PAWS does not have legal authority to investigate or prosecute cases of suspected animal abuse. We strongly urge you to report all suspected animal abuse to the appropriate authorities. Knowing who to call in urgent or tense situations like these can be confusing, so we've outlined it below.
- Cruelty concerns in Centre County should be directed toward the Centre County Humane Officer via the Sheriff’s Office at (814) 355-6803.
- If you are outside of Centre County, you can review Humane Officers by County. These individuals are authorized to enforce Crimes Code Section 5511 and generally assist with stray dogs.
- State Dog Wardens by County – Dog wardens are responsible for enforcing the PA Dog Law. This includes overseeing dog licensing, rabies vaccination requirements for dogs and cats, dogs running at large, township ordinances, and commercial or non-profit kennel inspections. Dog wardens are not "on-call" but maintain office hours and do not respond to requests for assistance related to suspected cruelty (unless directly related to a kennel's care of their animals).
- PSPCA Cruelty Hotline: (866) 601-7722, cruelty@pspca.org
- Report suspected illegal puppy mills and animal fighting: (877) TIP-HSUS
- Centre County District Attorney's office: oversees law enforcement in Centre County