SAVING ANIMALS
Cruelty Investigation
Save a Life by Reporting Cruelty
If you believe animal cruelty is taking place in the Houston metro area, please complete the Online Animal Cruelty Report or call 713-869-7722. Please do not report cruelty or injured animals by email or on social media. We primarily investigate cases of animal cruelty in the Houston metro area, including Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Waller, and San Jacinto counties.
If you’re reporting an incident in a state or county outside our jurisdiction, please contact the animal control organization, animal shelter, or local law enforcement agency for that area. We cannot respond outside our jurisdiction unless requested by law enforcement.
There's No Excuse for Animal Abuse
Animal cruelty is a crime in Texas. Read the cruelty statute here.
SEC. 42.092. CRUELTY TO NON-LIVESTOCK ANIMALS
A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly:
- tortures an animal or in a cruel manner, kills or causes serious bodily injury to an animal;
- without the owner’s effective consent, kills, administers poison to, or causes serious bodily injury to an animal;
- fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, water, care or shelter for an animal in the person’s custody;
- abandons unreasonably an animal in the person’s custody;
- transports or confines an animal in a cruel manner;
- without the owner’s effective consent, causes bodily injury to an animal;
- causes one animal to fight with another animal, if either animal is not a dog;
- uses a live animal as a lure in dog race training or in dog coursing on a racetrack; or
- seriously overworks an animal.
SEC. 42.092. CRUELTY TO LIVESTOCK ANIMALS
- A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly:
- tortures a livestock animal;
- fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, water, or care for a livestock animal in the person’s custody;
- abandons unreasonably a livestock animal in the person’s custody;
- transports or confines a livestock animal in a cruel and unusual manner;
- administers poison to a livestock animal, other than cattle, horses, sheep, swine, or goats, belonging to another without legal authority or the owner’s effective consent;
- causes one livestock animal to fight with another livestock animal or with an animal as defined by Section 42.092 ;
- uses a live livestock animal as a lure in dog race training or in dog coursing on a racetrack;
- trips a horse; or
- seriously overworks a livestock animal.
Sec. 42.10. DOG FIGHTING
A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly:
- causes a dog to fight with another dog;
- participates in the earnings of or operates a facility used for dog fighting;
- uses or permits another to use any real estate, building, room, tent, arena or other property for dog fighting;
- owns or possesses dog-fighting equipment with the intent that the equipment be used to train a dog for dog fighting or in furtherance of dog fighting;
- owns or trains a dog with the intent that the dog be used in an exhibition of dog fighting; or
- attends as a spectator an exhibition of dog fighting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I report cruelty anonymously?
How long before someone comes out to investigate?
Will you update me on the status of the investigation?
Rescue Stories
Rescue & Cruelty
Abandoned husky chained to playground rescued by Houston SPCA
Houston SPCA received a report of an abandoned Husky at an elementary school. When our cruelty investigator arrived, they found her chained ...
Houston SPCA received a report of an abandoned Husky at an elementary school. When our cruelty investigator arrived, they found her chained ...
Rescue & Cruelty
Caught On Video: Owner cruelly dangles dog over balcony
Helpless Dog Held Upside Down by Tail 15 Feet above the Ground
Helpless Dog Held Upside Down by Tail 15 Feet above the Ground
Houston SPCA News
What you need to know about the new Texas animal cruelty law
The new anti-cruelty law, based on the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, will go into effect next week and will give local authorities like the Houston...
The new anti-cruelty law, based on the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act, will go into effect next week and will give local authorities like the Houston...
