Join the Humane Society of Utah in our advocacy effort to pass sweeping statewide regulations for pet care facilities and businesses!
There is currently little to no regulation for pet care facilities and businesses in Utah. In essence, this means any individual may represent themselves as a dog trainer, groomer, pet sitter, doggy daycare, and so on. This lack of regulation further allows almost anyone with a 501(c)(3) to claim to be a rescuer. This lack of uniformity makes it difficult for pet owners to ensure their beloved companion animals are being treated humanely.
People in our own community have experienced the disturbing and sometimes even heartbreaking consequences of this lack of regulation. Dogs have been lost on group hikes because the walker has eight dogs to watch at one time. Dog sitters have lied about showing up to a house to care for a dog, leaving the dog alone for up to 14 hours at a time. Dogs are let off leash without their guardian’s consent putting that dog and others at risk. A dog was even left in a hot car by a dog walker for over two hours, he did not survive.
However, this lack of regulation does not only affect businesses, it also impacts municipal shelters. There are no standards for euthanasia which leads to euthanasia methods not recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association. There are no rules pertaining to temperature-controlled facilities or population. There’s no standardization of cleaning methods which leads to outbreaks of infectious disease. Hoarders are able to disguise themselves as “rescues.” Animals are adopted out unvaccinated and unaltered.
It is time for change!
Here is how YOU can help companion animals in Utah!
Write your representative a letter asking for their support of sweeping statewide pet care facility regulations. Use one of our templates below or create your own. Feel free to pull facts from the list above to bolster your argument!
Urge your friends and family to do the same by sharing the link to this page with them.
Thank you for supporting the passage of statewide regulations for pet care facilities and businesses and thank you for helping us to Change Their World.™
OPTION ONE:
Dear Representative XXX,
[Introduce yourself as a concerned constituent]
[Explain why you believe it is important for Utah to have statewide regulations for pet care facilities and businesses]
[Ask the Rep. to support standardized pet care facility regulations in Utah]
[Thank them for their time and consideration]
Sincerely,
XXX, a concerned constituent
OPTION TWO:
Dear Representative XXX,
I ask kindly as one of your constituents that you consider supporting statewide regulations for pet care facilities and businesses. There is currently little to no regulation for pet care facilities and businesses in Utah. In essence, this means any individual may represent themselves as a dog trainer, groomer, pet sitter, doggy daycare, and so on. This makes it extremely difficult for pet guardians to select a trusted and humane option for their beloved pets.
Specifically, XXX.
Please consider supporting sweeping statewide regulations to hold pet care facilities and businesses to a higher standard.
En virtud de la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (“ADA”, por sus siglas en inglés), un animal de servicio se define como un perro al que se ha entrenado individualmente para realizar trabajo o tareas para una persona con una discapacidad. Las tareas realizadas por el perro deben estar directamente relacionadas con la discapacidad de la persona.”Realizar trabajo o tareas” significa que el perro debe estar entrenado para realizar acciones específicas cuando sea necesario para ayudar a la persona con una discapacidad. Por ejemplo, una persona con diabetes puede tener un perro entrenado para alertarle cuando su nivel de azúcar en la sangre alcanza niveles altos o bajos. Una persona con depresión puede tener un perro entrenado para recordarle que debe tomar sus medicamentos. O bien, una persona que padece epilepsia puede tener un perro entrenado para detectar el inicio de un ataque convulsivo y ayudar a la persona a mantenerse segura durante él.
¿Los animales de apoyo emocional, terapia o compañía se consideran animales de servicio?
No. Estos términos se utilizan para describir a animales que reconfortan a la persona simplemente con su presencia. Dado que no han recibido entrenamiento para realizar un trabajo o tarea específicos, no se los considera animales de servicio en virtud de la ADA.
¿La ADA exige que los animales de servicio reciban entrenamiento profesional?
No. Las personas con discapacidades tienen derecho a entrenar al perro ellas mismas, y no se les exige utilizar un programa de entrenamiento canino profesional.
¿Los animales que están recibiendo este entrenamiento se consideran animales de servicio en virtud de la ADA?
No. El perro debe estar entrenado antes de que se lo pueda llevar a lugares públicos.
¿Qué preguntas puede hacer un empleado para determinar si un perro es un animal de servicio?
En situaciones en las que no es evidente que el perro es un animal de servicio, el personal solo puede hacer dos preguntas específicas: (1) ¿el perro es un animal de servicio necesario debido a una discapacidad? y (2) ¿qué trabajo o tarea se ha entrenado al perro para realizar? El personal no tiene permitido solicitar ninguna documentación del perro, exigir que el perro demuestre su tarea o hacer preguntas sobre la naturaleza de la discapacidad de la persona.
¿Los animales de servicio tienen que llevar puesto un chaleco, una chapa o un distintivo específicos que los identifiquen como animal de servicio?
