Louisiana SPCA Partners with 911/311 for Animal Control

Beginning immediately, the Louisiana SPCA is asking all Orleans Parish residents to report animal control complaints to 3-1-1 and animal emergencies to 9-1-1 because of the organization’s new partnership with the Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD).

Contracted by the City of New Orleans, the Louisiana SPCA’s New Orleans Humane Law & Rescue is an essential service that is vital to keeping the community safe. Partnering with OPCD allows the Louisiana SPCA to improve efficiencies relating to animal control response, including new in-vehicle location and communication technology, greater coordinated response between Humane Law & Rescue and NOFD, NOPD and EMS, and 24/7 communications support for residents in need of animal control services.

“Since 1888, the Louisiana SPCA has enforced animal cruelty laws in New Orleans,” says Louisiana SPCA CEO, Ana Zorrilla. “We are always looking for ways to improve our efficiently and collaborate with other City entities to provide high-quality, compassionate care to the animals in our community and to keep our residents safe.”

While responding to animal control calls is restricted to Orleans Parish, the Louisiana SPCA’s animal cruelty work is not limited by parish boundaries. For large scale cruelty cases, the Humane Law & Rescue team is often called to assist national organizations with dog fighting busts, puppy mill raids and investigations. Along with The ASPCA and UC Davis, the organization is a founding member of the Canine Combined DNA Index System that is used to combat dog fighting nationwide.

To report animal control violations and request animal control services, the public is asked to call 3-1-1 for non-emergency complaints and 9-1-1 for emergencies. Humane Law & Rescue Officers will respond to emergency calls 24/7 and is contracted by the City to respond to non-emergency calls Tuesday-Friday from noon to 5 p.m. as a result of the City’s budgetary challenges stemmed from COVID-19.