IMPORTANT NOTICE (NJ) - Beginning on February 1, 2017, animal cruelty investigations became the responsibility of law enforcement, and all investigations shall be conducted by Humane Law Enforcement Officers (HLEOs) who report to county prosecutors.

If you suspect animal cruelty or abuse, contact your County Prosecutors Office or local police for assistance.

To Report Animal Cruelty call your local police department.

If you need to report animal cruelty or abuse involving livestock (including horses, cattle, and poultry), contact the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Health by calling 609-671-6400 or via email: state.veterinarian@ag.nj.gov.

What is Considered Animal Cruelty or Abuse in NJ?

Animal cruelty laws in New Jersey make it a crime to abuse animals in various ways, including:

• torture, maiming, poisoning, or cruelly beating an animal, either intentionally or recklessly
• killing an animal needlessly
• not providing necessary care, and
• leaving an animal alone in a vehicle under harmful conditions (for example, when the temperature in the car is hot enough to threaten the animal’s health or welfare).
• Any animal outside in adverse environmental conditions without proper shelter
• Any dog improperly tethered and/or tethered between the hours of 11 pm - 5 am.

(N.J. Stat. § 4:22-17 (2022)

Abandoning Animals

Anyone who abandons a domestic animal—or any sick or injured creature—can be found guilty of a “disorderly persons offense” (similar to a misdemeanor) and fined up to $1,000.

(N.J. Stat. § 4:22-20.)

Is it illegal to leave dogs and other pets outside in adverse weather?

It’s illegal in New Jersey to leave dogs, service animals, or any pets in “adverse environmental conditions” for more than 30 minutes unless they have access to a proper shelter or their human caretaker is with them or can see them the whole time. The law defines these adverse conditions as including:

• temperatures below freezing or too hot and
• other bad weather (like wind, rain, snow, ice, sleet, or hail) or dangers (like direct sunlight or hot surfaces) that reasonable people would know could be a risk to the animal’s health.
  • the age and physical condition of the animal
  • the length of the animal's fur/hair.

Whenever there’s an emergency evacuation order, people must do their best to evacuate with their pets, take them somewhere safe, or at least secure them in a protected area and tell emergency responders where the animals are located.

Anyone who violates these requirements could face the penalties for animal neglect (described above). However, a first offense will generally result in a warning unless authorities had to seize the pet because it was at risk of immediate harm.

(N.J. Stat. §§ 4:22-17.1, 4:22-17.2, 4:22-17.7, 4:22-17.8 (2022).

and more... Refer to NJSA 4:22-17 with the link below.