No.
¿La ADA exige que los animales de servicio tengan certificación como tales?
No.
¿Una ciudad puede exigir que se registre a un animal de servicio en virtud de la ADA?
No. La ADA no permite exigir el registro de los animales de servicio. No obstante, los animales de servicio están sujetos a las mismas reglas de licencias y vacunación que se aplican a todos los perros.
¿Un animal de servicio puede ser cualquier raza de perro?
Sí.
Para los agentes de orden público:
¿Cómo debo lidiar con una queja sobre un animal de servicio?
Al lidiar con llamadas por quejas sobre un animal de servicio, los agentes de orden público deben mantener una actitud neutral y deben estar preparados para explicar los requisitos de la ADA en relación con los animales de servicio a las partes involucradas. Los negocios tienen la obligación de permitir a los animales de servicio que acompañen a su dueño a todas las áreas a las que se permite el ingreso a los demás clientes o el público en general. En ausencia de una infracción a una ley independiente de la ADA, los agentes no deben tomar ninguna medida más allá de mantener la paz. Si hay personas que consideran que han sido discriminadas como resultado de una discapacidad, se las debe derivar a la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos.
¿Se puede negar el ingreso a un local a las personas con discapacidades únicamente en virtud de la raza de su animal de servicio?
No. No se puede excluir a un animal de servicio en base a suposiciones o estereotipos sobre la raza del animal o cómo podría comportarse. No obstante, si un animal determinado se comporta de manera que represente una amenaza directa a la salud o la seguridad de los demás, tiene antecedentes de ese comportamiento o no está bajo el control de la persona, se lo puede excluir. Si se excluye a un animal por esos motivos, el personal debe ofrecer sus bienes o servicios a la persona sin la presencia del animal.
Si una municipalidad tiene una ordenanza que prohíbe ciertas razas de perros, ¿esa prohibición se aplica a los animales de servicio?
No. Las municipalidades que prohíben razas específicas de perros deben hacer una excepción para un animal de servicio de una raza prohibida, a menos que el perro represente una amenaza directa a la salud o la seguridad de otras personas. En el marco de las disposiciones de “amenaza directa” de la ADA, las jurisdicciones locales deben determinar, caso por caso, si se puede excluir a un animal de servicio determinado en base a su comportamiento real o sus antecedentes, pero no puede excluir a un animal de servicio en base a miedos o generalizaciones sobre cómo puede comportarse un animal o una raza. Es importante tener en cuenta que las restricciones de raza difieren en gran medida de una jurisdicción a la otra. De hecho, algunas jurisdicciones no tienen restricciones de raza.
¿Dónde puede excluirse a los animales de servicio?
La ADA no exige a las entidades cubiertas que modifiquen sus políticas, prácticas o procedimientos si esto “alteraría de manera fundamental” la naturaleza de los bienes, servicios, programas o actividades proporcionadas al público. Tampoco tiene prevalencia sobre los requisitos de seguridad legítimos. Si la admisión de animales de servicio alteraría de manera fundamental la naturaleza de un servicio o un programa, puede prohibirse la presencia de animales de servicio. Asimismo, si un animal de servicio determinado está fuera de control y la persona a la que acompaña no toma medidas efectivas para controlarlo, o si no está adiestrado respecto a sus necesidades fisiológicas, se puede excluir a ese animal.
¿Cuándo la presencia de un perro de servicio alteraría de manera fundamental la naturaleza de un servicio o programa proporcionado al público?
En la mayoría de los entornos, la presencia de un animal de servicio no tendría como resultado una alteración fundamental. No obstante, hay algunas excepciones. Por ejemplo, en un internado, se podría restringir el ingreso de animales de servicio a un área específica de un dormitorio reservada específicamente para estudiantes con alergias a la caspa canina. En un zoológico, se puede restringir el ingreso de los animales de servicio a las áreas en las que los animales exhibidos son presas o depredadores naturales de los perros, donde la presencia de un perro causaría disturbios o haría que los animales en exhibición se comportaran de manera agresiva o se agitaran. No se puede restringir su ingreso a otras áreas del zoológico.
¿Qué significa “bajo control”? ¿Los animales de servicio deben llevar una correa? ¿Tienen que estar en silencio y sin ladrar?
