Animal cruelty is a concerning issue within our society that takes many forms and is often overlooked. Cruelty can be characterized by the intentional abuse or neglecting to provide food, water, shelter and/or necessary medical care.

In Texas, two types of laws protect animals from cruelty – civil laws and criminal laws. The laws are similar but differ in the penalties they impose. In a civil case, if a judge rules that a person or people have been cruel to animals, the judge may take away their animals and/or order them to pay restitution. If prosecuted in a criminal case, a person may face penalties including fines, jail or both.

Texas criminal laws only apply to domesticated animals, such as house pets and livestock defined as “domesticated living creatures or any wild living creature previously captured” and subject to a person’s care and control. The scope of civil laws are broader and do not differentiate between domestic and wild animals, however civil statutes adopt a much narrower definition of what constitutes cruelty. Therefore, people could engage in actions that are not prosecutable under Texas criminal laws, but they would be held liable for their actions under civil laws.

Your first question may be, how do I report a case of suspected cruelty. First, get as much information as you can to give to the authorities. Document the incident with photos or videos of the location, animal(s) involved and surrounding area. Be as detailed as possible. Dates, times, circumstances and statements from other people who have witnessed the cruelty should be noted and related to the local authorities. The local authorities are trained and better equipped to handle these difficult cases.

During my five years as Medical Director at the Houston SPCA, we managed cruelty investigations and seizures for nine counties surrounding Houston. We responded to over 7,000 cases yearly to help educate pet owners on basic husbandry and veterinary care and remove them from unhealthy situations when necessary. Over that time Animal Cops Houston documented these cases and aired them on Animal Planet. This provided an excellent vehicle to bring animal cruelty to the forefront of human consciousness and explain how people can prevent future abuse and neglect. Through these efforts thousands of animal have found new, loving homes and thousands more cases have been prevented.

Frank Shuman IV is the Medical Director at Drippings Springs Animal Hospital, serving the area for over 30+ years. Located at 1520 E. HWY 290. He can be reached at 512-858-4787.