Reporting animal cruelty
Written from the sources below on 4 October 2026.
If someone or something is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number first.
This site does not take reports and has no form for them. A report has to reach the agency that enforces the law where the animal is. The old page here listed two phone numbers on Long Island. They are not repeated, because they may have changed. Use Find local help to start.
Who to contact
- A crime in progress: call 911.
- New York City: the ASPCA says to call 311 for suspected abuse or neglect, and 911 for a crime in progress.
- Elsewhere: contact the agency that enforces animal laws where the abuse is happening. That may be local police, animal control, an SPCA or another humane group. If you are not sure, ask the police or animal control which it is.
What to have ready
- A short written statement of what you saw, with dates and times.
- Names and contact details of other people who saw it and will speak to investigators.
- Photos or video, taken only from a place you are allowed to be, such as a public street. Never trespass to get them.
After you report
The ASPCA says you can report anonymously, but a case is more likely to go forward when credible witnesses will stand behind it. Keep a record of who you spoke to, the date, and what you were told happens next. If you hear nothing in a reasonable time, a polite follow-up call is fine.
For the laws themselves, see Animal laws.