La ADA exige que los animales de servicio estén bajo control de la persona a quien acompañan en todo momento. En la mayoría de los casos, la persona que debe controlar al perro será la persona con discapacidad o un tercero que lo acompañe. En un contexto escolar (del jardín de niños al 12° grado) y entornos similares, se puede exigir a la escuela o entidad similar que proporcione asistencia para permitir a un estudiante determinado que controle a su animal de servicio. El animal de servicio debe llevar un arnés, una correa o un amarre en lugares públicos, a menos que estos dispositivos interfieran con el trabajo del animal de servicio o que la discapacidad de la persona evite el uso de estos dispositivos. En ese caso, la persona debe usar su voz, señales u otros medios efectivos para mantener el control del animal. Por ejemplo, una persona que use una silla de ruedas puede usar una correa larga y retráctil para permitir a su animal de servicio recoger o recuperar artículos. No puede permitir que el perro se aleje de ella y debe mantenerlo bajo control, incluso si está recuperando un artículo que está lejos de ella. O bien, un veterano que haya regresado con síndrome de estrés postraumático y tenga muchas dificultades para entrar a espacios desconocidos puede tener un perro entrenado para entrar a un espacio, comprobar que no haya amenazas, volver e indicar que es seguro entrar. El perro no puede llevar una correa para hacer su trabajo, pero en otros momentos debe llevarla. “Bajo control” también significa que no se debe permitir al animal de servicio que ladre repetidamente en una sala de conferencias, un teatro, una biblioteca u otro lugar silencioso. No obstante, si un perro ladra solo una vez, o ladra porque alguien lo ha provocado, esto no significaría que el perro está fuera de control.
¿Qué pasa si una persona considera que el personal de una entidad cubierta la ha discriminado?
Las personas que crean que se les ha negado acceso o servicio de manera ilegítima porque usan animales de servicio pueden presentar una queja con el Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos. Las personas también tienen derecho a entablar una demanda privada en una corte federal, acusando a la entidad de discriminación en el marco de la ADA.
La información de esta página se ha obtenido directamente de parte del Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos. Para obtener más información, visite https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability. To “do work or perform tasks” means the dog must be trained to take a specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability. For example, a person with diabetes may have a dog
that is trained to alert him when his blood sugar reaches high or low levels. A person with depression may have a dog that is trained to remind her to take her medication. Or, a person who has epilepsy may have a dog that is trained to detect the onset of a seizure and then help the person remain safe during the seizure.
Are emotional support, therapy, or companion animals considered service animals?
No. These terms are used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a person. Because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task, they do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.
Does the ADA require service animals to be professionally trained?
No. People with disabilities have the right to train the dog themselves and are not required to use a professional service dog training program.
Are service-animals-in-training considered service animals under the ADA?
No. The dog must already be trained before it can be taken into public places.
What questions can an employee ask to determine if a dog is a service animal?
In situations where it is not obvious that the dog is a service animal, staff may ask only two specific questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person’s disability.
Do service animals have to wear a specific vest, tag, or ID identifying them as a service animal?
No.
Does the ADA require that service animals be certified as such?
No.
May a city require a dog to be registered as a service animal under the ADA?
No. Mandatory registration of service animals is not permissible under the ADA. However, service animals are subject to the same licensing and vaccination rules that are applied to all dogs.
Can a service animal be any breed of dog?
Yes.
For Law Enforcement-
How should I handle a complaint regarding a service animal?
When handling calls of a complaint regarding a service animal, law enforcement officers should remain neutral and should be prepared to explain the ADA requirements concerning service animals to the concerned parties. Businesses are required to allow service animals to accompany their owner into all areas that other customers or members of the public are allowed. Absent a violation of law independent of the ADA, officers should take no enforcement action beyond keeping the peace. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against as a result of a disability should be referred to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Can individuals with disabilities be refused access to a facility based solely on the breed of their service animal?
No. A service animal may not be excluded based on assumptions or stereotypes about the animal’s breed or how the animal might behave. However, if a particular service animal behaves in a way that poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, has a history of such behavior, or is not under the control of the handler, that animal may be excluded. If an animal is excluded for such reasons, staff must still offer their goods or services to the person without the animal present.
If a municipality has an ordinance that bans certain breeds of dogs, does the ban apply to service animals?
No. Municipalities that prohibit specific breeds of dogs must make an exception for a service animal of a prohibited breed, unless the dog poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. Under the “direct threat” provisions of the ADA, local jurisdictions need to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether a particular service animal can be excluded based on that particular animal’s actual behavior or history, but they may not exclude a service animal because of fears or generalizations about how an animal or breed might behave. It is important to note that breed restrictions differ significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In fact, some jurisdictions have no breed restrictions.
Where can service animals be excluded?
The ADA does not require covered entities to modify policies, practices, or procedures if it would “fundamentally alter” the nature of the goods, services, programs, or activities provided to the public. Nor does it overrule legitimate safety requirements. If admitting service animals would fundamentally alter the nature of a service or program, service animals may be prohibited. In addition, if a particular service animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, or if it is not housebroken, that animal may be excluded.
When might a service dog’s presence fundamentally alter the nature of a service or program provided to the public?
