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Preventing Animal Cruelty

Investigating Cruelty 101

Robyn M. Watts, Esq.

Educating law enforcement officers.

It's a Saturday morning and the classroom is packed. Topics listed on the chalkboard include "Recognizing Animal Abuse," "Gathering Evidence of Animal Abuse" and "Interviewing the Suspected Animal Abuser." Obviously, this is not a college course or a general adult enrichment program. Instead, the participants are a select group of law enforcement officers, animal control officers, prosecutors, judges and legislators. The instructors are ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) Officers, and they are presenting a full-day training course on animal abuse investigations.

When they aren't out in the field investigating cases throughout the five boroughs of New York City, the ASPCA's 14 HLE Officers criss-cross the nation to impart what they have learned from years of experience.

Lessons Learned

The ASPCA has been investigating animal abuse for more than 136 years in New York City, the most populated metropolis in the country. Now, the ASPCA's Humane Law Enforcement department has begun to actively teach what it knows about investigating these crimes to other animal welfare and law enforcement organizations.

Two of the ASPCA's HLE officers in particular - Special Investigators Mark MacDonald and Annemarie Lucas - have been leading seminars in such places as Albany, New York; Memphis, Tennessee; Portland, Oregon; and Lansing, Michigan. These two officers together have 35 years of experience - Investigator MacDonald has been with the ASPCA since 1974 and Investigator Lucas since 1995.

In her presentation, Lucas uses an actual case that took place in Brooklyn in 1999 as a springboard for a discussion of the investigation process and techniques. The case is a riveting tale of a German shepherd puppy named Cherokee who was repeatedly beaten and hog-tied by his owner over the course of six months. Lucas discusses each step of the investigation - from receiving a complaint of alleged abuse over the telephone, arriving at the scene, interviewing the suspect, establishing ownership and control over the dog, seizing the animal, and gathering medical evidence with veterinarians, all the way through to the arrest. She also discusses what happens after the arrest, including the continued gathering of evidence and statements, preparing evidence for trial, testifying at hearings and the trial, the conviction, sentencing, and finally, finding a new home for the animal.

MacDonald's presentation is more general and covers all aspects of the investigation process. He explains how to recognize animal abuse, which is not always obvious. He outlines the various types of cruelty: active, physical abuse and passive abuse, which is the failure to provide food, water, shelter, grooming and medical care. He also advises how to safely approach and handle animals, how to gather evidence, how to interview suspects and the types of written forms the ASPCA has found useful.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If you represent an animal welfare organization with law enforcement powers, or a law enforcement agency, and would like the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement department to present a seminar or participate in a conference, call (212) 876-7700, or send your request with specifics on your organization to enforcement@aspca.org.

Preparing for Disasters

Rounding out MacDonald's presentation is a discussion of disaster preparedness for animals. Throughout its history, the ASPCA has been at the forefront in responding to disasters involving animals. But according to MacDonald, nothing in the ASPCA's background prepared it to face the tragedy of the collapse of the World Trade Center in September 2001. In discussing the ASPCA's experience during that tragedy and its aftermath, he emphasizes what was learned for future preparedness, particularly when it comes to coordinating groups, people, animals, medical care and information during a time of overwhelming crisis and chaos.

The seminar on this particular Saturday ends and the participants depart, carrying back to their own communities and police departments more insight than they previously had on the subject of animal abuse. It is the ASPCA's hope that these individuals will integrate what they have learned into their own investigative techniques and help enforce the laws that exist to protect animals.

Robyn M. Watts, Esq., is a consultant on issues of animal rights and animal cruelty.

Courtesy of
ASPCA
424 East 92nd St.
New York, NY 10128-6804
(212) 876-7700
www.aspca.org