CRUELTY RESPONSE

Protecting Maine’s Most Vulnerable Animals

No animal should suffer from neglect, abuse, or inadequate care. Maine Humane works collaboratively with shelters, animal control officers, law enforcement, and the Animal Welfare Program to respond to cruelty cases across the state. Through advocacy, education, and coordinated support, we help ensure Maine’s animals receive the protection and care they deserve.

Key Issues

Neglect, a failure to provide basic needs for an animal, makes up the vast majority of cruelty cases, which often involves hoarding, lack of shelter or veterinary care, abandonment, as well as other forms of abuse. The animals are “living evidence” frequently cared for by Maine’s shelters while the cases work their way through the system. This can take months, or even years, which is not only hard on the animals, but requires the utilization of thinly stretched resources.

Our Focus

  • Proactively work to ensure Maine’s laws are updated, relevant, and  better support our animal welfare work
  • Collaborate with the Animal Welfare Program to create streamlined procedures to ensure the effective and uniform enforcemen cruelty response statewide
  • Provide resources, training, and educational opportunities for animal control officers, other law enforcement, municipal officials, and the judiciary

Cruelty Response Survey

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