The Pet-Abuse.Com interactive animal cruelty maps are a unique tool that allows the public to get a visual representation of the amount of animal cruelty in their state or city. While our mapping success rate is usually in the range of 70% and up, there are cases that we are unable to map. For this reason, the maps are not intended to be a replacement for the animal cruelty database or animal abuser search.
Why Some Cases Aren't Mapped
Not every case listed in a state will appear on the map, and there are several reasons for this. In some instances, that state is not finished being mapped. The mapping process is extremely labor-intensive. The address of the crime must be tracked down if it is not already included in the case details, and then a latitide and longitude point must be assigned to that address. All of this is done manually, and takes considerable time. If a state is not yet completed, please be patient - we are working quickly to get all 50 states mapped.
Another possible reason for a case not appearing on the map is that we are unable to find a latitude/longitude match for the address. This is most common in more rural areas where individuals have rural route addresses instead of street addresses.
Additionally, if the cruelty occurred at a location without a specific identifying address, such as a large park or lake, we may be unable to map it. If the location details of the case are somewhat vague, such as "by railroad tracks", or "at a gas station", with no street reference, we will often be unable to map the case.
How You Can Help
If you are interested in helping with this project, please consider making a donation. Pet-Abuse.Com is funded entirely by public donations, and our work would not be possible without the help of concerned animal advocates like you. If you're interested in seeing how your donations help, please visit the Where Your Money Goes page - and be sure to stop by the quick tour to see an overview of all of the free services we provide to shelters, rescues, law enforcement and animal advocates across the globe.
If you are unable to make a financial donation, there are still ways to help! You can start by contacting your local department of Animal Control or Humane Law Enforcement, and let them know about this project. Ask them to consider working with us - and encourage them to contact us for more information. All of the information we require is freely available under the Freedom of Information Act, so there is no risk of repurcussions if they choose to get involved.
Browser Compatibility
Maps not displaying? While we do intend for these maps to be accessible by as many viewers as possible, we are aware that there are some browsers that will not display the maps properly, or at all, most specifically in some Mac-based browsers. We will be addressing this issue and attempting to resolve any browser incompatibilities, however in the meantime, we ask that you try alternate browsers to view the maps.
Javascript is currently required to display the maps, however we may transition into a non-javascript dependent method in the future.
Slower connection? The maps do take up to a minute or more to load, even on high speed connections, depending upon the number of cases plotted within the region you are viewing. The more plotted cases, the longer the loading time. This is a known issue, and while we are investigating ways to reduce the map rendering time, we appreciate your patience!