In most settings, the presence of a service animal will not result in a fundamental alteration. However, there are some exceptions. For example, at a boarding school, service animals could be restricted from a specific area of a dormitory reserved specifically for students with allergies to dog dander. At a zoo, service animals can be restricted from areas where the animals on display are the natural prey or natural predators of dogs, where the presence of a dog would be disruptive, causing the displayed animals to behave aggressively or become agitated. They cannot be restricted from other areas of the zoo.
What does under control mean? Must service animals be on a leash? Do they have to be quiet and not bark?
The ADA requires that service animals be under the control of the handler at all times. In most instances, the handler will be the individual with a disability or a third party who accompanies the individual with a disability. In the school (K-12) context and in similar settings, the school or similar entity may need to provide some assistance to enable a particular student to handle his or her service animal. The service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered while in public places unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the person’s disability prevents use of these devices. In that case, the person must use voice, signal, or other effective means to maintain control of the animal. For example, a person who uses a wheelchair may use a long, retractable leash to allow her service animal to pick up or retrieve items. She may not allow the dog to wander away from her and must maintain control of the dog, even if it is retrieving an item at a distance from her. Or, a returning veteran who has PTSD and has great difficulty entering unfamiliar spaces may have a dog that is trained to enter a space, check to see that no threats are there, and come back and signal that it is safe to enter. The dog must be off leash to do its job, but may be leashed at other times. Under control also means that a service animal should not be allowed to bark repeatedly in a lecture hall, theater, library, or other quiet place. However, if a dog barks just once, or barks because someone has provoked it, this would not mean that the dog is out of control.
What happens if a person thinks a covered entity’s staff has discriminated against them?
Individuals who believe that they have been illegally denied access or service because they use service animals may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice. Individuals also have the right to file a private lawsuit in Federal court charging the entity with discrimination under the ADA.
Our trained staff is here to help guide you when introducing a new pet to your pets at home. We want everyone to be safe and happy, so please follow these suggestions carefully and don’t rush the process. We recommend that you do not immediately introduce your pets at home to a newly adopted pet. Consider how you will manage an isolation period and be sure all existing pets are up to date on vaccinations and other routine health care before bringing a new pet home.
Facilitating positive pet-to-pet introductions will require some management on your part. Not all pets are instant friends and may require temporary or intermittent separation to ensure a smooth transition. Some pets are happy to share their home within a week or two, others may take a month or longer to adjust.
Our adoption counselors will be happy to review steps to properly introduce your new pet to your resident pets.
What Should I Do If an Animal Is Left Unattended in a Hot Vehicle?
As the weather warms up, we want you to be aware of the dangers of leaving an animal in a vehicle. Never leave an animal unattended in a vehicle on a warm day. If you see an unattended animal in a vehicle in distress, call your local police or animal control immediately. While several states have “good samaritan” laws that give an individual civil immunity for breaking into another person’s car to rescue an animal, Utah does not. As such, it is incredibly important to report an animal in distress to the local authorities as quickly as possible for intervention and the best possible outcome for the animal.
Warm Weather and Animals in Vehicles: A Dangerous Mix
The temperature inside a vehicle increases by about 40 degrees in an hour, with the bulk of the temperature increase occurring within the first 15-20 minutes. That 40-degree climb is an average, not a limit. This means that, even on a 60-degree day, the temperature inside a vehicle can easily reach above 100 degrees within an hour. As we enter the summer months and temperatures average between 85 and 100 degrees throughout most of the state, the temperature inside a vehicle will become dangerous to humans and animals within minutes. For most companion animals, heat exhaustion occurs at 105 degrees. At 110 degrees, irreparable damage occurs in an animal’s body, and death is likely. This is further complicated by an animal’s anatomy. Dogs, for instance, control their body temperature through panting. Though they do have sweat glands in their feet, these glands do very little to control their body temperature. The reliance dogs have on panting to cool down makes some breeds, particularly brachycephalic breeds (e.g., “smush face” breeds, such as pugs), more susceptible to overheating due to reduced breathing capacity.
What If I Park in the Shade/Roll Down My Windows?
A vehicle traps heat, regardless of being parked in the shade or having the windows rolled down. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, an independent study performed on the temperature rise in enclosed vehicles found that cracking the windows had very little effect on the temperature rise inside the vehicle. Another study, performed by the Louisiana Office of Public Health, found that neither a lighter color of vehicle nor cloudiness reduced the heat trapped in a vehicle.
How Do I Know If an Animal Is in Danger?
Signs of heatstroke and distress in companion animals include:
Panting – increasing in intensity as heatstroke progresses
Drooling and salivating, with the drool getting thicker as the animal becomes more dehydrated
Agitation and restlessness; often pawing at the air
Bright red tongue that may swell
Dizziness, stumbling, trouble standing
Muscle tremors
Lethargy
What Do I Do If I See an Animal in Distress?
