Cruelty Response
Finding ways to improve and enhance animal wellbeing across the state.
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.
Group Members
- Katie Hansberry
- Patsy Murphy
- Brandon Holmes
- Bethanie Michaud
Our Goals
- 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
Improve Cruelty Response in Maine
If you see something, say something.