ARC In Action meetings are held on the second Saturday of the month
from 10 to 11 am. at our office at 2615 E. Franklin Ave. in Minneapolis.
Everyone is welcome - you don't have to be a member to attend.
Circle
of Compassion (ARC blog)
ARC
on MySpace
Chicken
Run Rescue
fast & furless
vegan boutique
If an animal's life is in immediate danger, please call 911. Read this
section for more information.
If you can no longer keep your companion animal and need to find a home
for him or her, please read the information in this section.
How to Report Animal Cruelty
If an animal's life is in immediate danger, call 911.
- In the Twin Cities metro area, call the Animal Humane Society cruelty investigator at (763) 489-2236.
- Outside the metro area, call the Minnesota Federated Humane Societies at (612) 866-8663.
You need to follow up on calls to these agencies because of the large volume of calls they receive. After filing a report, we suggest you call them back after 48 hours and ask about the results of the investigation.
Minnesota Animal Welfare Statutes
Minnesota has very specific laws to ensure the humane treatment of animals.
Minnesota law also prescribes criminal penalties and fines for failure
to properly care for an animal. According to the laws, dogs, cats, and
other animals must be provided with:
- Nourishing food in clean containers
- Clean, drinkable water (snow and ice are not adequate)
- Confinement areas: must allow animal to move freely; must provide shade from May to October; several animals kept together must be compatible; indoor confinement areas must be adequately lit, ventilated, and temperature controlled; surfaces must be impervious to moisture and readily cleaned and dry; feces must be disposed of properly; there must be opportunity for periodic exercise.
- Shelter: dogs kept outdoors for more than one hour must be provided
with a dog house that meets the following specifications: moisture and
wind proof; large anough for the dog and small enough to retain body
heat; must be made of durable material raised at least 2 inches from
the ground; entrance must be covered by wind proof material; bedding
must be provided and be of straw, cedar shavings, or blankets.
Minnesota Statute 343.29 specifically authorizes the removal, sheltering, and caring for any animal who is not properly sheltered from cold, hot, or inclement weather, or any animal not properly fed and watered.
Killing Dogs and Cats for Food
Increasingly, situations are occurring where people are raising dogs
and cats and killing them for food. Unfortunately, many of the people
charged with enforcing animal cruelty laws, such as the police and even
some humane investigators, are not aware that this practice is illegal;
they do not take enforcement action because they wrongly believe that
it is simply a cultural issue. However, state and city laws prohibit anyone
except a veterinarian or animal control officer from killing a domestic
animal.
Pound
seizure is the sale of cats and dogs from a pound or shelter to research
labs. Only two states, Minnesota and Utah, still have laws requiring that
publicly funded pounds and shelters turn over unclaimed animals for research.
The ultimate fate of these former companion animals is death. But before they die, they may suffer greatly. Visit Minnesota's Shame and Ban Pound Seizure to find out more.
Petting
zoos at malls and fairs allow children to feed, ride, or have their pictures
taken with the animals. Children who visit petting zoos often bring home
much more than their parents bargained for as petting zoos are notorious
for infecting children with potentially lethal bacteria such as E.
coli and salmonella. Click here
for a fact sheet with more details on petting zoos.
Hearing
a lot about violence in schools? You can do something to help: Cut out
dissection! Every year, millions of animals are killed and shipped off
to schools, where young people are given scalpels and told to slice up
the animals’ bodies. What does dissection teach? Not much, except
that it’s OK to chop up animals.
Contact ARC for advice on how to object to dissection at your school. Or call the toll-free Dissection Hotline for information and support for students, parents and teachers who object to dissection.
