START - St. Louis Animal Rights Team

We can't contain our excitement... THE CROSS-REPORTING BILL WAS JUST SIGNED INTO LAW!

Whether you contacted your legislator, testified at a hearing, or donated to our cross-reporting efforts - you played a role in passing this legislation, and you played a role in saving the lives of Missouri's most vulnerable.

What this means:

🐶 By establishing a dedicated hotline, Missouri’s HB 2292 ensures that frontline human service professionals - like teachers, social workers, and police officers - are legally mandated to report suspected animal abuse and neglect. This vital mechanism intercepts cruelty early by utilizing trained eyes already inside vulnerable homes, providing a legal shield and voice for pets who cannot speak for themselves.
👧🏻 The bill leverages the well-documented link between animal cruelty and child abuse, equipping animal control officers and humane investigators as mandated reporters who can quickly alert Missouri's Children's Division to households where minors are at risk. By turning field officers into active lookouts for signs of abuse and neglect in children, HB 2292 pierces the veil of secretive child abuse before it is too late.
👴🏽 By training and requiring animal control officers and humane investigators to recognize the signs of human mistreatment, HB 2292 ensures that the abuse of our seniors will more often be uncovered and reported. Because animal abuse and neglect is frequently a precursor or co-occurring sign of domestic harm to elders or self-neglect, these frontline officers serve as a safety net for vulnerable older adults.

Please thank bill sponsors Rep. Holly Jones at 573-751-7535 and Senator Tracy McCreery at 573-751-9762 for their incredible work on this bill!