The landlord didn't know how long they had been suffering there. He just knew that when he arrived at the central Utah house from which he had evicted the tenants, he discovered six dogs, 12 cats, and a group of horses who had been left behind. He called the sheriff's department for help, but when the city humane society informed police that they were not allowed to accept animals from outside city limits, officers didn't know what to do.  

The crated dogs finally got fresh air before being transported to a veterinary office.

For four days, the landlord waited for help while making sure the animals at least had food and water. The horses were able to graze and were OK. But the 12 feral cats inside the home had been left with no suitable place to relieve themselves. Two of the dogs were left sitting in crates amid their own waste and were too aggressive for the landlord to let them out or even give them food and water. The other four short-haired dogs were left outside in a barren pen without protection from the weather. On the fourth day, fearing that the dogs would freeze to death as the temperature dipped into single digits, the landlord called PETA.

Caseworkers arranged boarding for the dogs at a veterinarian's office, and the police agreed to transport the dogs and pay the bill. The landlord worked on trapping the feral cats and taking them to a shelter that could accept them. After everything the dogs had been through, they were either too aggressive to be placed for adoption or were very, very sick, so they were given a humane, peaceful release. The horses, however, were healthy and even-tempered and were placed in new homes. The sheriff's department is searching for the runaway owners and hopes to file cruelty charges.

The adage "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again," is especially true when trying to protect animals. You may encounter roadblocks, but with perseverance, you can save animals from suffering

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We may never know how more than a dozen pigeons, crows, seagulls, and other wild birds ended up crammed into filthy cages in a hoarder's home, but when PETA heard about the birds—who were spotted piled on the sidewalk after the hoarder was evicted—our Cruelty Investigations Department took action.

After PETA contacted animal control and alerted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to potential violations of the state cruelty statute and federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, all the birds—some of whom appeared to be sick and suffering from heat exhaustion—were seized, and officers launched an investigation.

Not only is it illegal to possess most wild birds without a permit issued by the USFWS, these animals were also victims of hoarding, a mental illness in which the hoarder compulsively acquires more animals than he or she can properly care for. Animals are often "warehoused" in filthy cages and carriers and denied clean water, adequate food, and veterinary care. Accumulated waste and filth often lead to infections and the spread of parasites and contagious diseases.

If you ever suspect someone may be an animal hoarder, immediately contact law-enforcement officials—following up if necessary to make sure that action is taken. PETA's report on hoarding contains more information about how to protect animals.

Downed cows—those who are too sick or injured to stand up—are of little use to callous cattle auctioneers. So when a cow collapsed at a Texas livestock auction company, what did the employees do? They simply wrapped a chain around her leg, attached the chain to a truck, dragged the cow into a dirt lot next to the auction area, and left her for dead. With no food or water, she would have eventually died from dehydration or succumbed to her illness or injury.

Someone saw the cow being dragged to the lot and left there, but when he saw that she was still in the same spot three days later, he called PETA. After making several phone calls to the auction company owner, we were able to convince him to euthanize the dying cow and spare her from one moment more of suffering.

Unfortunately, neither "downers" nor this kind of treatment of them is unusual on factory farms, at auctions, or at slaughterhouses. By simply swapping meat-based dishes for their scrumptious, meatless counterparts, we can avoid supporting facilities that treat living beings like broken-down farm equipment.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

We don't know how long several horses on a property in rural Iowa spent mired in their own waste, but when a witness alerted PETA to their plight, the horses' barn floor was covered with manure up to 4 feet deep in some places.

PETA's Cruelty Investigations Department contacted local animal control officers immediately, and the agency forced the property owner to improve the horses' situation. It took several visits from law-enforcement officials, but the continued pressure was enough to convince the owner to build a spacious new barn. The horses now have a clean, new living space and plenty of pasture to graze.

If you notice an animal who is forced to live in filth or who is in trouble in any way, contact police and/or animal control, and follow up—repeatedly, if necessary—to make sure that the animal gets help. (You can look up the number now and save it to your cell phone or post it on your fridge to be prepared for emergencies.) If you do not get an appropriate response, let us know.

