FBI Launches Animal Cruelty Tip Line, Offers $5K Reward In SoCal

LOS ANGELES, CA — Federal authorities on Tuesday announced a $5,000 for information leading to the successful prosecution of people who violate a federal animal cruelty law, along with a new FBI tip line for reporting suspected crimes.

The reward applies to cases involving violations of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, or PACT Act, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The law, signed by President Donald Trump in November 2019, makes it a federal crime to engage in certain acts of animal abuse that involve or affect interstate or foreign commerce. It also criminalizes making so-called animal crushing videos depicting animal abuse.

Violations can carry penalties of up to seven years in federal prison.

Authorities encouraged anyone with evidence of suspected violations to email the FBI at LA-AnimalCrimesTipline@ic.fbi.gov

Officials said useful tips should include specific evidence when possible, such as photographs, videos, dates, times, locations and descriptions of the people suspected of committing the crimes.

The dedicated email account will be monitored by the local Animal Abuse Task Force, which the U.S. Attorney's Office created in September 2025 to investigate and prosecute serious animal cruelty cases.

The task force is led by federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office's Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section and includes the FBI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles City Animal Control and other state and local law enforcement agencies.

When the task force was announced last year, federal officials said its focus would include violations of the PACT Act and crimes involving animal crush videos.

The task force operates throughout the Central District of California, which includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and is home to nearly 20 million people.