By Forum Staff
More than 80 percent of reported animal cruelty cases in New York City involved dogs, who were most often suspected to be victims of neglect, hoarding or abandonment, according to a report released on Monday by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Neglect can include failure to provide sufficient food and water, appropriate shelter, and other care including grooming, veterinary care and proper socialization.
Despite making up a reported 43 percent of the pet population in the U.S., cats made up only 15 percent of NYC suspected animal cruelty cases, and these cases were more likely to be the result of suspected non-accidental injury and more often led to death, suggesting that the maltreatment of cats may be underreported and minimized. Previous research demonstrates that animal cruelty often occurs in the context of domestic violence, where small pets may be particularly vulnerable to harm.
The ASPCA report analyzed animal cruelty cases in the Big Apple between 2013 and 2022. Through its partnership with the City Police Department, over this nine-year period the ASPCA received over 5,700 animals from 2,783 suspected cruelty cases across all 77 NYPD precincts and nine Housing Police Service Areas across Gotham.
Since the inception of the ASPCA-NYPD partnership in 2014, the ASPCA has helped train more than
30,000 NYPD officers to effectively recognize and respond to animal cruelty. As part of this partnership, the NYPD created its Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad, a unit dedicated to the investigation of animal-related crimes across the five boroughs. NYPD’s ACIS is the primary enforcer of animal cruelty laws in NYC, while the ASPCA directly cares for animal cruelty victims by providing ACIS with critical support including forensic evaluations, medical care, behavior assessments, treatment, and enrichment, housing and placement. In addition, the ASPCA provides essential legal support, and all five district attorneys’ offices in NYC have dedicated assistant district attorneys who handle cases involving animals, with Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens having animal crimes units.
The ASPCA has also provided each precinct with a pet microchip scanner, funded a fully-equipped mobile command post to aid ACIS in responding to large-scale animal cruelty cases, and collaborated with the New York City Police Foundation’s Crime Stoppers program to allow the public to easily and anonymously provide information about animal cruelty crimes in the five boroughs. In 2025, the
ASPCA will open a new facility in Pawling, N.Y., to expand its capacity to care for NYC’s animal cruelty victims.
“More than a decade of coordinated efforts to combat animal cruelty has demonstrated the effectiveness of inter-agency partnerships, comprehensive investigative techniques, and the expansion of veterinary forensics, enhancing the ability to identify, respond to, and prosecute animal cruelty across the five boroughs,” said Matt Bershadker, ASPCA president and CEO. “This research provides important insights into the types and prevalence of suspected animal cruelty in the largest city in the country, and it is clearer than ever that animal neglect, which can cause severe and prolonged suffering, should be taken just as seriously as overt abuse, and that more needs to be done to protect vulnerable and victimized small animals like cats.”
