Animal cruelty: what is a crime and how to report it

It is the criminal and administrative law protecting animals in Puerto Rico. Its logic is a ladder: the graver the conduct and the graver the harm, the graver the offense. At the base sit improper confinement and abuse by negligence — failing to provide minimum care, knowingly, carelessly or negligently — which are misdemeanors. Above those rise aggravated negligence, abuse, severe abuse and aggravated abuse. And separately, with its own weight, abandonment, a felony from day one. The law also sets institutional responsibilities: municipalities must give priority attention to abuse and negligence situations involving stray animals and to their collection and care, coordinating with the municipal management office and other agencies.

Anyone can report. The law’s obligations fall on whoever has an animal in their possession, control or guardianship: providing adequate space allowing freedom of movement within the property, providing minimum care, and walking it with collar and leash in control of the animal — with the law’s own caveat for animals over 60 pounds requiring a special collar. And there is a protection for violence victims: in every case where a person is accused of domestic violence or child abuse, the court must, on a party’s request, issue a protection order making the petitioner the animal’s sole custodian, ordering the accused to stay away and prohibiting any approach.

• To report: nothing more than the information about what you saw. This law’s offenses are investigated and prosecuted by law enforcement authorities.Verified against the official source
• If you have an animal: providing adequate space with freedom of movement within the property, and the minimum care the law requires.Verified against the official source
• To walk it: collar and leash, in control of the animal and without causing it harm or suffering; the law excepts animals over 60 pounds requiring a special collar.Verified against the official source

• Your evidence: photos, videos, dates and a description of what you observed, and the exact address. The more concrete the account, the more useful for the investigation.

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   Step 1: Identify which conduct you are seeing

   The law separates the conducts and that matters when reporting. Abandonment: leaving the animal somewhere intending to forsake it — a felony. Confinement: enclosing, tying or limiting its movement causing unnecessary suffering, or not giving it adequate space within the property. Abuse by negligence: failing to provide minimum care while it is in your possession. And above that, the ladder of aggravated negligence, abuse, severe abuse and aggravated abuse. Describe the facts — do not classify them yourself — and let the authorities frame it.

2. 2

   Step 2: Report to the Police and your municipality

   These are crimes, so the Puerto Rico Police is the natural route to report them; PRFácil has a guide on filing a police complaint. In parallel, the law places on municipalities the duty to give priority attention to abuse and negligence situations involving stray animals, and their collection and care — so the municipal animal control office or the mayor’s office is the other number to call, especially if the animal is loose or a stray.

3. 3

   Step 3: If domestic violence is involved, ask for the order

   The law brings a little-known tool: in every case where a person is accused of domestic violence or child abuse, the court must, on a party’s request, issue a protection order making the petitioner the animal’s sole custodian, with an order to the accused to stay away and a prohibition on any approach. Violating that order is a felony with a fixed 3-year term. If you are leaving a violent situation and the animal is part of the coercion, ask for it expressly.

4. 4

   Step 4: If the animal is yours: meet the basics

   Adequate space with freedom of movement within the property, minimum care, and collar and leash to walk it under control and without causing harm. Reoffending on the confinement offense carries up to six months in prison, and fines double with each repeat. The law also regulates animal transport, prohibits poisoning, animal fighting and certain cosmetic surgeries, and sets rules for euthanasia and for breeders.

Reports: the Puerto Rico Police (9-1-1 if the animal is in immediate danger) and your municipality’s animal control office, which by law must give priority attention to stray animal cases. The Article 15 protection orders are requested from the court within the domestic violence or child abuse case.

• Believing abandoning an animal is only a moral cruelty: it is a felony with a fixed 3-year term, and 8 if it causes severe injury or death.
• Thinking tying the dog up all day has no consequence: limiting movement causing unnecessary suffering is a misdemeanor, with aggravated repeat offenses.
• Reporting without concrete data: date, exact address, description and evidence make the difference in the investigation.
• Calling only the Police when the animal is a stray: the law places that duty, as a priority, on municipalities.
• Entering someone else’s property to rescue: document from where you have a right to be and leave the intervention to the authorities.
• Not requesting the animal protection order in a domestic violence case: the law orders it on a party’s request.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Policía de Puerto Rico

  Policía de PR

  bvirtualogp.pr.gov