Local ordinances regarding animals in hot vehicles vary from municipality to municipality, but Utah state law criminalizes cruelty to animals. Cruelty to animals includes inadequate protection from extreme weather conditions. If there is any indication that an animal is in distress, call your local authorities for assistance. If you aren’t sure who to call, call 911 and they can direct you to an appropriate officer. Please note that it is not legal in the state of Utah for a citizen to break into another individual’s car to rescue an animal. If you do this, you will likely face criminal charges and/or civil liability.
Treating Heatstroke in Dogs and Cats
If you come across an animal that has been pulled from a hot vehicle and is experiencing heatstroke, seek professional help immediately. A veterinarian is best equipped to handle heatstroke in animals, but in an emergency situation, the following can be performed:
Move the animal to a cooler, shady spot
Wet a towel with cool (NOT cold) water and lay the animal on the towel
Offer small amounts of room temperature water for the animal to drink frequently, but DO NOT force the animal to drink water
Put a small amount of cool water around the ears and paws to help cool them down
Lay the animal in front of a fan to dry off
Advocating for Pets left in Hot Cars in Utah
Find out what your local ordinance is for pets left in hot cars by checking out your city’s code webpage or by calling your local animal control. If your city doesn’t have a local ordinance and you want to get one on the books to further protect companion animals in your city, contact our Advocacy Department. We are happy to guide you on how to go about making that change. In addition to the steps above, you can help advocate for animals in your community by increasing awareness of the dangers of leaving pets in hot cars by sharing this on social media.
What To Do If I Suspect My Friend/Family Member/Neighbor is an Animal Hoarder?
An often overlooked and underreported source of animal cruelty is animal hoarding. Animal hoarding tends to take place in private places like the home and can be challenging to detect, even for friends and family. However, due to the large number of animals involved and the destructive impact animal hoarding has on human well-being, it is crucial to recognize hoarding and to get appropriate intervention to reduce human and animal suffering.
What is Animal Hoarding?
Animal hoarding is a variation of hoarding disorder, a psychological condition. According to the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium (HARC), animal hoarding is defined by four main characteristics:
The failure to provide minimal standards of sanitation, space, nutrition and veterinary care for the animals in one’s care;
An inability to recognize the effects of this failure on the welfare of the animals, human members of the household, and the environment;
Obsessive attempts to accumulate or maintain a collection of animals in the face of progressively deteriorating conditions; and
Denial or minimization of problems and living conditions for people and animals.
In short, hoarders cannot adequately care for the animals in their possession. Animals may suffer from illness due to being malnourished or exposed to built up excrement in the home. A buildup of urine can cause ammonia burns to an animal’s skin and eyes. Accumulation of feces can lead to bacterial infections and illness. Additionally, animals in hoarding situations tend to be undersocialized, exhibiting a fear response to humans that can become aggressive, leading to a potential public safety issue in addition to the public health issues caused by excessive accumulation of animals.
Types of Hoarders
There are three general types of hoarders: the overwhelmed caregiver, the rescuer, and the exploiter.
The Overwhelmed Caregiver
The overwhelmed caregiver is a type of hoarder who owns a large number of animals that were likely reasonably well taken care of until a significant change in life circumstances compromised the person’s ability to care for the animals properly. These circumstances may include job loss, death of a loved one, or diagnosis of a serious illness. The problem is compounded when the individual has unaltered companion animals who breed, passively adding to the total amount of animals in the home and therefore making caregiving that much more difficult. Typically isolated, this type of hoarder can be difficult to spot and, therefore, hard to help. However, when confronted by an authority figure, this individual usually has fewer problems accepting help than the rescuer-hoarder or exploiter-hoarder.
The Rescuer
The rescuer type of hoarder can be an individual or, most commonly, an individual posing as an organization. This hoarder type is generally mission-driven, aiming to save as many animals as possible from a presumed threat (often euthanasia). While they may care deeply for their animals, they also tend to believe that only they can adequately care for the animals and fail to recognize the poor standard of living to which their animals are reduced. Acquiring new animals tends to take place by taking on additional animals they perceive to need rescue, including animals from classified ads, shelters with higher-than-average euthanasia rates, and individuals looking to rehome their animals, as well as by taking in stray animals. They may even register as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescue or sanctuary, acquiring animals and donations from unsuspecting individuals under the guise of being a legitimate organization. Due to the mission-driven nature of their hoarding, rescuer-hoarders may go to great lengths to avoid intervention from authorities.
The Exploiter
Exploiter-hoarders are not driven by love or compassion for the animals they hoard. Instead, exploiter-hoarders tend to acquire animals for their own needs with little or no attachment to the animals themselves. Often, their personalities are charming, but they tend to lack remorse or guilt for the treatment of animals in their care. Their focus on gaining what they need from hoarding the animals and their indifference to the animals themselves makes them more likely to avoid detection actively. An example of an exploiter-hoarder is a puppy mill operator or backyard breeder.
