If you believe an animal is being abused, neglected, or is in danger, we’re here to help.
We respond to reports of animal cruelty and neglect across 18 counties, working to protect animals who are suffering and hold those responsible accountable.
Our team investigates allegations of cruelty, rescues animals from dangerous and neglectful situations, and provides the care they need to recover. When an animal has nowhere else to turn, we’re there.
We receive over 13,000 reports of cruelty every year – through our cruelty hotline, Pennsylvania Dog Law, and even the police.
Every report we receive sets the same process in motion. Here’s what happens:
Report Received
Every report is logged in our system and dispatched to our Officers in order of urgency.
Investigation Begins
Our officers assess the situation, gather evidence, and determine the right next step, often within hours of receiving a report.
Intervention
Depending on what we find, we may seize the animal under a search warrant, connect an owner with resources, or ask them to voluntarily surrender.
Case Built
When cruelty laws have been violated, we build the case — photos, veterinary findings, forensic evidence — that holds abusers accountable in court.
Rescue
Every rescued animal receives medical and behavioral care, and is placed for adoption when possible. If a case is still active, we care for them in Protective Custody for as long as it takes.
Did you know our officers enforce state cruelty laws?
Our officers obtain search warrants, file charges, and testify in court to bring abusers to justice — all funded entirely by private donations, not a dollar of state or local funding.
We know cruelty cases raise strong feelings, and sometimes strong opinions about what we should have done differently. Here are honest answers to the questions we hear most.
The PSPCA enforces animal cruelty laws in the following 18 Pennsylvania counties:
Bucks
Lehigh
Northampton
Chester
Lycoming
Northumberland
Columbia
Mifflin
Philadelphia
Delaware
Monroe
Potter
Lancaster
Montgomery
Snyder
Lebanon
Montour
Union
If you witness cruelty outside these counties, you can find your local Humane Society Police Officer through Pennsylvania’s HSPO Registry, or contact the Pennsylvania State Police.
Every report is logged and reviewed by our Animal Law Enforcement team. Not every tip leads to a seizure, but every tip is reviewed — see How We Respond for what happens after you report.
We understand wanting to know the outcome after making a report like this. In most cases, we can’t share full investigation details publicly while a case is active, since that could compromise the case.
If you didn’t report anonymously, you can request a status update — whether an officer was dispatched, and whether the case is open or closed. Call our hotline if you reported by phone, or reply to your confirmation email if you reported online.
When we’re able to share more, we often do, including through press releases on cases that reach that stage.
Removing an animal from its home isn’t always legally possible on the first visit. Pennsylvania law requires our officers to follow a defined process — investigate, document, and, when warranted, secure a court order before a seizure. Unless the animal is in critical condition (called exigent circumstances), taking an animal without a warrant is illegal.
We cannot break the law to enforce the law. This protects the integrity of every case we bring to prosecution, and it’s often the reason an abuser is ultimately convicted rather than released on a technicality.
Curious what actually counts as cruelty or neglect under Pennsylvania law? See the full breakdown on our Advocacy & Law page.
It depends on location. In 17 of the 18 counties we cover, our officers file charges directly. In Philadelphia, we submit recommended charges to Philadelphia Detectives, who make the final determination on whether charges are filed.
Every animal we rescue receives advanced medical and behavioral care and is placed for adoption when possible. If a case is still active and an owner won’t sign over custody, we care for the animal in Protective Custody for as long as it takes — sometimes months or even years — see How We Respond for the full process.
Philadelphia designates ACCT Philly as the responding agency for animal welfare concerns during a declared Code Blue (extreme cold) or Code Red (extreme heat) emergency. Contact them directly to report an animal in danger during one of these emergencies.
No. The Pennsylvania SPCA receives zero state, federal, or city funding for our cruelty investigation work. Every rescue, every court case, and every animal in our care is made possible entirely through private donations from people like you.
They’re produced by the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), a separate national organization headquartered in New York. We’re often asked about them because animal welfare groups can have similar names or missions, but we are not affiliated with the ASPCA, we do not produce or fund those commercials, and we receive no funding from the ASPCA for our cruelty work.
