County Joins Crime Stoppers to Reduce Animal Cruelty

The County of San Diego Department of Animal Services (DAS) is now working with San Diego County Crime Stoppers to help stop animal cruelty. DAS has established a reward fund to help pay tipsters who report acts of animal cruelty. A portion of the reward money is being provided by San Diego Animal Advocates.

Currently, DAS spends hundreds of hours each month investigating animal cruelty and neglect cases in San Diego County.

“We hope that this unique partnership will help reduce animal cruelty cases in our County,” said Lieutenant Daniel DeSousa of the Department of Animal Services. “We encourage everyone in our community to be our eyes and ears in the fight against animal cruelty.”

As part of the Crime Stoppers partnership, DAS will post decals on animal control vehicles to promote the program.

“Citizens will have the phone number readily available if they witness any acts of animal cruelty,” DeSousa said. “It also puts offenders on notice that people are watching.”

The program is simple. A tipster can call in anonymously to report an animal related crime. If an arrest is made and a reward has been authorized, the tipster is given directions on how to collect his or her reward.

Over the past 26 years, San Diego County Crime Stoppers has paid out more than a half million dollars to people whose tips closed more than 4,000 cases and led to the arrests of more than 2,800 people.

Anyone with information about animal cruelty can contact Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Anonymous web and text messages can be sent via SDCrimeStoppers.com. 

Crime Stoppers is offering rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in felony animal cruelty cases.