Report Animal Abuse

If you believe that an animal is being abused or neglected, please take action! You may be the animals’ only hope.

If you witness an animal in a life-threatening situation, call 911.

In Florida, it is a crime to abuse or cruelly kill an animal, or to confine an animal without sufficient food, water or exercise. Florida’s cruelty to animals statutes (Chapter 828) apply to all animals, not only dogs and cats. Arrests for animal cruelty have occurred in Florida in cases involving fish, snakes, Muscovy ducks, pigeons, wild pigs and many other animals.

Below are links to animal control departments in each county in the state of Florida, when available. In some counties, animal-related issues are handled by the sheriff’s office. To report animal abuse or neglect in a county not linked below, we recommend contacting the county sheriff.

Report abuse of wild animals. If you witness illegal hunting or fishing, the capture or killing of a protected species, or other wildlife/environmental law violation, please report it by calling the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at (888) 404-3922. You may also report incidents online.

Local laws. Your city or county animal ordinance may provide additional protections for animals. For example, a growing number of cities and counties in Florida have enacted ordinances banning or restricting the chaining of dogs. Many Florida counties have ordinances requiring that dogs be securely restrained when transported in a motor vehicle, and others make it a crime to leave animals unattended inside vehicles on a hot day (these ordinances also authorize law enforcement to break into vehicles to rescue animals).

Please contact ARFF if you find a link that has changed or is no longer available.

  • Alachua County (link)
  • Baker County (link)
  • Bay County (link)
  • Bradford County (link)
  • Brevard County (link)
  • Broward County (link); within the city limits of Coral Springs (link), Hollywood (link), Margate (link), Pompano Beach (link)
  • Calhoun County (link)
  • Charlotte County (link)
  • Citrus County (link)
  • Clay County (link)
  • Collier County (link)
  • Columbia County (link)
  • DeSoto County (link)
  • Dixie County (link)
  • Duval County / City of Jacksonville (link)
  • Escambia County (link)
  • Flagler County (link); within the city limits of Palm Coast (link)
  • Franklin County (link)
  • Gadsden County (link)
  • Gilchrist County (link)
  • Glades County (link)
  • Gulf County (link)
  • Hamilton County (link) / City of Jasper (386) 792-1212
  • Hardee County (link)
  • Hendry County / Clewiston (link), LaBelle (link)
  • Hernando County (link)
  • Highlands County (link)
  • Hillsborough County (link)
  • Holmes County (link)
  • Indian River County (link); within the city limits of Vero Beach (772) 978-4600
  • Jackson County (link)
  • Jefferson County (link)
  • Lafayette County (link)
  • Lake County (link)
  • Lee County (link)
  • Leon County (link); within the city limits of Tallahassee (link)
  • Levy County (link)
  • Liberty County
  • Madison County (link)
  • Manatee County (link)
  • Marion County (link)
  • Martin County (link)
  • Miami-Dade County (link); within the city limits of Homestead (link)
  • Monroe County (link)
  • Nassau County (link)
  • Okaloosa County (link)
  • Okeechobee County (link)
  • Orange County (link)
  • Osceola County (link)
  • Palm Beach County (link)
  • Pasco County (link)
  • Pinellas County (link)
  • Polk County (link)
  • Putnam County (link); within the city limits of Palatka (link)
  • Santa Rosa County (link)
  • Sarasota County (link)
  • Seminole County (link)
  • Seminole Tribe of Florida (link)
  • St. Johns County (link)
  • St. Lucie County (link); within the city limits of Port St. Lucie (link)
  • Sumter County (link)
  • Suwannee County (link)
  • Taylor County (link)
  • Union County (link)
  • Volusia County (link); within the city limits of Daytona Beach (link), DeBary (386-775-9999), DeLand (link), Deltona (link), Edgewater (link), Orange City (link), Ormond Beach (link), Ponce Inlet (link)
  • Wakulla County (link)
  • Walton County (link)
  • Washington County (link)

Animal Rights Foundation of Florida
PO Box 39352, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33339
arff@arff.org

Promoting respect and compassion for animals in Florida has been the mission of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida since 1989.

The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.