How do I anonymously report animal abuse/neglect?

February 21, 2019 9:50 AM

I am aware of a house where a number of dogs—let's say one or two dozen—are being kept in poor conditions. What is the best way to anonymously report this? (Content note: no descriptions of animal abuse inside.)

The result I would like to see here is for the dogs to be taken away and given a chance at finding owners who will care for them properly. I know that there's probably nothing I can do that will guarantee this result, but I'd like to maximize the chance of that happening. I don't know what the exact situation here is and I'd prefer not to go into details so I'll ask you to trust that these dogs are definitely being neglected and that I'm not just overreacting.

Who do I contact? Do I call animal control for the town in question? Do I contact the SPCA?

The big complication here is that this needs to not get traced back to me. Like, the person can't even suspect that it was me. I already know that I will need to leave some time between any interaction I have with the owner and when I make the call or calls, but is anyone even likely to act based on an anonymous complaint? How can I protect myself but also hopefully make this stick?

This is in the USA. Thank you for your advice.

posted by anonymous to Pets & Animals (11 answers total)

Yep, call animal control. I would imagine reports there are anonymous, but in any case you can decline to give your name.
posted by Smearcase at 10:03 AM on February 21, 2019

Depends on the size of the town but in my town we would absolutely call the animal control officer. It's not like someone's kids, if they show up and the animals are being neglected, they'll handle it quickly. It won't get tied up in a court situation or anything else. However, also depending on the town, you can't guarantee that they'll be given a chance to find better owners, it's just not under your control. People will absolutely act on an anonymous complaint but you will also need to figure out a way to indicate how you know this without giving away the fact that you are, possibly, a neighbor or someone else with this sort of knowledge. And, at some level, the person might suspect it was you even if someone else tipped them off. I think if this were me and I was living with this sort of concern, I would either

- write a letter to the animal control officer outlining your concerns
- have a friend call the animal control officer and make the port for you
- call the SPCA and ask about the process for making an anonymous complaint or just asking if this is a possibility might put your mind at ease
posted by jessamyn at 10:04 AM on February 21, 2019

Before calling, i would sit down and write out all the facts that you can think of. Be as specific and detailed as you can be. What exactly did you observe that made you concerned for the animal's welfare? This will help you organize your thoughts and make sure you include everything that seems important.
posted by metahawk at 10:32 AM on February 21, 2019

Yes, you can report anonymously to animal control. I called them years ago about a neighbor that was keeping several roosters who were making sleep impossible for me, though as you are, I was worried about reprisals. They said they would keep everything confidential. Turns out it was a cockfighting ring they had been trying to find for months. They called me back to thank me and again assured me that all call data was held in confidence. The roosters got taken away and nothing further came of the incident.
posted by ananci at 10:35 AM on February 21, 2019

The key to an anonymous complaint is detail. Put down as much information as you can, and be very specific about dates, times and addresses. No responsible person will ignore a well-written, well-documented complaint. If your area is large enough to have them, address it to the SPCA or, failing that, local animal control or the local pound. For areas too small or too rural to have these, send it to the sheriff. Make sure to use non-personalized stationery and do not include a return address. Then wait and see what happens.
posted by ubiquity at 10:50 AM on February 21, 2019

First figure out what group is responsible for animals in the area your target lives. Look it up on line and then call them.

Ask them about their kill policies. If they are swamped they will put down healthy animals. Probe a bit. Some shelters will say they have a no-kill policy but then it turns out they put down all adult cats during kitten season, etc. You may not want the dogs picked up out of an overcrowding situation simply to have them put down. If there are shepherds or pit bulls or rotties or any type of bulldog inquire if they have any policies about those.

If the shelter/authorities will euthanize and the main problem is people up to their knees in unspayed dogs and dog poo, you may want to provide material help by mailing them certificates good for needles and spaying. A local vet will allow you to pay and them to bring in the dogs. If the situation is people kicking dogs you want to find a renegade dognapper re-homer. There may actually be one in your area. They are surprisingly common. Get references from the owners of the dogs they have re-homed, or inspect the dognappers own dogs and home or facility. To contact put out a word of mouth on fb etc. and let them contact you.

Goes without saying that you do not get PETA involved.

If you are going with the authorities a letter with the details, number of dogs, dates, type of neglect etc. as mentioned above is a good way to go. A photo or two wouldn't hurt if the situation is appalling and you can get one safely.
posted by Jane the Brown at 11:06 AM on February 21, 2019

There's no reason you can't call your town hall and speak to animal control and call the nearest branch o the SPCA. Thank you for your concern and action.
posted by theora55 at 11:09 AM on February 21, 2019

Several people above have explained why facts and specific details are important. I'll agree and go one step farther: don't call. Write. If you're planning to create a time gap anyway, then you can wait for the mail to arrive; otherwise have a friend drop off something in person, or send a fax from a UPS store. Figure out what you want to say, be as specific as possible, write it down exactly the way you want it said, and deliver it to people who are responsible for acting. Nobody is going to transcribe your call recording. Ever play Telephone? Don't call.

Always ask yourself, "What's my reason for filing this complaint?" Maybe you're a parent in a custody dispute and you don't actually need police to take action but you want a report that you can give to the family court later. That's fine. That's one goal. But if your goal is to force some kind of action from the authority receiving your report, then you need to box them in. Create a circumstance, as best you can, where they have no choice but to take some action. Nothing's foolproof, but paper trails accomplish this a heck of a lot better than phone calls.
posted by cribcage at 12:10 PM on February 21, 2019

I used to work for Council processing freedom of info requests. Where I was, anonymous requests were discouraged because other officers (animal control) couldn't ring you up and get more info. Additionally, "enough" info to act on will often identify the complainant to the subject (I.e. Can hear your roosters, fence issues etc) anyway. A throwaway email address or a phone (your work, or someone at work who can transfer a call to you - rather than a mobile/number the dog owner had for you) goes a LONG way.

Ask whatever authority you call about their privacy policy - it should indicate that all complaints are confidential unless it's been applied for, reviewed, and found to be in the public interest.

Many people can make a good guess as to who complained about them. Many people will also assume it's whatever neighbour they have an antagonistic relationship with. I *wouldn't change anything*. Laying low or acting weird or different will give you away. If anything, if you must, lodge the report while you're away for work or holiday or something (and mange sure they know you're going out of town).

I can go into a lot more detail and five US specific references but I'm on my phone - me mail me if you want more specifics.
posted by jrobin276 at 12:12 PM on February 21, 2019

the outcome for the animals will depend on where you live. if you'd like to disclose your geographic location (either via memail or a comment relayed through a moderator), we might be able to give you some area-specific advice.

jessamyn's advice is sound but i believe that, depending on where you are located and whether the people keeping the dogs are charged with a criminal offense (which is possible in neglect/abuse cases), dogs can be held as "evidence." they can then eventually be adopted into wonderful homes! but the specifics of the process do vary. and breed-specific legislation and discrimiation may come into play.

none of that is to say you shouldn't report! absolutely report. better for the dogs, better for the person. the advice to write everything down, as much detail as possible, is good. I'd make a phone call as well, with the written account in front of you. use a borrowed or public line if you're concerned about your contact information being attached.
posted by adastra at 4:01 PM on February 21, 2019

If you call animal control, just make sure it is a two step process, or else they animals may just get put down:

Report. Then have a plan for getting them adopted. It can be something like telling the story (anonymously) to a local rescue, getting them on the news, emailing a heads up to your friends, etc. if you don’t take a second step, they may wind up just being put down. And that may actually put them out of their suffering, but it’s not a great option.
posted by MountainDaisy at 5:39 PM on February 21, 2019