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Cruelty Investigation

The Humane Society is committed to investigating and resolving instances of animal cruelty and neglect. Animal cruelty encompasses a range of behaviors harmful to animals from neglect to malicious killing. Most cruelty cases looked into by our Cruelty Investigator, Eddie O’Cain, is unintentional neglect that can be resolved through education.

Intentional cruelty or abuse is knowingly depriving an animal of food, water, shelter, or veterinary care or maliciously torturing, maiming, mutilating or killing an animal.

Animal hoarding is a situation that happens when someone has collected so many animals that they are unable to provide proper care for them. In South Carolina, there are numerous laws that protect the welfare of animals.

Animal cruelty comes in all shapes and sizes. Over the years, The Humane Society has logged thousands of complaints and has documented all too many instances of cruelty.

If you witness an act of animal torture, abuse or neglect, call your local police or sheriff’s office immediately. If you know or suspect that an animal is being neglected or abused, report your information by calling Eddie O’Cain, Cruelty Investigator, at 803.783.1267 x11 or by email at eocain@humanesc.org.

Cruelty FAQs

What is Animal Cruelty?

Animal cruelty is any act of violence or neglect perpetrated against animals.  Examples include overt animal abuse, dog and cock fighting, and animal neglect where the animal is denied basic necessities of care such as fresh water, food and/or shelter. Animals are covered by state animal cruelty laws, which vary from state to state and county to county. The Humane Society works to educate people about the proper care of animals and how to prevent animal cruelty. Animal cruelty can be divided into two general categories: neglect and intentional cruelty.

Neglect

Neglect is the failure to provide an animal with the most basic requirements of food, water, shelter, shade and/or veterinary care. Neglect may be due to ignorance on the owner’s part and is usually handled by requiring the owner to correct the situation. If the problem is not corrected, the animal may be removed from the neglectful person by law enforcement authorities.

Intentional Cruelty

Intentional cruelty is often more shocking than neglect and is frequently an indicator of a serious human behavior problem. Intentional cruelty is when an individual purposely inflicts physical harm or injury on an animal. Animal investigators, with the help of concerned citizens, have arrested individuals who have deliberately maimed, tortured and/or killed animals. Although many individuals are arrested for intentional cruelty, people who commit even the most heinous crimes against animals are often not prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Someone who is violent towards animals may be violent towards family members or others.

What are some signs of animal abuse or neglect?

  • The animal lacks access to food, water and shelter.
  • The animal has matted or missing hair, thin in appearance, has apparent sores, etc.
  • The animal's collar is embedded in their skin.
  • The animal is filthy (i.e. fecal matter caked on feet, around the anus, etc).
  • The animal may have persistent and varying injuries.
  • There may be a history of previous pets that have disappeared or died at a young age.
  • The owner has a large number of animals that appear to be lacking basic care.
  • The owner appears to lack concern about the animal's health problems.

How do I report animal cruelty?

If you feel an animal is being abused or neglected, please contact our Cruelty Investigator, Eddie O’Cain, at 803.783.1267 x11 or via email at eocain@humanesc.org.

When reporting an incident of abuse or neglect, we will need you to provide us with the following information:

  • An accurate and exact description of the incident witnessed (make sure to include date and time).
  • A detailed description of the animal(s) involved in the incident.
  • The address and a description of the location where the incident occurred.
  • An accurate identity of the alleged perpetrator, if known, including name, address and telephone number.  If possible, tell us any known associates or co-participants in the alleged incident.
  • Your name and telephone number. Such information may be kept confidential; however, it is helpful for The Humane Society to have a point of contact in the event of misdirection or miscommunication.

You may not be able to provide The Humane Society with all of the information listed above; however, the more detailed and accurate the information you can give, the better it will help.

Can I leave an anonymous complaint?

No. The Humane Society will not accept anonymous complaints. We ask for your name and phone number so that we can follow up with you and/or obtain more information. We do; however, treat all requests for anonymity with the utmost respect. Although cases may not always proceed to court, signed statements from witnesses who are willing to testify are always more reliable and useful, if no further leads can be found.

Should I contact Animal Control or The Humane Society?

Keep in mind that The Humane Society does not respond to animal control issues. We only respond to acts of animal cruelty, neglect and abuse. For example, a dog running down the road with no tags and no collar is unfortunate, but it's not cruel. The Humane Society would refer this complaint to animal control.

How can I help The Humane Society fight animal cruelty?

  • Be a responsible pet owner. Don't let your cats and dogs roam. Cats are safest indoors. When outdoors, dogs should be walked on a leash or supervised in a fenced yard. It's up to you to keep your pets safe. Spay or neuter your cat or dog to reduce pet overpopulation and urge your friends to do the same.
  • Report animal cruelty or neglect to The Humane Society. If you see someone hurting an animal, or if you know of someone whose animal looks sick, injured or deprived of adequate food, water or shelter, contact our Cruelty Investigator, Eddie O’Cain at 783.1267 x11 or via email at eocain@humanesc.org.
  • Support The Humane Society in their mission to end animal cruelty. The Humane Society receives no public funding.  Monetary donations are utilized to support our full-time investigator, including equipment, supplies and training.
  • Educate the public. Tell your friends, families and neighbors about The Humane Society's mission to end animal cruelty, neglect and overpopulation.