Animal Cruelty Awareness Week

Animal Cruelty Awareness Week (3rd week of April) is an opportunity to remind ourselves and our neighbours that preventing animal cruelty, abuse and neglect requires all of us to be vigilant.

RAPS operates the City of Richmond Animal Shelter and our Animal Control Officers (ACOs) work hard to monitor, protect and care for the well-being of all the animals in Richmond. But we have only so many eyes. We depend on people in the community to report incidents of suspected abuse, cruelty or neglect.

These offenses are often difficult to see. Cases of animal cruelty or neglect frequently come to the attention of authorities only because keen-eyed neighbours are alert to the signs of problems.

Cruelty and neglect can include obvious mistreatment of animals, including physical abuse. But it can also include animals being left outside in inappropriate weather, a lack of adequate shelter, a collar that is too tight, being roped or chained in a manner that does not allow adequate movement or that could endanger the animal or leave it vulnerable to wild animals or other domestic animals, lack of adequate food or water, neglected grooming, mange or other unaddressed external or internal health issues, or anything else that looks like it could be detrimental to the animal.

In British Columbia, the BC SPCA is the sole agency responsible for animal cruelty investigations. However, if you see any activity or situation that gives you concern, you can call the City of Richmond Animal Shelter and one of our ACOs will make an initial visit. During business hours, call the Shelter at 604-275-2036 or contact the BC SPCA Provincial Call Centre directly at 1-855- 6BC SPCA (1-855-622-7722). For after-hour concerns, call the Richmond RCMP Non-Emergency line at 604-278-1212 or, if the situation is an emergency, dial 911.

How you can help …

RAPS educates the public about responsible animal guardianship and advocates with governments and other agencies on behalf of animals and their people.

Your support makes everything possible. To ensure we can save and improve the lives of even more animals, click here for ways you can help! Thank you!