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State Animal Cruelty Laws
Most animal cruelty laws vary from state to state. Knowing your state's laws is crucial to help fight animal cruelty. The ASPCA offers this online database with more than 550 animal cruelty laws -- and their penalties -- from all 50 states. This database, maintained by the ASPCA Government Affairs and Public Policy department, will be a dynamic resource for providing information relating to animal cruelty laws. You can select your state, or even use our keyword search to find a specific topic.
Disclaimer: The ASPCA is providing you this listing of state laws to assist you in reporting cruelty in your area. Your local and state police are generally mandated to enforce all laws in your state, including animal cruelty, even if these laws are not included in your state's penal code. Please contact them should you witness animal cruelty (including animal neglect), or have information regarding an incident of animal cruelty in your area. Please be aware that local law enforcement may have a limited familiarity with animal cruelty issues and make sure you inform the police of the specific section of law listed under the animal cruelty summary and provide them with the summary to assist them in their investigation.
Please note: The ASPCA only has law enforcement powers in New York State. If you live in New York State, you may also contact your local or state police to report animal cruelty.
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