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A program approved yesterday by the North Carolina governor will establish a new “hotline” in the state to allow North Carolinians to report any violation of the state's animal cruelty laws or Animal Welfare Act directly to the Attorney General.

The “hotline” will consist of multiple methods by which to report alleged violations, including a telephone number, e-mail address, and website.  These reports will be forwarded to local law enforcement or the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, depending on the allegation.  The person making the allegation must provide their name, telephone number and any other information required by the Attorney General’s office to adequately document and address the reported actions.

Animal cruelty is a felony in North Carolina. This new program focuses on enforcing these cruelty laws and ensuring the wellbeing of all dogs — regardless of how many dogs the owner has.  AKC supports full enforcement of this law and additional resources as necessary.

The program is based on legislation introduced during the 2015 North Carolina legislative session by Senators Trudy Wade, DVM, Bill Rabon, DVM, and Andrew Brock.  The AKC thanks these legislators for their work in bringing this program forward that will protect animals in North Carolina. 

The program will go into effect in March 2016.

A program approved yesterday by the North Carolina governor will establish a new “hotline” in the state to allow North Carolinians to report any violation of the state’s animal cruelty laws or Animal Welfare Act directly to the Attorney General.