PAWS: Report Animal Cruelty

Tips On Writing Letters

PAWS offers the following guidelines when contacting elected officials and members of law enforcement about suspected cruelty or neglect. These guidelines can be used for writing letters or sending e-mails. Please send a copy of the letter to PAWS, at PO Box 1037, Lynnwood, WA 98046, Attention: Advocacy.

Remember that all elected officials and members of law enforcement must operate within the law. If you are unsure of the laws in your area, many can be found on the web at www.mrsc.org or at your local library. You can also reference the ordinances in your letter to support your statement. When writing a letter, we suggest the following:

1. Discuss only one issue or incident in the letter. If there are several connected incidents, present them chronologically.

2. Keep to the facts, and keep it short. One page is best, and two pages is the maximum.

3. If a case has already been opened, reference the case number as this will allow them to get additional facts from the file.

4. State the purpose of your letter in the first paragraph.

5. Support your information with facts, not emotions. Include names and contact information of any known witnesses.

6. Always be polite. Use the proper form for the address and salutation that includes their title (Officer, Chief, Prosecuting Attorney, Council Member, etc.).

7. State clearly what you want the person to do - initiate an investigation, interview a witness, go see the animal, or contact the animal control officer involved.

8. Never threaten ("I won't vote for you if..."). Asking them to do their job is within your right as a citizen, but it is never appropriate to threaten or use foul language in a letter.

9. Always include your name and address on both the envelope and the letter. If you want them to call you, be sure to include your area code and phone number.

If you arrange a meeting:

1. Make an appointment and arrive on time.

2. If you are going with a group of people, decide ahead of time who will be the spokesperson, and let them know how many people will be attending the meeting.

3. Dress conservatively and professionally.

4. Have your facts and information written out (use guidelines above) and have a copy for them.

5. If they agree to any action, write it down and politely repeat what you understand they have committed to doing.

6. Ask for follow-up. A phone call or e-mail to keep you informed will help ensure the issue is not forgotten.

For more information on letter writing and to download various sample letters visit these links:

www.hsus.org - Type "writing letters" or "sample letters" into the search field for examples of various letters to Prosecutors, Legislators, Judges, etc.

www.peta.org/alert/tkit.html - To view sample letters and request a guide to letter writing packet.

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