And Law Enforcement Crimes Against Animals Are Crimes Against People
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&DEPUTY 2019 Special Issue: Animal Cruelty THE “LINK” AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMES AGAINST ANIMALS ARE CRIMES AGAINST PEOPLE SHERIFFS.ORG/NLECAA ALSO INSIDE: The Day America Realized There is a Big Cat Crisis ................. pg10 Evidence in Animal Cruelty Cases: What Prosecutors Want ..... pg14 A Dog in the Closet ............. pg20 Saddled with the Bill: Restitution for Seized Animals’ Costs of Care .................................... pg23 THE “LINK” AND LAW ENFORCEMENT: CRIMES AGAINST ANIMALS ARE CRIMES AGAINST PEOPLE 6 Cover image by Virgil Ocampo for Show Your Soft Side CONTENT 3 Crimes Against Animals Are Crimes 20 A Dog in the Closet 30 Investigating Hypothermia in Against Our Communities By Jill Hollander Dogs: A Guide for Law Enforcement By Sheriff John Layton Provided by the Humane Society of the 21 Healing Together: United States 4 The Changing Landscape of Sheltering Survivors of Domestic Animal Cruelty Violence with Their Pets 32 The Law Enforcement Guide: By John Thompson By Andrew M. Campbell What You Should Know About Bestiality 9 Training Police Officers 23 Saddled with the Bill: Restitution By M. Jenny Edwards to Identify Animal Cruelty Crimes for Seized Animals’ Cost of Care By Kitty Block By Kathleen Wood, Esq. 36 Best Practices in Animal Cruelty Investigations 10 The Day America Realized 26 From the Backyard to the By April Doherty and Martha Smith- There is a Big Cat Crisis Football Field: How Michael Vick Blackmore By Sheriff Matthew Lutz and Jennifer Leon Brought Animal Fighting to the Forefront and Why Law Enforcement 38 Law Enforcement Encounters 12 NIBRS Needs Both Law Should Care with Dogs Enforcement and Animal By Chelsea Rider By Jim Crosby Control Officers By Mary Lou Randour, Ph.D. 28 K-9 Partners in Hot Cars 40 Legal Considerations in Law By Sherry Ramsey, Esq. Enforcement-Dog Encounters 14 Evidence in Animal Cruelty Cases: By Chelsea Rider What Prosecutors Want 29 Investigating Heat-Related By Randall Lockwood, Ph.D. Illness and Death: A Guide for Law 42 Preparing for Pets Enforcement By Adam J. Ricci 16 The ASPCA/NYPD Partnership Provided by the Humane Society of the By Howard Lawrence United States 18 Animal Cruelty Resources for Law Enforcement SHERIFF & DEPUTY | 2019 SPECIAL ISSUE 1 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Sheriff Harold Eavenson Rockwall County, Texas PUBLICATION MANAGEMENT: Sheriff John Layton Immediate Past President The YGS Group Marion County, Indiana 3650 West Market Street Sheriff Greg Champagne President York, PA 17404 St. Charles Parish, Louisiana 717-505-9701 Sheriff Daron Hall Immediate Past President Davidson County, Tennessee theYGSgroup.com 1st Vice President BOARD MEMBERS SERVING [email protected] Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh ON EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Managing Editor Chester County, Pennsylvania Chelsea Rider, NSA Sheriff Michael J. Brown 2nd Vice President Bedford County, Virginia Vice President Sheriff David Mahoney Jack Davidson Sheriff Keith R. Cain Dane County, Wisconsin Daviess County, Kentucky Account Manager 3rd Vice President Brian Hershey Sheriff Mike Hale Sheriff Vernon P. Stanforth Jefferson County, Alabama Proofreader Fayette County, Ohio Andrew Bankert Secretary Sheriff Brad Riley Cabarrus County, North Carolina Creative Director Sheriff Ira Edwards Serena L. Spiezio Clarke County, Georgia Sheriff Ronald G. Spike Treasurer Yates County, New York Art Director Reynaldo Alvarado Sheriff Michael J. Brown Bedford County, Virginia Sergeant-at-Arms ©Copyright 2019 by the National Sheriffs’ Association. Reproduction BOARD OF DIRECTORS of any part of this magazine for commercial purposes without permission is strictly prohibited. Sheriff William Bohnyak Sheriff Ronald G. Spike* Sheriff & Deputy (ISSN 2471-3929) is published bimonthly begin- Orange County, Vermont Yates County, New York ning in January of each year by the National Sheriffs’ Association, 1450 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; (703) 836-7827. 