Humane Investigations Department

What We Do

Humane Investigations

Lake Humane Society provides protection to the animals of Lake County through our Humane Investigations Department. The Lake Humane Society Agent, who is appointed by the Lake County Probate Court, works together with local law enforcement to fight animal cruelty and neglect across all of Lake County. In the state of Ohio, a Humane Agent is empowered to enforce state laws regarding animal cruelty. Please note that the Lake Humane Society Agent only has jurisdiction in Lake County, Ohio. Like all programs and services offered by our organization, our Humane Investigations Department runs solely on donations as we receive no outside funding for this department. This means that all expenses related to this department, from equipment to attorney fees to staff wages, are dependent on donations.

What You Can Do

If you believe you’ve witnessed suspected animal abuse, neglect or cruelty in Lake County, Ohio, please contact our Humane Investigations Department at (440) 951-6122, extension 105. If you are witnessing a violent animal crime or if LHS is closed and an animal is in severe distress and immediate intervention is needed, contact your local police department for immediate assistance. When leaving a message, please provide an accurate street address, description of the animal(s), a detailed description of the situation, and your name and phone number. The Humane Investigations Department receives hundreds of calls each year and responds to every call in order of urgency. If you leave a report and the situation worsens, please call back and update the information.

Contact Our Humane Investigations Department

Ohio Animal Cruelty Laws

View the Ohio laws regarding animal cruelty below Cruelty to Animals

ORC 959.13

Cruelty to Companion Aniamls

A “companion animal” means any animal that is kept inside a residential dwelling and any dog or cat regardless of where it is kept. “Companion animal” does not include livestock or any wild animal.

ORC 959.131

LHS Closed to the public

Updated: 12/20/22

Last week, in cooperation with a local police department, Lake Humane Society aided in the rescue of six animals from a humane investigation. Unfortunately, one of the dogs from the rescue has tested positive for the canine parvovirus. The dog is in quarantine and currently doing well under treatment.
Because this disease spreads rapidly, and has a 14-day incubation period, out of an abundance of caution for the health of LHS’s animal population, LHS shelter is closed for the next 14 days. The next two weeks will allow our staff to monitor and assess the health of our animals. We will provide updates as they become available.
Canine parvovirus is a rapidly contagious viral disease that can affect any and all dogs that have not been fully vaccinated. It is vitally important that LHS prioritizes the health and well-being of the animals, staff and volunteers within our shelter walls and yours at home. LHS vaccinates all dogs that haven’t been vaccinated on arrival in an effort to protect them from many diseases, parvovirus being one of them, and clean the shelter with disinfectants to combat the spread of disease.
We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for supporting our mission in protecting pets and people.
We will be doing adoptions with our animals that are fully vaccinated and showing no signs of illness. Some restrictions will apply, however, if you are interested in adopting, please email adopt@lakehumane.org so our team can discuss in more detail.
REGARDING AUGGIES PET FOOD PANTRY: we will still be operating Wednesday, December 21st from 1-3pm as the annex building has not been exposed to parvo.