The following two questions have been asked by a California dog owner.

Question 1 – Animal Cruelty

I am aware of two cases of animal cruelty in which there has been mistreatment of dogs; these dogs were kicked, beaten, malnourished, etc. Personally, I am a great lover of dogs and such inhumane treatment disgusted me terribly. I am interested in taking the necessary actions on the people responsible for it; unfortunately I’m not aware of what could be done in such a situation. I have been made to understand that the SPCA cannot give any help in such a situation and the kind of help they give is to take measures similar to the kennel. This action, I think, might not help the dogs in their current situation.

Question 2 – Injured Pets

This question refers to the one about injured animals. What are the possible actions one can take if they find an injured animal lying on the road? Although I am willing to help the injured animal, my information is that the kennels in the city do not treat injured dogs and cats. This prevents me from calling them to get the necessary help.

Answer 1: Answers to these questions have been given in the past by the spokesperson for the San Diego County Humane Society and SPCA. He made the following comments on these questions.

All Humane Societies in the state of California are independent autonomous institutions and have no direct relationship with each other; however, you will find that most of the major corporations in the state are part of the California State Humane Association.

He further added:

It is unfair to preconclude that the Humane Society will not be of much help unless the person in question has a bad personal experience. Each of the major Humane Societies is equipped with its own State Humane Officers and they have sworn to abide by the laws of the State of California regarding cruelty; The approach of these officers to investigate any complaint regarding cruelty to animals is logical.

Answer 2 – The spokesperson explained the second question about injured animals as follows.

According to article 597f of the Criminal Code, all injured dogs and cats found without their owners in a public place must be taken directly to a veterinarian; this action is the responsibility of duty officers at kennels/humane societies, animal regulation departments of public agencies, and police and sheriff departments.

Despite the rumors heard by the questioner, it is incorrect to assume that the city pound or the SPCA in your city, or any other city, will not provide any treatment. Unless you have personal experience in this matter, it is advisable to ask for their help.”