ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Department

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) Department is authorized by the State of New York to investigate any and all allegations of animal cruelty to include neglect and abuse which occur within the state. While the ASPCA HLE Department is authorized to work throughout the state, their main area of operations is in and around New York City.

The State of New York categorizes cruelty to animals as any conduct that causes "unnecessary harm, pain, or suffering to any animal, as well as the willful neglect of any animal's care". Neglect can include insufficient food, water, or medical care.

In some circumstances in may be considered a felony to cause the intentional death or physical injury to an animal.

While the ASPCA HLE Department is not the only agency in New York that enforces the various animal related laws, they are the one agency that makes the prevention and investigation of animal related crimes their primary mission. Agencies that are also empowered to prevent and investigate animal related crimes include the New York Police, the New York Health Department, the New York Department of Consumer Affairs, and the New York Parks Department. These agencies investigate these matters when certain circumstances exist.

The ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Department don't just work to protect dogs and cats, their scope includes a wide range of animal activities in New York, like horse carriage and pet store operations.

Citizens of New York should remember that the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Department does not typically respond to reports of stray animals. Those services are provided by the various Animal Control departments of New York.

The ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Department welcomes questions from the general public in regards to animal safety and care. Sometimes, not every instance that appears to be cruelty is classified as such. For example, it is not considered cruelty in New York for pet owners to keep their pets outside as long as they are provided with adequate food, water, and protection from extreme weather. Protection from extreme weather may not always mean being allowed inside and in some cases a traditional dog house may constitute as "protection". As long as the animal is not in need of medical attention, it may be kept outside.

One question that the ASPCA HLE Department often receives is whether or not a pet owner can be arrested for animal cruelty if his or her animal attacked another animal. Unless the owner in some way provoked the attack, he or she may not be subject to criminal prosecution if the only damage that occurred was as a result of an unprovoked fight between two animals. On the other hand, it is a violation of the New York City Health Code for the owner of an animal to leave it unrestrained on public property. When asked about this type of violation, the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Department will direct the reporter of the violation to the New York Department of Health who is responsible for enforcing the Health Code.