How to Investigate Animal Cruelty in New York State – A Manual of Procedures

How to Investigate Animal Cruelty in New York State New York State Humane Association’s manual, “How to Investigate Animal Cruelty in New York State – A Manual of Procedures” is a comprehensive document which includes chapters on how to be prepared ahead of time – before you actually receive a cruelty complaint, how to receive and investigate a complaint, examples covering many situations, all NYS laws pertinent to animals – annotated with explanations, case law relevant to animal cases, basic animal care standards, appendices containing forms to use in cruelty investigations, handouts on various animal care topics, and articles pertinent to various animal issues.

Sue McDonough, NYSHA’s past President and retired police officer, provided technical input and expertise; Pat Valusek, NYSHA’s current President and technical writer, researched supplementary material and additional examples, and wrote the text. Material was gathered from individuals who worked for various agencies, such as DA’s offices, the Animal Rescue League of Boston, the ASPCA, SPCAs with active cruelty investigation programs, state agencies such as the Department of Agriculture & Markets, and various police agencies.

Click here to view/download the entire 422p manual as an 11M PDF.
Last update: January 29, 2024 ~ Recommended browser: Mozilla Firefox
The forms found in Appendix V can also be separately accessed by clicking here.

Reader Comments About the Manual:

I have used this material, the entire manual, for teaching Town & Village judges on animal cruelty issues across New York State. I made the manual part of the total curriculum.   — Judge John U. Holmes, Hartford, NY

The manual fills an obvious need in New York, and its usefulness goes well beyond state borders.   — Randall Lockwood, PhD – Vice President, Training Initiatives – The Humane Society of the United States

It is very well laid out and seems simple to use. The step-by-step approach will be very helpful. It will be especially helpful in those areas that have infrequent cases and have little knowledge of proper procedures.   — Richard P. Basile, Chief – Ithaca Police Dept.

Very good manual and sorely needed by police agencies — outstanding job. It covers all bases, very easy to follow and very comprehensive.   — Sgt. Edward Freer – City of Poughkeepsie Police Dept. – Poughkeepsie, NY

This is an exceptional, reader- friendly manual that takes you step by step through each type of animal cruelty case. Even the most inexperienced investigators will feel support by having this manual, and confidence to perform their job responsibilities. WELL DONE!   — Vicki Bugonian – Manager, Broome Co. Dog Shelter – Binghamton, NY