Citizens Can Report Animal Abuse with App

By Taylor Cairns, CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

An animal is abused every 10 seconds in the United States, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

A new app called ICE Black Box allows people to record animal cruelty and send notifications to authorities. The National Sheriffs’ Association and the Humane Society of the United States have partnered in backing ICE Black Box as a way to proactively take a stand against animal abuse.

“People love animals, and they love to protect animals,” Ed Horcasitas, CEO of ICE Black Box, told Capital News Service. Horcasitas is also a technical advisor to the National Sheriffs’ Association.

A report of abuse may include video that would be stored for potential prosecution. “It would come to our patrol center, and then they would forward that video and information to the prosecutor,” National Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director John Thompson said.

People should still report animal cruelty to police, the app’s developers told WJLA, because ICE Black Box is not a substitute for but rather a supplement in reporting incidents to law enforcement.

Get more information about ICE Black Box here.

Screenshot from YouTube video by Capital News Service.