Many law enforcement officers are not familiar with animal laws - so make the information accessible to them. Request that the case be given a case number and request that a report be written, even if formal charges are not filed. This will allow you to follow up on the action taken on the case more easily and request copies of reports. This also creates a paper trail for repeated abuse scenarios. Let the officer know you expect charges to be filed if the law is being broken.
Owners can release custody of animals in place of charges.
Request follow up on the situation if the animal is left there and no charges are filed. Make sure to follow up on the case and request a copy of the reports or charges. This helps with accountability and if you have to report the incident again, you can refer to previous action taken. Laws and ordinances that protect animals have to be given equal consideration to other laws. Law enforcement cannot arbitrarily decide which laws they will enforce.