How to Spot a Hoarder
A large number of animals is not necessarily indicative of a hoarder. For instance, in communities with access to community cat programs, an individual or group of individuals may care for a large population of outdoor semi-feral or feral cats but may have the connections and resources necessary to keep the situation under control. The problem begins when a situation spins out of control.
The ASPCA lists the following ways to detect an individual hoarder:
They have numerous animals and may not know the total number in their care;
Their home is in rough shape and often deteriorating further, including dirty windows, broken furniture, holes in the wall and floor, and extremely cluttered surroundings;
There is a strong smell of ammonia or feces in or around the home;
The floors of the home may be covered in dried feces, urine, vomit, etc.;
Animals are emaciated, lethargic, and not well socialized;
Fleas and rodents are present in or around the home;
The individual is isolated from the community and appears to be neglecting their own needs;
The individual insists all or most of the animals in their care are happy and healthy, even when there are clear signs of distress and illness.
The ASPCA lists the following ways to detect an organizational hoarder:
The group is unwilling to let visitors see the location where the animals are kept or bred (pay particular attention to the background of photos posted on social media and websites);
The group will not disclose the number of animals in its care and makes little effort to adopt animals out;
More animals are continually taken in, despite the poor condition of existing animals;
Legitimate shelters and rescue organizations are viewed as the enemy;
Animals may be received or sold at a remote location rather than at the group’s actual facility if it exists.
What To Do When You Suspect Someone in Your Life or Neighborhood is Hoarding Animals
Individuals with hoarding disorder have a diagnosable illness. They are likely entirely unaware of the dysfunction involved in their behavior or the harm they are causing to the animals and themselves. Encourage them to seek help from a mental health professional, assuring them that seeking help is what is best for the animals in their care. Please note, when dealing with an exploiter-hoarder, you may need to skip an encouragement of self-help entirely and rely directly on the authorities. They may be unwilling to accept help, and if that is the case, your first call should be to your local police department or animal control to initiate an investigation. Because animal hoarding is a multifaceted problem, the solution does not end with the police or animal control. Other important contacts include:
Social Services Groups – Different social services may need to be involved depending on who is in the household, such as adult protective services for elderly individuals and child protective services for children in the home.
Health Department – The state health department or local environmental health department may need to be contacted for more information on the clean-up of the house.
Local Animal Shelters – Removing animals from a hoarding situation is time and resource-intensive, even for the most sophisticated animal shelters. Volunteering your time to these organizations or donating to assist in their operational costs goes a long way in providing care for the victims of animal hoarding.
What To Do if You Suspect You May Have a Hoarding Problem
Know that it is okay to need and accept help. Contact a mental health professional as well as an appropriate social services agency to get started on the road to recovery.
Please note: The Humane Society of Utah cannot accept stray animals.
Many Utahans don’t aren’t sure what to do if they find a stray pet. In Salt Lake County and most other counties and municipalities of Utah, it is illegal to harbor a stray animal. When individuals lose their companion animals, they tend to look at their jurisdiction’s municipal shelter. If you harbor the animal in your home instead of bringing the animal to the municipal shelter, you are depriving the rightful owner of reuniting with their companion animal. Do the right thing by informing animal services of the found animal immediately.
If you find a stray dog
Dogs can be both in danger and a danger to others when at large. If you find a stray dog, you must take the dog to the municipal shelter in whatever jurisdiction the dog was found. The chances are that a family is missing the dog and will look for him at their local shelter.
If the dog is friendly and approaches you, take the dog to your local municipal shelter. If the dog flees or seems aggressive, do not chase him.
Call your local animal services dispatch to retrieve the dog. If animal services officers are unavailable, you may be able to call your local police dispatch to retrieve the dog and take the dog to impound.
If you find a stray cat
Caring people bring stray animals to shelters to help them, but cats have different needs than dogs. If you find a healthy stray cat, leave them where they are. Data indicates that owned cats at large will find their way home up to 75% of the time when left in place. However, less than 2% of cats (without microchips) may be reclaimed from a shelter. If the cat does not have a traditional home, but is healthy and appears well-fed, the cat is either finding their own abundant food source and shelter or is being fed and cared for by someone who will be missing them. Crowding them into a shelter promotes stress and disease, and lowers the likelihood of a positive outcome even if the shelter has a return to field (RTF) program.
If you find an ill, injured or endangered stray cat, please take the cat to the municipal shelter in the jurisdiction in which the cat was found. The shelter will attempt to find the original owner while the cat is treated. The cat may be altered and released or humanely euthanized, depending on the needs of the individual animal and the shelter’s resources. If you are unable to get the cat into your custody safely, report the cat’s location to your local municipal animal services.
