Utah animal welfare organizations have existed since 1888. They were originally organized to protect overworked or abused livestock. The Humane Society of Utah has investigated animal abuse since it began as a branch of The Humane Society of the United States in 1960-1961, and has continued these efforts since it became an independent organization in 1972.

From 1888 until 1998 Utah's cruelty investigators were Special Function Peace Officers and Special Deputy sheriffs in many Utah counties. In May of 1998, Utah's Legislature deleted a section of the State Code authorizing such authority. Many animal control agencies also investigate animal abuse.

Most complaints originate from the public, although we receive referrals from animal control/law enforcement agencies, utility employees, mail carriers, and others. Most complaints concern lack of food, water and shelter for domestic animals, i.e., dogs, cats and horses; however, we help a variety of species. We also investigate reports of animals being beaten, shot, stabbed, and poisoned, lack of medical attention, severely-matted coats, uncontrolled internal and external parasites, inadequate space, unsanitary conditions, transporting animals inhumanely, physical assaults, and other inhumane acts or omissions.

People are cruel to animals for a variety of reasons. It may be done:

These following statistics summarize years from 2002 through 2011, and detail activities of the Humane Society of Utah's Investigation department:

Most investigations are resolved by working with owners to teach them about legal requirements, alternative methods of care, and general animal husbandry. Following the Legislature's 1998 deletion of the law enforcement authority section of the Utah State Code. HSU and all other animal protection groups can no longer directly initiate adult court cases, nor juvenile referrals.

During 2011 cruelty convictions resulted in sentences which varied from diversion agreements (probationary periods and dismissal if no further problems occur) to fines, restitution, costs related to case investigation, mental counseling, anger management classes, parenting by love and logic classes, fignerprinting, jail and prison time, unsupervised / ‘good behavior’ or supervised probation, and community service.

We received complaints from the following sources:

Investigations were conducted in 68 cities and towns in 2002, 62 in 2003, 64 in 2004, 54 in 2005, 58 in 2006, 66 in 2007, 56 in 2008, 58 in 2009, and 59 in 2010 and 63 in 2012. These are summarized, by county, and by percentage of total complaints received, in the following table:

During 2002 it was 56.5% of our complaints involved lack of feed, water, and shelter. In 2003 it was 56.3%, in 2004 it was 56.1%, in 2005 it was 53.3%, in 2006 it was 51.8%, in 2007 it was 57.2%, in 2008 it was 60.7%, in 2009 it was 57.1%, and in 2010 it was 49.2, and in 2011 it was 55.9%.

The table below breaks down our complaints, by percentage of animal species or animal establishment involved in investigations for each year:

Total number of animals involved in total investigations each year.

361 investigations in 2002 involved 1,119 animals; 382 investigations in 2003 involved 1,339 animals; 351 investigations in 2004 involved 1,364 animals; 305 investigations in 2005 involved 1,368 animals; 282 investigations in 2006 involved 2,178 animals; 299 investigations in 2007 involved 1,623 animals; 285 investigations in 2008 involved 804 animals; 240 investigations in 2009 involved 807 animals; 197 investigations in 2010 involved 881 animals, and 229 investigations in 2011 involved 1,396 animals.

These investigations included, in addition to dogs, cats, and horses: bettas, cattle, chickens, cockatoos, donkeys, doves, emus, exotic fowl, ferrets, foxes, geckos, geese, goats, iguanas, llamas, macaws, mules, parakeets, parrots, peafowl, pigeons, pigs, rabbits, raccoons, rats, ravens, reindeer, Sulcata turtles, sheep, snakes, tortoises, tropical fish, turkeys, uromastyx, wallabies, and wolf-hybrids.

In addition to cruelty investigations, we inspected animal control shelters, pet stores, petting zoo, zoos, aviaries, and other animal-related businesses and institutions.

During 2002 we performed 7 animal rescues/assists, 6 in 2003, 4 in 2004, 3 in 2005, 2 in 2006, 4 in 2007, 2 in 2008, 0 in 2009, 0 in 2010, and 1 in 2011. These included: cats in vacant homes, raccoons trapped in dumpsters, injured ducklings or kittens in storm drains, a sick cat locked in an apartment by the landlord, a pigeon shot with a blowgun dart, abandoned domestic pigeons, a pigeon hanging upside down and entangled in twine on bushes, etc.

During 2002-2011, investigators participated in reviews of animal and wilderness environmental impact statements, resource management plans, creation of new animal care handouts and and website articles, and writing and sponsoring anti-cruelty legislation. We proposed State-wide “Antifreeze Bittering Agent”, “Pet Lemon Law”, and “Euthanasia” bills to the Utah Legislature. We provided input to Salt Lake City concerning their feral cat colony ordinance, and proposed Salt Lake County’s “Anti-Tethering”, “Urban Chicken” “High Volume Dog Breeder”, and "Dangerous/Vicious Dog" ordinances. We attended N.A.C.A. and “Animals in Disasters” conferences and general animal abuse investigation schools. We continued to serve on Hogle Zoo’s Scientific Review Committee (S.R.C.) until March 2010. We continued to serve on Tracy Aviary’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (I.A.C.U.C.).

Unfortunately, Utah cruelty investigations and animal protection work will continue to be required into the foreseeable future. Factors contributing to animal abuse include lack of education about basic feed, shelter, and care; inadequate socialization within homes and schools concerning the need to respect the other life forms with which we share this planet; fluctuations in population movement and financial conditions; and, finally, the indifference shown to commercially-exploited animals, whether in animal fighting, rodeos, hunting, factory farming, or horse buyer-killer sales.

If you witness animal abuse in your neighborhood, at your place of employment, or while traveling through Utah, please contact The Humane Society of Utah or a local animal control department or law enforcement agency.