$5,000 Reward Offered and New FBI Tip Line Launched to Catch Los Angeles Animal Abusers

LOS ANGELES - Federal law enforcement today announced a $5,000 reward and a new FBI tip line, for information leading to the successful prosecution of criminals who violate the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, a federal law that carries penalties of up to seven years in prison.

This statute, which President Trump signed into law in November 2019, criminalizes engaging in animal abuse in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce and making "animal crushing" videos that depict obscene animal abuse.

Those who have evidence against anyone suspected of breaking this law is encouraged to email the FBI at [email protected].

Successful tips include specific evidence: photographs, videos, dates, times, locations, and a description of who is committing these crimes.

This dedicated email account will be reviewed by the Animal Abuse Task Force which was created last year and is led by federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office's Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section working in partnership with the FBI, the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles City Animal Control, and other state and local law enforcement officers.

This task force focuses on charging serious animal abuse crimes throughout the Central District of California, the most populous federal district in the country. The seven-county district is home to nearly 20 million residents and is comprised of the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.