Animal Cruelty Reporting for Veterinarians
About this page
This page is for veterinarians who encounter animal abuse in their practice.
Citizens who want to report an incident of animal abuse should contact their local animal control agency.
Mandatory reporting
As of October 1, 2017, veterinarians who have reason to believe that an animal they are treating has been subjected to cruelty or animal fighting are required to report it to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
The law provides immunity from civil liability to veterinarians who report in good faith or who participate in an investigation of suspected animal cruelty or animal fighting. Veterinarians who do not report are subject to disciplinary action by the Board.
Read the bill: HB 1463 - PDF -Veterinary Practitioners - Animal Cruelty and Animal Fighting - Reporting, passed during the 2017 Legislative Session.
The State Board adopted regulations to protect the identity of veterinarians who make a report and to establish conditions under which the substance of a report may be disclosed.
What to report
If you, as a veterinarian, suspect abuse, you are required to note the following in a report:
- The name, age and location of the animal;
- The name and home address of the owner or custodian of the animal;
- The nature and extent of the suspected animal cruelty or animal fighting, including any evidence or information available concerning possible previous instances of animal cruelty or animal fighting; and
- Any other information that would help determine the cause of the cruelty or animal fighting and the identity of any individual responsible for the suspect cruelty or animal fighting.
Where to report
Animal cruelty is a crime under the jurisdiction of local law enforcement, not the State Board.
View agency contacts prepared to assist veterinarians report or discuss suspected cruelty cases in each county.
Resources
- Animal Abuse Response - Resources for Veterinarians (AVMA)
- Practical Guidance for the Effective Response by Veterinarians to Suspected Animal - PDF Cruelty, Abuse and Neglect (AVMA) - PDF
- Animal Welfare: Responsibility & Opportunity (AVMA)
- The Veterinarian's Legal Role in Animal Cruelty Cases (ASPCA)
- New Veterinary Research Helps Distinguish Accidents from Abuse (Tufts University)
- Animal Cruelty: From Suspicion to Conviction - A Prosecutor's Guidelines for Veterinarians - PDF (Colorado)
Presentations from Montgomery County VMA training meeting
- Reporting Suspected Abuse - By Melinda Merck, Veterinary Forensic Consultant - PDF - 9.3 MB
- Veterinary Practioners - Identifying and Reporting Animal Cruelty and Animal Fighting - PDF - 6.59 MB - by Dr. Gregory Lawrence and Jack Breckinridge, Montgomery Co.