It can be heartbreaking to see the act of animal neglect and cruelty.

May it be an act of violence or even “just” neglect, it’s important to be familiar with what you can do if ever you witness animal abuse.

When we say we love animals, what often comes to our minds are the selfless acts of adopting, donating, and fostering and, true enough, all of these are indeed beautiful.

However, there is one more important thing that we need to consider when we’re talking about the love for animals – that is, to be their voice.

Animals can’t speak and some animals aren’t so lucky to find forever homes with families that will love them. The sad reality is that there are animals that are in very terrible situations but they can’t do anything about it.

They need you!

You can be their neighbor, a family friend, or even a person just passing by their home. They need you to know and to recognize that they are asking for your help.

May it be a case of abandonment, abuse, or even neglect – they need to be rescued.

You might be the only thing standing in the way of them and their abusers!

Being brave and taking action to report animal abuse will save lives.

No one should ever turn their backs on an animal that needs to be saved. So, in order to save lives, being familiar with the proper steps to take, knowing what to do, and who to talk to will make a huge difference.

Time is essential and your actions will determine how soon an animal can be saved.

Speak up and take action. Here’s how you can save an animal in need:

Know the situation

In some cases, it’s pretty obvious if there is animal abuse. You can be a witness to a person beating an animal or you can see a dog chained and being starved.

Though, there are other situations that may need further assessment. We don’t want to jump into conclusions and cause trouble, right? Sometimes, we need to be observant and be more cautious so we can know the exact situation.

Remember that there are different types of animal cruelty and some are not that obvious.

If you are still unsure about your gut feeling, maybe these red flags can help:

• The animal is always outside the house and with no decent shelter
• Collar is already causing pain
• Dog is obviously sick and skinny
• Fur is already dirty and matted
• Signs of mange
• Past wounds, cuts, or open wounds

You can first try to assess the situation by communicating with the owner or even asking the neighbors.

Gather evidence

Usually, your word will already be sufficient to be able to file a report against animal abuse or neglect, but if you want to further help, then gathering evidence is your next best step.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or ASPCA advises everyone who wants to report animal abuse to create a written report that includes facts such as date, evidence, photos, and even statements from other people.

This will make the process faster and help the poor animal get rescued sooner.

While it’s best to have these types of evidence available, it’s not advisable for you to put yourself in danger just to obtain them.

Remember that no matter how much your gut tells you to get evidence, you can’t trespass on another person’s property or do anything against the law.

Contact the right people

Know the right people to contact if you are ready to file a report. Your first choice is, of course, your local animal control agency. If you can’t find one and a Google search doesn’t help, then go to the next best thing.

You can ask your local police station if they have a dedicated station for animal abuse. If not, then you can direct it to them.

However, in any event where you encounter severe abuse that will put the animal’s life in danger, then it’s best to immediately call 911.

Once you have taken the appropriate steps and reported, there is still something more you can do for the animal.

While an investigation is underway, it’s best to always check about the progress. We want to make sure that the animal gets rescued and given another chance, but make sure that you don’t intervene with the process.

We all have the chance to save the lives of these animals, and if you think you are seeing animal abuse, then do what you can.

Remember, they don’t have a way to ask for help but we can always be the voice that will rescue them from their situation.

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site, ASPCA