21 Nov Reporting animal abuse – what you need to know
Report abuse – it’s more than the right thing to do
Have you ever suspected animal abuse? The first thing you should know is that in Georgia you are not mandated to report, but the AVMA and AAHA state that veterinarians have an ethical obligation to protect the health of the animal and the public, and this includes reporting suspected abuse. The next thing you should know is that you “shall…be immune from any civil or criminal liability” (OCGA 4-11-17b) when reporting animal cruelty (OCGA 16-12-4) or dog fighting (OCGA 16-12-37). So, this should take fear out of the equation.
Reporting suspected animal abuse made easy
The National Link Coalition – the National Resource Center on The Link between Animal Abuse and Human Violence—has announced the publication of a free National Directory of Abuse Investigation Agencies, covering more than 6,500 counties, cities and towns, in the U.S. (including all of Georgia) that identifies which agency in that jurisdiction investigates reports of suspected animal cruelty, abuse and neglect.
The Directory is online at http://nationallinkcoalition.org/how-do-i-report-suspected-abuse. An interactive map lists the names and phone numbers of 6,513 animal cruelty investigating agencies organized by county and city within each state. The goal is to eliminate confusion and make it easier for veterinarians to report suspected animal maltreatment.