Complaints should be directed to the Animal Health Officer at your local Agriculture Victoria office. Call our customer service centre on 136 186 or email

If you find a sick or injured native animal, you should report it immediately to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) customer service centre on 136 186 who will provide you with details of a DELWP staff member or local wildlife shelter that can provide advice or help.

For wildlife cruelty complaints contact us or RSPCA where you will be directed to the appropriate officer.

Concerns about the welfare of animals being used in scientific procedures should be referred to

RSPCA Victoria

The RSPCA primarily investigates complaints about companion animals and livestock species where there are less than 10 head on the property (for example horses and hobby farm animals). The RSPCA also investigates complaints regarding cruelty to invasive animals (for example illegal use of traps and setting of dogs on feral pigs).

A report can be made to the RSPCA either online or by phoning 03 9224 2222.

Memorandum of Understanding

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sets out RSPCA Victoria’s and the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions’s agreement on a range of matters, including the type of animal welfare cases that RSPCA Victoria is responsible for investigating.

A copy of the MoU is available for download:

Local Government

Local government officers, if specifically authorised under the Act can investigate cruelty complaints in the municipality in which they are authorised.

If you have concerns about the operation of a domestic animal business such as a dog or cat breeder or pet shop you can report them to the local council in which the business operates or to the RSPCA.

Victoria Police

If there has been a road transport accident involving animals (for example a truck rollover) always call the police. Police can also investigate complaints of cruelty.

Information required for making a complaint

In order to investigate an animal cruelty report, Inspectors require as much information as possible so it is essential that you provide as many details as you can when making a complaint.

Information required when making a complaint:

• Your details – your name, address and phone number. These may be required during the course of an investigation (for example to clarify information or obtain further information on the location of animals). Your details will be kept confidential by the inspector.
• A description of the alleged cruelty – in as much detail as possible, a description of the animal(s) involved such as species, breed, colour, total number of animals and condition of the animals.
• The location of the animals — an address point or GPS coordinates of the property the animals are located at.
• Contact details for the people involved in the alleged offence – the name, address and phone number if known. If unknown a description of the person or people involved should be provided.
• Any other information that may be of assistance to the inspector such as a vehicle registration number, photographic or video evidence. If you know that the people involved may be affected by drugs or alcohol or are likely to become violent you should inform the Inspector.

After a complaint is made

When a complaint is made, an inspector will examine the available evidence and determine whether an offence under animal welfare legislation is likely to have occurred or not.

Only officers authorised as inspectors under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 are legally able to investigate cruelty to animals. Inspectors (except police officers) must on demand produce an identification certificate. It is an offence to impersonate an inspector.

Following a complaint an inspector has the power to undertake any of the following actions depending on the outcome of their investigation:

• take no further action, if there was no offending occurring under animal welfare legislation
• provide education and advice
• issue a formal notice to comply
• collect evidence including requiring information from relevant persons
• seize the animals
• begin a prosecution

During an investigation a person must comply with the requirements to give information to inspectors as detailed in the Act. It is an offence to give false or misleading information. It is also an offence to assault, hinder or threaten an inspector.

Complainants are able to enquire as to the outcome of investigations but the investigating organisation may not be able to reveal the outcome in all cases.

In some instances, animal cruelty investigations result in prosecution. View the department's record of prosecutions.

Page last updated: 30 Mar 2022