Written by Heather Faraid Drennan

Look at the photo below and you'll see her—in between the fertilizer spreader and the recycling bin. No, that's not a stuffed rabbit in the tiny cage behind the plastic toy truck—that's a living, breathing being consigned to a miserable, lonely existence along with the other things people stick outside and forget about. This rabbit was never allowed out of the cramped metal cage, and aside from her owner's tossing her some food and water once in awhile, she never received any attention at all.

A concerned person saw the bunny and knew that with the harsh northern winter already knocking on the door and only an open staircase for "shelter," the rabbit might not live to see another Easter. She tried talking the owner into surrendering the rabbit to her, to no avail. She called PETA for help, and working with local law enforcement, we put pressure on the owner to provide a suitable home for the rabbit. The owner soon tired of hearing from both PETA and the police and agreed to surrender the rabbit into her rescuer's waiting arms.

Now the bunny is living the sweet life indoors because of one woman's persistence and dedication to justice for animals. She is proof positive that even if you can't change the entire world, with a little work, you can change one animal's entire world. 

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Every year, PETA's Community Animal Project (CAP) and Cruelty Investigations Department (CID) transform the lives of thousands of animals, often turning bleak existences into happy endings.

Take this too-cute-for-words fellow, Max. His owner called PETA for a free doghouse. When our CAP team arrived to assess Max's needs, they discovered that his only shelter was a television stand. And he had no life at all! Chaining is prohibited in Max's town, so the owner gave him up, but the loneliness, frustration, and harsh elements that plague millions of chained dogs hadn't yet killed this puppy's appreciation for human beings—just look at his face!

Fishing hurts, and in this next case, it mutilated a cat. Moby was discovered by a teenager who brought him home and then realized that a fishing hook was impaled in the cat's lip. The girl called PETA for help. We rushed Moby to a veterinarian, who determined that the hook had been there for days and that Moby's injury was infected. Moby is now purring through his recovery at PETA headquarters and has an excellent home lined up for him after his stray-holding period is up.

Now, we'd like to thank you, in advance, for taking action on behalf of animals: Scout your neighborhood to find that injured or homeless cat who might be hiding under a car; enlighten the owners of that defeated dog who crouches, 24/7, in the corner of a backyard; or support our work to help suffering animals like those described above. You could very well be some animal's only hope, and your determination to help them can make happily-ever-after rescues like these happen in your own neighborhood.

Written by Karin Bennett

The folks in PETA's Cruelty Investigations Department are looking for the cruel, cowardly individual who apparently forced this dog to fight, beat her, shot her in the chest, and left her tied to a tree by an extension cord earlier this week—and they need everyone's help!

PETA is adding up to $3,000 to the Danville Area Humane Society's $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever committed this violent crime. Fliers with the dog's photo and the words "DO YOU KNOW THIS DOG?" are also going up all around Danville, Virginia, where the animal was found covered in bruises and puncture wounds. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Danville Area Humane Society.

This case is a reminder of why it's so vital to report cruelty to animals before it's too late. We can't undo this poor dog's suffering, but we might prevent other animals from meeting similar fates by keeping our eyes open for animals in need, being "nosy neighbors," trusting our instincts, and always alerting police and animal control officials right away if we know or suspect that animals are being abused or neglected.

Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post

This story's got it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's just sort of in reverse order. Think: bad beginning but great ending for a few hundred fish and snails!

On an average day, PETA's Cruelty Investigations Department receives dozens of phone calls from caring individuals who have witnessed—and wish to report—cases of animal abuse. One recent tip came from a Wal-Mart customer, who overheard employees say that the store was undergoing renovations and that it would no longer be selling fish. In theory, that's good news. Unsold fish would have been “dry-bagged,” causing them to suffocate to death.

Our Cruelty Investigations Department immediately swam into action. The result: Wal-Mart agreed to give all the fish to PETA, and our staff rushed to pick them up—with no time to spare. Several hundred fish and snails were removed and many are now living in the lap of luxury with PETA staffers.

This is, I'm sure, a welcome change for the fish, who are intelligent little animals (they can even eavesdrop just as we do!).

While we ordinarily would never advocate putting any fish in a tank, these little guys—who would have suffered a prolonged, terrifying death—are now swimming, jumping, and diving their way around their new spacious tanks, which are full of plants, clean water and shipwreck loads of stimulation to keep them happy. Thanks to the PETA staffers who have graciously provided these fish with a great new home!

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky