Crime Stoppers and the Harris County District Attorney's Office want to hear from you if you know of any animal abuse -- not only because cruelty to animals is illegal, but also because people who abuse animals are more likely to commit crimes against people.
Sammy's hip bones jut out and his rib cage is showing -- a reminder that the horse is a survivor of animal abuse.
"We call him Sammy because he was taken from Sam Houston Tollway. He was starved, his hooves are in horrible shape," Sherry Ferguson with Houston Humane Society said.
On Monday, Crime Stoppers, Houston PetSet, Houston Humane Society and newly sworn-in DA Devon Anderson came together to speak out against animal abuse.
"Citizens in Harris County, they see these pictures, they see these poor animals. They will hammer you," Anderson said.
Sammy was just one of the abuse survivors at the news conference. Wilma is a poodle rescued from a puppy mill.
"She has now no teeth; she can't see," Ferguson said. "She's blind in one eye."
And Genie was thrown at the sidewalk by kids when she was just a kitten. She lost an eye in the attack.
"She now resides as our feline mascot at the Houston Humane Society," Ferguson said.
Prosecuting crimes against animals can have an impact on crime rates against people. In a study out of Northeastern University, researchers found 70 percent of people who abused animals had criminal records and were five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans.
That's why Crime Stoppers wants to know if you've witnessed animal abuse.
"When a tip is called in, these criminals are turned in and taken off the streets," Crime Stoppers Executive Director Rania Mankarious said.
The hope is that the animals who were abused will find forever homes.
"No animal deserves not to have a safe and loving place to be," Ferguson said.
If you have any possible case of animal abuse to report, you can call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. All tipsters remain anonymous.
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