FBI launches tip line and $5,000 reward for animal cruelty cases

Federal law enforcement officials have launched a new FBI tip line and announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the prosecution of individuals violating the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act. The law, signed in November 2019, criminalizes certain acts of animal abuse involving interstate or foreign commerce, including the production of “animal crushing” videos. Violations can carry penalties of up to seven years in federal prison.

The dedicated tip line will be monitored by the Animal Abuse Task Force, a group established last year and led by federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The task force operates in partnership with the FBI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, and various local agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The task force focuses on serious animal abuse crimes within the Central District of California, a region encompassing seven counties—Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura—with a population of nearly 20 million. Authorities are requesting that tips include specific evidence such as photographs, videos, dates, times, and locations.