If you see large populations of unaltered, reproducing cats—characterized by adult cats without tipped ears, or litters of kittens present, call your local shelter and inquire about their RTF program and how you can help. A tipped ear indicates that they have been spayed or neutered and returned to the field already.
Advocating for the animals in your community
Find out about your local ordinance regarding the care for stray cats and dogs by checking your city’s code webpage or calling your local animal control. Many cities do not have any services for cats, even those that are injured.
If your city doesn’t have services to protect companion animals, contact our advocacy department. We are happy to guide you on how to go about getting valuable services for all companion animals in your area. Thank you for caring about the stray animals in your community!
Our new CATNIP program
The Utah Humane Society Clinic recently launched our CATNIP Program to help spay/neuter trapped feral and community cats at an affordable price in an effort to help trap, neuter, return (TNR) efforts to curb the homeless cat population. Appointments must be made in advance for each cat.
This is not a service for the general public. Please visit UtahHumane.org/CATNIP for more information.
Around your neighborhood, you may encounter animal maltreatment. This maltreatment may be out in the open, such as an individual leaving a heavy chain around a dog’s neck in plain view. The maltreatment could be hidden and only suspected, such as overhearing a person yelling at an outdoor cat and hearing the cat cry out. How do you know when maltreatment is legally cruelty, and when do you report it? This article aims to give you insight into what constitutes cruelty and how to report suspected cruelty. It provides practical information on animal maltreatment generally that will help empower you to protect the silent animal victims in your neighborhood.
Utah Humane Society’s Role in Animal Cruelty Calls
Do not report animal cruelty to the Utah Humane Society as we cannot legally investigate animal cruelty. The Utah Humane Society does not have police powers and has not had investigative powers since the 1990s. Reporting animal cruelty to us is not effective as we must simply call animal control on your behalf without all the details that you have from what you witnessed. We are always happy to guide you to the appropriate authorities, however.
Utah’s Animal Cruelty Laws
Utah specifically outlaws the following maltreatment of animals:
Failing to provide necessary food, water, care, or shelter for an animal in the person’s custody
Abandoning an animal
Injuring an animal
Causing any animal to fight with another animal
Administering poison or causing poison to be administered to an animal
Killing an animal* (killing an animal is legal if you have a legal privilege to do so, e.g., food production)
Torturing an animal** (torturing a companion animal, which is defined in Utah law as a domestic dog or cat, is a felony and therefore an elevated criminal offense)
When in Doubt, Report!
Chances are you are not a lawyer, and you are not a public safety officer, and as such, there is no reason why you should have to discern whether or not what you are seeing or hearing is animal cruelty. If you suspect something is off, report it. Better to err on the side of caution and be wrong than to ignore the potential maltreatment and allow an animal to suffer.
The Link
Over the past several decades, researchers have studied the interrelationship between animal abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, domestic violence, and other forms of violence. Referred to as “The Link,” this interrelationship suggests that one type of violence tends to indicate the existence of or lead to other forms of violence. For example, if an animal is enduring maltreatment in a home where children are present, it is likely that the children are also enduring abuse. This is relevant because if you suspect animal maltreatment in a neighbor’s home and don’t want to report it because it is “just an animal,” remember that the animal is likely not the only one being abused. For more information on The Link, please visit the National Link Coalition’s website.
How to Report
Report to the Appropriate Authorities
The first step is to call the appropriate authorities. The National Link Coalition has a list of some of the main animal control offices in Utah available here. There are parts of Utah without animal control agencies. In those areas, you can report to your local police or county Sheriff’s department. If you are not sure who to call, you can always call the Utah Humane Society for guidance. We keep an updated list of all animal control services throughout the state of Utah.
Information Needed
The information needed to begin a formal inquiry is your name, your phone number, the address of where the potential cruelty has taken place, and a description of the potential cruelty, including any information on the animal (such as species and color) and the owner. If you have photos and videos that are obtained without trespassing, that is also beneficial. If you wish to follow-up on the case, ask that the responding officer call you back with a case number. However, having a case number does not necessarily mean they can give you any information going forward. If an investigation remains open, they may need to protect details in order to preserve the case. Please note that you may report animal maltreatment anonymously. However, if the case proceeds to prosecution, an anonymous person cannot be a witness. If you are the only person who has witnessed what happened to the animal, please consider being brave and going on record. You may be the key to a successful prosecution.
Animal Control Response
Utah’s animal protection laws are vague, meaning the statutes themselves will not define much of what constitutes certain provisions, such as “necessary shelter” or “injuring.” While this can be frustrating when determining whether or not to report an incident in your neighborhood, the positive flip side is that the vagueness gives animal control more discretion in enforcing the law. This discretion allows animal control to educate when appropriate and cite when education does not work. Please be patient with law enforcement’s response. Sometimes, it may take several calls or incidents for an agency to be able to investigate. Beyond that, they need time to work a case. Know that this is their job and they take it seriously.
