Report Animal Cruelty

Cruelty to animals is a serious matter! In addition to moral concerns, there is a disturbing link between cruelty to animals and violence toward humans. Animal Cruelty can take many forms, including an aggressive act such as beating a dog or a passive act like starving a horse.

Contacts

In the case of cruelty or abuse, the appropriate animal services, animal control, or law enforcement agency should be called. In Fayetteville, if you witness animal cruelty please immediately contact Fayetteville Animal Services at 479-444-3456. For areas outside Fayetteville city limits in the unincorporated areas of Washington County, you can contact Washington County Animal Control through the County Sheriff’s Department at 479-444-5700.

Legal Cooperation

Frequently, a successful prosecution of an animal crime will require participation of witnesses. While the results of animal cruelty are often visibly obvious, the action of such a crime is not always obvious, so witnesses are important. City of Fayetteville Animal Services Officers are often unable to take enforcement action against a person for animal cruelty unless they or another person witness the accused person committing the abusive act.

If it is something that an individual has seen, that witness must be willing to file a complaint and cooperate with the investigation, which includes giving his/her name and address as the complainant. While Animal Services does not post name of a complainant, any citizen - including the accused abuser - may get the name of the complainant (or copy of the complaint document) by requesting a copy under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.