Advocate
Helping the Pet Next Door
How to Report Animal Cruelty:
- Ask local Animal Control to conduct a welfare check of the animal. If you are concerned with the welfare or living conditions of an animal, call Animal control (phone numbers listed below). Please provide the dispatcher with as much information as possible for the responding officer. You should include what type of violation you observed and the address where the suspected violation is taking place.
Abuse and cruelty to animals is illegal in North Carolina. Abuse and cruelty also include neglect. There is a range of criteria that constitute abuse and cruelty at the state, county, and city levels. The difference in how these cases are treated is determined by their appointment as misdemeanor or felony crimes.
Step #1
Local Animal Control Officer Assistance
Wake County Animal Services 919-856-6911
Cary Animal Services 919-319-4517
City of Raleigh Animal Services 919-831-6311
Garner Animal Services 919-772-8810 or 911
Holly Springs Animal Service 919- 557-9111
- Wake County Animal Control responds to requests for service from citizens in the following locations: unincorporated Wake County, Apex, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon.
- Wake County Animal Control does not have jurisdiction to enforce animal control laws in Raleigh, Cary, Garner or Holly Springs because each municipality has its own local ordinance.
Step #2
DOJ - Animal Welfare Complaint Form
https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/animal-welfare-complaint-form/
The NC Department of Justice does not investigate animal cruelty cases. If you have information about animal cruelty or neglect, we ask that you first contact your local animal control office or local Sheriff’s department. If you have already done this, you can report animals experiencing physical harm under the care of an individual, pet shop, kennel, or animal shelter to the North Carolina Attorney General’s Animal Welfare Hotline at the link above.
Defining Cruelty
Helping the Pet Next Door series (SPCA Critter Chatter Magazine)
The definition of abuse in Wake County includes, but is not limited to:
- Failing to provide adequate food and water for more than 24 hours
- Failing to provide adequate shelter; beating and torturing animals (among other things) resulting in physical pain, suffering, or death; and “failing to provide adequate medical attention for any sick, diseased, or injured animal in order to prevent physical pain, suffering, or death to the animal.” This is only a sampling of the definition of “abuse” of animals in Wake County. You can read the entire ordinance and the definition at North Carolina General Statutes: Article 47.
In Section 2-3-5 Cruelty to Animals the ordinance states:
- “The words ‘torture’ and ‘torment’ shall be held to include every act, omission or neglect whereby unjustifiable physical pain, suffering or death is permitted.” North Carolina General Statutes: Article 47. Cruelty to Animals. State law is closely mirrored by the county law but it elaborates on what qualifies as a misdemeanor or a felony. Cruelty to animals committed intentionally – an act committed knowingly and without justifiable excuse – is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Cruelty to animals committed maliciously – an act committed intentionally and with malice or bad motive – is guilty of a Class 1 felony.
Pets in Hot Cars
Love Your Pet: Leave Them at Home Campaign
Part 2 in the Helping the Pet Next Door series (SPCA Critter Chatter Magazine)
How Do I Help an Animal on the Side of the Road?
Part 3 in the Helping the Pet Next Door series (SPCA Critter Chatter Magazine)
Raleigh Dog Tethering Ordinance: Tear-Out Letter to Use
- Helping the Pet Next Door series (SPCA Critter Chatter Magazine)
- Additional information about the Raleigh Dog Tethering Ordinance
- Coalition to Unchain Dogs (Local group that unchains dogs by building fences)
NC GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NC Residents- Who Represents Me? Click here to enter your address and find out.
How does the county system work? Wake County is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners who set policies and ordinances for local governance. They also have final approval on the county budget.
The Wake County Animal Control, Care & Adoption Center is under the Department of Environmental Services. The Director of Environmental Services reports to the County Manager who oversees the county’s day-to-day operations and reports to the Board of Commissioners.
Why does this matter to me? You vote for the county commissioners; therefore, they are in office to serve you; and, ultimately, the County Manager and the Director of Environmental Services are accountable to them.
What is my election district? In Wake County your election district is determined by your precinct. You can find your election districts in several ways:
- It may be as simple as looking at a map. The Board of Commissioners website provides a map of the districts
- Look on the back of your Voter Registration card.
- Call the Board of Elections at 856-6240 and they will look it up for you.
- Visit the Board of Elections website and click on “Check your voter registration & polling place.” Using the search engine, search for your information (type in your FIRST NAME first and LAST NAME second).
Who are my elected officials? The Wake County Board of Elections provides all of the information that you need to find your elected officials at the federal, state, county, and municipal levels. Use the index to identify the correct people along with their terms.
Who is my county commissioner? Once you have determined your district, you can use the Board of Commissioners page to obtain your county commissioner’s contact information based on your county commissioner district.
How do I become a voice for the animals?
- Write, call, and email the county commissioner for your district. Always include your name, address, and zip code.
- Phone 919-856-6160
- Email all the Commissioners
- Email the Clerk to the Board, Yvonne Gilyard
- Contact your commissioner by visiting Board of Commissioners page to obtain individual contact information.
- Write a letter to: Wake County Board of Commissioners, P.O. Box 550, Suite 1100, Raleigh, North Carolina 27602
- Attend the Board of Commissioner meetings. The Board of Commissioners meetings take place on the first and third Monday of the month at the Wake County Courthouse, 7th floor, room 700 at 2:00pm with a public comment time from 3:00-3:30pm.
Municipal
Wake County consists of 12 municipalities. Some municipalities may have their own town/city ordinances concerning pets. These links will either take you to the home page for the municipality or directly to the municipality page concerning animal ordinances:
Apex
Cary
Fuquay-Varina
Garner
Holly Spring
Knightdale
Morrisville
Raleigh
Rolesville
Wake Forest
Wendell
Zebulon
Each Wake County Municipality has its own town/city council and town/city manager. This page provides links to each town/city website where you can find contact information for these representatives and decision-makers.
Municode.com is a private company that publishes municipal codes and an online library of municipal codes with a search feature. When you select the desired municipality, you can use search terms to find codes relating to animals.
County
- Wake County Animal Control Ordinance Rules and regulations relating to pets and animals in the county.
- Wake County Animal Protection Plan Local government plan to deal with animals in case of large-scale emergency event.
State
- North Carolina Animal Welfare Act (Statute 19A, Article 3 Legislation at the state level concerning animals.
- North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services The Veterinary Division Animal Welfare Program inspects municipal and county animal shelters to ensure that they are complying with the Animal Welfare laws.
- North Carolina General Assembly Citizen Guide A useful resource for understanding the legislative process at the state level.
Federal
- ASPCA: Lobby for Animals This organization is not affiliated with the SPCA of Wake County or any other SPCA or humane society. They provide education, action, advocacy, and lobbying at the national level. Their "Lobby for Animals" web pages provide tons of resources to keep you informed about upcoming and ongoing legislation at the state and national level.
- Humane Society of the United States This organization is not affiliated with the SPCA of Wake County or any other SPCA or humane society. They provide education, action, advocacy and lobbying at the national level. They offer a primer on how to lobby at the state and federal levels.