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The publication of advertisement does not represent an endorsement of those products or services by the association. Sheriff Tim G. Fuller Sheriff Troy Wellman Submissions: We will consider for publication all photographs and Franklin County, Tennessee Moody County, South Dakota manuscripts, and particularly seek material that has an educational val- ue to law enforcement and correctional officers. If return of material Sheriff Mike Hale* Sheriff Leon N. Wilmot is requested, include a self-addressed stamped envelope. NSA is not Jefferson County, Alabama Yuma County, Arizona responsible for loss or damage of submissions. Material edited at the Association’s discretion. Sheriff Alex Hodge POSTMASTER: Send address changes to National Sheriffs’ Associa- Jones County, Mississippi tion, 1450 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3490. Copyright EX OFFICIO ISSO by the National Sheriffs’ Association, all rights reserved. Sheriff Christopher C. Kirk Jonathan F. Thompson, ADVERTISING: Contact The YGS Group, Natalie Matter Bellis, [email protected]. Brazos County, Texas Executive Director and CEO Sheriff Paul Laney Sheriff (Ret.) Dwight E. Radcliff, Cass County, North Dakota NSA Corporate Representative Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack Baldwin County, Alabama *Board member serving on Sheriff Brad Riley* NSA Executive Committee Cabarrus County, North Carolina All past presidents are members Sheriff Eric Severson of the Board of Directors Waukesha County, Wisconsin Sheriff Justin Smith Larimer County, Colorado Sheriff Steve Sparrow Oldham County, Kentucky 2 SHERIFF & DEPUTY | 2019 SPECIAL ISSUE CRIMES AGAINST ANIMALS ARE CRIMES AGAINST OUR COMMUNITIES Addressing animal cruelty is just one of the ways we ensure that we are fulfilling our duties to keep our communities safe Sheriff John Layton 2018–2019 NSA President y wife Laurie and I adopted our trip to New Orleans and picked up 17 dogs dog, Nellie, after hurricane Ka- to bring to Indiana in hopes of adoption. Mtrina hit Louisiana. Her previous Nellie was in that group, and were we ever owner had both abused and neglected her in happy! In searching for another rescue to her first year of life. Nellie somehow broke give a home after the loss of our previous free from her chain that was attached to a dog, Lucky, who was a puppy mill survivor, tree in her keeper’s backyard and was hit Laurie saw the photos of Nellie—happy, by a car in front of the house. According healthy, and jumping in the air with only to witnesses, the so-called keeper dragged three legs—and she fell in love. Laurie didn’t her into the backyard, only to chain her up ask me about adopting Nellie, she told me, again with an obvious left-front leg serious- “That’s the girl we’re going to get!” And we ly injured—no treatment whatsoever. Nellie did—immediately! The National Sheriffs’ Association has re- stayed chained at that location for several It was truly love at first sight, and Nellie sources out there to help through its National days, often crying in pain until neighbors is such a happy tripod now. She is pampered Law Enforcement Center on Animal Abuse had enough and called law enforcement. and special to all that meet her, but especial- (NLECAA). The Center was designed to be a When police arrived, they not only found ly to Laurie and me. Nellie is 9-years-old clearinghouse for law enforcement officers to her leg completely mangled, but the chain now, and her arthritis is setting in, as we go to when they’re faced with the oftentimes around her neck had been so tight, all the were told it would, but medication and lots unfamiliar territory of an animal cruelty case. hair was rubbed off and left her bloody. Her of love help offset the pain and hardship. NLECAA has the resources and connections owner was arrested, and Nellie went to an I’ve spent 45 years with the Marion to assist law enforcement agencies across the animal clinic for evaluation. County (Indiana) Sheriff ’s Office. The country, regardless of the issue—whether it’s The local FOX affiliate in New Orleans, sheriff ’s role is to protect and serve the an overt act of animal cruelty, a case of animal WVUE 8, picked up the story and ran community in which he or she resides, and fighting, or an instance of neglect or improper features on Nellie, including the arrest and while many times we get bogged down care of an animal. ultimate conviction of her owner. An anon- handling “human” cases, we cannot overlook This special issue of Sheriff & Deputy is ymous individual arrived at the clinic where the seriousness of crimes against the animals devoted to helping you, as a law enforcement Nellie was being cared for and wrote a blank in our communities. officer, recognize and respond to animal cru- check for any and all medical care asking Research has shown that animal cruelty elty in your communities. Every state has a the veterinarian to just “please save her leg.” doesn’t happen in a vacuum. These crimes law, or set of laws, addressing animal cruelty, Although she endured multiple surgeries are often happening concurrently with and it’s our responsibility as a law enforce- on the leg and shoulder, gangrene had set in other acts of violence, like domestic ment officer to enforce those laws, regardless before the rescue itself and her leg could not violence, child and elder abuse, assault, of the victim’s species.