Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act of 2025

This bill creates a new team inside the Department of Justice to enforce federal animal cruelty laws. The team’s job is to investigate and prosecute these crimes and help make sure cases move faster and are handled by experts. Lawmakers point out that animal cruelty is often linked to other serious crimes and can even spread disease when animals are forced to fight, so stronger enforcement can help communities stay safer.

The new team will work with other federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture (and its Inspector General), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, and Customs and Border Protection. It must also send Congress a yearly report that counts how many cases were charged, how many led to convictions, and how many investigations did not result in charges. The first report is due one year after this becomes law.

• Who is affected: People who commit animal cruelty, federal law enforcement, and communities linked to these crimes.
• What changes: A dedicated Justice Department unit focuses on animal cruelty cases, coordinates across agencies, and reports results each year.
• When: Annual reporting starts one year after the bill becomes law.