Chances are, if you are aware of someone abusing a spouse or family member you know who to call. You call the police in that circumstance. But what if you see someone abusing an animal? As it turns out, your recourse is the same. 

Many people's first instinct when they see an animal suffering is to call the Humane Society. While the society will do everything they can for animals, their President in Estevan will tell you you're better off calling the police in that circumstance. 

"They are supposed to report that directly to the police," said Tayaj Lakustra, President of the Estevan Humane Society. "We don't have any authority to come in and take animals off of people's property. We are basically the holding facility for the city and people that come in and relinquish their own pets."

So Lakustra recommends people reach out to the police if they suspect animal abuse is taking place and let the police make that determination. Once the police investigate and find animal abuse is happening, that's when the shelter comes into play. 

"They would most likely come to us," she said, "and most likely once the case goes through courts if that's the way it goes, we would have to hold it until then. Once it's released and deemed into our care, then they're able to be adopted out."

The good news for Estevan is that this process, so far during Lakustra's time with the Humane Society, has been just a theoretical process. Lakustra can't recall any cases in the southeast going that far in her time there.

"Not that I've ever heard of in the last two years," she said. "I've only been on the board for two years and I've had no knowledge of that ever happening. I don't know how good our laws are on animal cruelty in Canada in general, there's a lot of work there that could be done too."