Report animal cruelty or neglect
Anyone who looks after an animal is legally responsible for meeting its needs. This includes protecting it from:
- suffering
- injury
- disease
If you think an animal is being neglected or abused, you can report it.
What animal cruelty is
Animal cruelty includes:
- mutilation – for example, carrying out procedures that interfere with the sensitive tissues or bone structure of an animal
- poisoning – deliberately giving an animal harmful or toxic substances
- not properly caring for animals
- hurting an animal on purpose
- making animals fight each other
Some situations may be concerning but are not considered animal cruelty. For example:
- barking dogs – barking is normal behaviour and this does not mean a dog is in distress
- stray animals
- dogs kept outside – this is legal if they have shelter, food and water
Protected animals
Animal cruelty law protects all vertebrate animals.
Vertebrate animals have a backbone or spinal column and include:
- mammals – for example, cats, dogs, hedgehogs, foxes and horses
- birds
- fishes
- reptiles – for example, snakes, lizards and turtles
- amphibians – for example, frogs, toads and newts
Spiders and insects are not protected.
Report animal cruelty
To report animal cruelty, you can:
- contact the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA)
- call the police by dialling 101 – if the animal is in immediate danger dial 999
After you report animal cruelty
The SSPCA or the police will investigate and check on the animal’s welfare.
They can:
- visit the location to check on the animal
- apply for a warrant to enter a home if needed
- remove the animal and take it to safety
- ask a vet to put the animal down if it’s suffering badly
They may also:
- educate the owner about caring for their animal
- issue a legally enforceable care notice
- report the case to the procurator fiscal for prosecution
If someone is convicted of an animal cruelty offence
They could get:
- an unlimited fine
- up to 5 years in prison
The court can also make 2 types of order:
- an Animal Deprivation Order – this removes any animals from the person’s care
- an Animal Disqualification Order – this bans the person from owning, keeping or working with animals