One day after announcing a new task force to prosecute animal cruelty cases, federal officials Thursday began patrols near downtown Los Angeles to look for abused or neglected animals.
The task force operates under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2019, and is prioritizing cases involving so-called “animal crush” videos that depict extreme abuse.
“Animal abuse is among the most heartbreaking and despicable type of crimes that law enforcement sees,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. “Together with our federal and local partners, my office intends to root out and punish those who profit from hurting animals.”
Los Angeles police said they joined animal control officers, FBI agents and the U.S. Attorney’s Office on foot patrols Thursday along Seventh Street between Towne and Central avenues near downtown L.A. to look for animals in distress.
The new task force is led by federal prosecutors in the environmental crimes and consumer protection section working in partnership with the FBI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles Police Department, L.A. City Animal Control, and other state and local law enforcement officers.
The task force will focus on charging serious animal abuse throughout the Central District of California, the most populous federal district in the country.
The seven-county district is home to nearly 20 million residents and is comprised of the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the group conducted a community outreach operation in the Skid Row area, and conducted welfare checks on a number of dogs ensuring they had access to clean water and food, while looking for evidence of animal neglect and abuse and providing resources, collars and leashes.
One dog who was abandoned by his owner was seized, authorities said.
To report animal abuse, visit tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.