FBI Said to Begin Tracking Animal Cruelty Cases

The FBI will begin tracking animal cruelty cases just as they track other crimes, Wayne Pacelle of The Humane Society of the United States said in a blog post Tuesday, reports USA Today .

Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said John Thompson with the National Sheriffs' Association told him that Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comer has signed off on including animal cruelty offenses in the Uniform Crime Report.

Local agencies will also track cruelty cases to report to the FBI, said Pacelle's blog.

"No longer will extremely violent cases be included in the "other offense" category simply because the victims were animals. Just as the FBI tracks hate crimes and other important categories, we will now have critical data on animal cruelty," said Pacelle.