Animal Law
- 1. Carriage Horse Protection in New York City
- 2. New York Beats Animal Abuse
- 3. Beware of Breed Bans
- 4. Calgary's Animal Laws Win the Gold
- 5. Animal Welfare Law in New York
- 6. Lab Animal Protection Under Fire
- 7. Humane Law Enforcement in Illinois
- 8. Legal Rights for Animals
- 9. Dangerous Dog Legislation
Humane Law Enforcement in Illinois
Ledy VanKavage, Esq.
Learning the Law of Lincolns Land
This chilling scenario is all too familiar: A concerned citizen calls 911 complaining about a neighbor who is abusing a dog or cat. The police refer the call to animal control. The animal control warden arrives on the scene and retrieves the body of the dead pet. The authorities soon forget about the incident, but not so the humanitarian who called in the complaint. He is outraged at the lack of investigation and prosecution and goes to the media for help.
One State at a Time
In Illinois, this gross lack of animal welfare enforcement is changing. Thanks to a cooperative effort among the ASPCAs Midwest Government Affairs office, the states Department of Agriculture and the Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, the attitude of state and local police regarding animal abuse investigation in the Land of Lincoln is improving.
For starters, the lines of communication between the Midwest office and the Illinois police are being strengthened so that the officers are kept abreast of new and existing animal laws. Because the Humane Care for Animals Act is not included in the criminal code book, some police officers arent even aware that it exists. To better educate law enforcement agents, the A has teamed up with police mobile training units and the Department of Agriculture (which oversees the Humane Care for Animals Act and employs a number of animal cruelty investigators) to hold free classes on animal law for officers throughout the state. The first class, held in Granite City in fall 2000, drew more than 50 police officers and animal control participants.
The citys police chief, Dave Ruebhausen, has seen several cases of animal torture in his community. He asked his officers to volunteer for animal abuse cases and attend the training session. Now when an animal abuse call comes into Granite City, an officer responds to the scene and takes immediate action. The case is then referred to an officer trained in the states animal law for further investigation. Chief Ruebhausen personally reviews all reports of animal abuse to make sure the case was handled properly. My guys know that in an abuse case, I want someone going to jail, Ruebhausen emphasizes. Eventually, he hopes to have an officer on every shift trained specifically to handle animal law.
In East Alton, Illinois, police chief Richard Brown didnt view the training course as a priority, but changed his mind and reprioritized calls involving animal abuse after attending the course. More police administrators need to attend this training and see the link between animal abuse and human violence, Brown says.
A Bill Becomes a Law
As the animal abuse investigation classes were gaining popularity, a groundbreaking bill, sponsored by Rep. Tom Dart and Sen. Larry Bomke, was winding its way through the state legislature. The bill was unique in that it mandated psychological counseling for animal hoarders and juveniles convicted of animal neglect or cruelty. It also allowed police to seize and auction off vehicles used in animal fighting. The Midwest office of the A spearheaded the effort to get this humane bill passed. Its hard work paid off when Governor George Ryan signed the bill into law last August.
It does the animals absolutely no good if a humane bill is passed and the people who are supposed to enforce it dont even know it exists. The goal of the ASPCA is to remedy that problem by training police officers about new and existing laws, states Lisa Weisberg, senior vice president of ASPCA Government Affairs and Public Policy. We want to see people who abuse or neglect animals dealt with to the full extent of the law. Police officers should take these cases seriously, and the crime should be investigated just like any other felony.
The police academy in Springfield, Illinois, has joined in this effort by inviting the A and the Department of Agriculture to teach its cadets and recruits a one-hour course in animal law. If the academy makes this class mandatory, Illinois will set a precedent for other states to follow.
Abraham Lincoln once said, I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being. Thanks to the humanitarians in Illinois, Lincolns legacy is beginning to be fulfilled.
Ledy VanKavage, Esq., is the director of Midwest Government Affairs and Public Policy for the ASPCA.
© 2002
ASPCA Animal Watch - Spring 2002
Courtesy of
ASPCA
424 East 92nd St.
New York, NY 10128-6804
(212) 876-7700
www.aspca.org
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Legal Rights for Animals
