Help for abused animals in New York City is now just a phone call away.
Anyone wishing to report animal abuse in their neighborhoods can simply call Crime Stoppers — and receive a $2,500 reward for the tip, the NYPD and the ASPCA announced Wednesday.
“We are giving New Yorkers the means and motivation to stop dangerous criminals and giving animal victims a better chance to survive and recover,” ASPCA CEO Matthew Bershadker said as he announced the new initiative at the ASPCA adoption center on E. 92nd St.
“While countless New Yorkers reported suspected animal cruelty last year, a program like Crime Stoppers will be an invaluable tool to help the NYPD continue to solve animal cruelty cases and bring perpetrators to justice.”
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Crime Stoppers provides “a way for the public to work with the NYPD to keep their neighborhoods safe.
“Violence has no place in our city, whether it’s committed against a person or an animal,” Bratton said.
Crime Stoppers will start offering rewards of up to $2,500 for tips — including those reported anonymously — that lead to arrests and indictments for animal cruelty cases in the city, officials said.
The new collaboration is an extension of the partnership between the NYPD and the ASPCA launched last year, when the NYPD took the lead in responding and investigating animal cruelty complaints.
Animal cruelty arrests have risen 28% in the first six months if 2015, officials said.
The ASPCA saw a 115% increase in animals treated over the same time period in 2014, officials said.
Crime Stoppers can be reached at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls are kept confidential.