A community cat is an outdoor, unowned, free-roaming cat living in a given community. Some of these cats may have grown up unowned and free-roaming with little human socialization (often referred to as a “feral” cat); others may have previously been owned but left on their own outside for a long period of time upon the death or relocation of a guardian. Regardless of their origin, if a cat in your community is thriving, we at the Humane Society of Utah ask you to, please, let them be.
Well-intentioned people bring stray animals to shelters in an effort to help them, but cats have different needs than dogs. If you find a healthy cat, leave them where they are. Data indicates that up to 75% of the time, an owned cat at large will find their way home when left in place versus the less than 2% of cats (without microchips) that will be reclaimed from a shelter. If the cat does not have a traditional home, but is healthy and appears well-fed, the cat is either finding their own abundant food source and shelter or is being fed and cared for by someone who will be missing them. Crowding them into a shelter promotes stress, disease, and lowers the likelihood of a positive outcome, even if the shelter has a return to field (RTF) program.
Return to field (RTF) (also referred to as trap-neuter-return “TNR”) is the current gold standard in dealing with unowned cats in a community. RTF is the process by which cats are humanely trapped, transported to a local care agency (such as a shelter or veterinary clinic), sterilized, vaccinated, ear-tipped, and returned to the area from which they came. Numerous studies indicate that RTF is effective in reducing the population of community cats without resorting to euthanasia or mass-culling (an outdated, ineffective method of population control still implemented by many animal services jurisdictions. RTF also helps control disease, such as rabies and panleukopenia, in outdoor cat populations, helping prevent owned cats in the community from being exposed.
If you find an ill, injured, or endangered cat without a discernible owner, please take the cat to the municipal shelter in the jurisdiction in which the cat was found. The shelter will attempt to find the original owner while the cat is treated, then altered and released, or humanely euthanized, depending on the needs of the individual animal and the resources of the shelter. If you are unable to safely get the cat into your custody, report the cat’s location to your local municipal animal services. If you see large populations of unaltered, reproducing cats—characterized by adult cats without tipped ears (tipped ears indicate that they have been spayed or neutered) or litters of kittens present —call your local shelter and inquire about their RTF program and how you can help.
We appreciate all of the wonderful cat advocates in our community and the work they do to increase animal welfare. If you are currently a caretaker for community cats or are looking for resources to get started, please check out our Community Catnip program. If you are interested in learning more about RTF/TNR programs generally, please visit Maddie’s Fund’s Million Cat Challenge website. Alley Cat Allies, a national organization focused on outdoor cat welfare, has excellent resources on its website, as well.
Declawing is an unnecessary and expensive surgery that fewer vets are willing to perform and some states have banned. It is the amputation of the last bone of each toe and severing of tendons. Declawing alters the way a cat walks, their balance, and their ability to jump. For comparison, it would be like cutting our finger off at the first knuckle.
Declawing Hurts
Not only is the surgery quite painful, but cats may experience lifelong pain or develop severe arthritis that requires medication as they age after a declaw.
The pain may result in the following behavioral problems and lead to rehoming, surrender to a shelter, abandonment, or euthanasia.
Not wanting to be touched
Biting
Litterbox Avoidance
MYTH: “Declawing prevents cats from scratching furniture, thereby keeping them in their home.” FACT: There are humane alternatives to prevent furniture scratching that does not involve surgical amputation. Declawed cats are also defenseless and can never go outside!
Humane Alternatives
Cats scratch to remove the dead outer layer of their claws, mark their territory, and stretch and flex their paws. It’s important to provide an appropriate place for them to express this natural behavior and provide nail maintenance to avoid unwanted scratching. If the cat scratches furniture, place a scratching post nearby, trim nails, or place double-sided tape on the area to deter them. Never punish your cat for scratching.
Scratching Posts
Put a scratching post in a high-traffic area of a room where you spend a lot of time. Ensure vertical scratching posts are sturdy, won’t tip over, and tall enough to allow the cat to extend when stretching fully. Also, try horizontal scratching pads to see which your cat prefers.
Soft Paws
Soft paws are vinyl caps you glue onto your cat’s nails. They need to be reapplied every 4-6 weeks and allow the normal function of a cat’s paw.
Nail Trims
Trimming your cat’s nails every couple of weeks helps prevent destructive clawing.
How To: Gently squeeze their paw to extend the claws. Look for the quick—an area that contains nerves and blood vessels that support the claw, and cut below this area. Carefully trim the tip of the nail horizontally to the ground. Use sharp nail trimmers designed for cats.
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