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action > report it
Have you witnessed or suspect animal neglect, cruelty, or abuse? Report it.
This is a legal matter. No action can be taken by authorities until a complaint is filed. Please follow the law. Contact the agencies below.
ALSO: At this time in Minnesota, there is not "one" hotline number to call to report all concerns below. That makes it more time-consuming for people to file complaints, but please take the time. If authorities aren't aware of the problem, they can't act.
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REPORT ANIMAL NEGLECT, CRUELTY AND ABUSE
Emergency
If an animal’s life is in immediate danger, call 911.
Sheriff and Police
If you have seen or suspect animal neglect, cruelty or abuse, local law enforcement is the key contact. File a complaint with your local sheriff (county) or local police (city). You can also contact a humane agent, who works with sheriff offices and police departments, or your local animal control agency.
• Contact your local police department or sheriff office
• Contact a humane agent
• Contact local Animal Care and Control department
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REPORT CONSUMER FRAUD
If you've been sold a sick animal from a breeder, pet store, website or other facility or have been misled by false advertising, file a complaint with the Minnesota Attorney General and with various consumer protection groups. Most have online complaint forms on their websites.
• Contact the Minnesota Attorney General
• Tell your story to Animal Folks
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REPORT VETERINARIAN CONCERNS
If you know or suspect a person or business is conducting medical procedures on animals without a veterinary license or the veterinarian is acting improperly, report it to the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine. The Board has an online complaint form and can take disciplinary action.
• Contact the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine
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REPORT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
If you suspect a person or business involved in animal production is polluting the land, water or air through improper disposal of feces, urine and carcasses (or causing noise pollution due to excessive barking), report it to the Environmental Services Department in your county.
• Environmental Services Dept. (contact your county)
• Contact the MN Pollution Control Agency
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REPORT INTERSTATE SALES AND TRANSPORT
If someone or business is selling and shipping animals across state lines without a certificate of veterinary iinespction (CVI), report it to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). An inspection (by the veterinarian) of each animal to be transported is required by law, so as to minimize the spread of contagious diseases between states.
• Contact Board of Animal Health: MN State Veterinarian
• Contact the USDA-APHIS regional office
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REPORT TAX EVASION
If you did not pay sales tax when purchasing your pet (pets are defined as products and require sales tax to be collected), report it to the Minnesota Department of Revenue. Animal Folks MN conducted a study showing that 74% of sampled breeders, as of 2009, were not paying sales tax. Learn more at: Tax Revenues
• Contact the Minnesota Department of Revenue
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REPORT DISEASED ANIMALS
REPORT BREEDERS NEEDING TO BE LICENSED PER THE LAW
If you have purchased an animal that is diseased (i.e., has an infectious, contagious or communicable disease) or have evidence that an animal facility (i.e. breeder, dealer, pet store, farm) has diseased animals, report it to the MN Board of Animal Health (BAH).
NOTE: The BAH is the designated agency to administer the Commercial Dog and Cat Breeder Law.
• Contact MN Board of Animal Health
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PRIOR TO CONTACTING AUTHORITIES ABOVE: GATHER INFORMATION
Be specific. Due to limited staffing and resources, agencies prioritize each call. Proper evidence is needed to successfully build a case for seizure and/or prosecution.
To help, please be prepared with the following:
1. Name of suspected offender or facility (owner)
2. Location (address, city)
3. Date complaint occurred/witnessed
4. A brief and specific account of the facts and circumstances involved, including animal(s) present/involved, description of conditions or incident, advertisements
5. Your name and a daytime phone number, in case follow-up information is needed. All information is kept confidential.
Whether or not you must give your name varies based on the department/agency. Identifying yourself allows authorities to follow-up if he or she has questions.
TIP: Be sure to follow up 2-3 days after the initial call to check status of the complaint.
If you believe the authorities above have not be responsive, forward your complaint to Animal Folks.
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