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FAQ ***the term authorities refers to police officers and animal control officers.
Q. I contacted authorities to report cruelty and was told they do not have the time or money to investigate. The animal is still being abused. What can I do? A. This the the number one complaint we receive and the animal will continue to be in jeopardy unless authorities take action. Immediately contact someone high in authority within the agency and insist they take action. Lack of time or money is never an excuse not to investigate. If they still refuse to investigate, file a formal complaint against the agency and remind them they are mandated by law to investigate, that you are a tax payer and you pay their salary and that you insist they investigate. Most importantly, remind them the animal is a victim that has no voice, and cannot dial 911, that it relies on humans to protect it from abuse. If you lodge a complaint over the telephone,follow up in writing. Paper trails are important when trying to get action in animal cruelty cases,and it can show a continual pattern of gross negligence or neglect of duty on the part of authorities.
Q. I reported a chained dog that was very skinny and did not appear to have food or water. Authorities told me they spoke with the people and educated them on proper care. Why are authorities trying to educate? A. Unfortunately authorities feel compelled to do what is best for the human and not the animal. We would like to see authorities spend less time educating and more time investigating and referring cases to the prosecutors office. When we go up against authorities that spend too much time trying to educate, we ask them if they educate bank robbers not to rob banks again. It continues to dumbfound us that officers will see blatant violations of state or local cruelty laws, but insist on educating the perpetrator. Our experience has been that most people that abuse or neglect animals do not change their ways. Educating them is simply a waste of time.
Q. I filed a complaints against an agency that did not take me seriously when I tried to report cruelty. They made me feel guilty for even reporting the abuse, and tried to make me feel stupid. The animal is still suffering. What other options do I have? When an agency is lazy and refuses to investigate they will often turn the tables on the witness in an attempt to make the witness go away. You will need to become very thick skinned to go up against the powers to be, but stay your ground, because the animal needs you to be the voice. Become a squeaky wheel and don't give up until the animal is removed from the abusive situation. Hold authorities accountable! Continue to file complaints until action is taken
Q. I tried to report animal cruelty to authorities but they refused to take the information stating that it was hearsay because I heard about the abuse through a friend that was afraid to report it. How can I get help for the animal? A. The authorities were wrong not to investigate. Hearsay is determined by a Judge, not police officers or animal control officers. Animal control officers and police officers are mandated by law to investigate, even when the information comes from a 2nd or 3rd party. Contact someone higher up in the department and lodge a complaint against the individual that would not take the report, and demand that someone investigate the abuse immediately.
Q. I saw a woman beating a dog and reported it immediately to authorities, but they told me they could not do anything until the dog was actually dead, because while the dog was still alive it was considered a piece of property and the owner could do whatever they wanted to. Is this true? A. . The next time you are told this, ask them if you saw a baby being beaten would they want you to wait until the baby was dead. Beating a dog is illegal.You need to educate them that someone that can beat a defenseless animal has the propensity to become violent towards humans. Tell them they need to investigate the crime before it becomes a violent act toward a human, and remind them the dog has no voice, and that law enforcement is suppose to be the voice for defenseless animals. Most importantly, remind authorities, that they are breaking the law by not investigating!
Q. Each time I have contacted the police department to report animal cruelty they refer me to animal control. Why can 't police officers investigate? A. Not only can they investigate, under Michigan law they are required to investigate. Many times police agencies will refer people to animal control because they don't want to handle the case or they feel animal control knows more about handling cruelty cases. Some cities have it written into their ordinances that their officers or animal control can handle cruelty cases. We feel police officers are more equipped to handle all animal cruelty cases,and that they should only utilize animal control as a resource to assist them in the case. We have found that police officers are better trained in collecting evidence and interviewing and interrogating witnesses and suspects, whereas animal control officers are not. Animal cruelty cases involve a crime scene and animal control officers have minimal training in the area of crime scenes. Animal control officers are better trained in the areas of animal behavior and animal handling. They have their place in cruelty investigations, however we do not want them as the main investigators.
Q. Because animal control officers deal strictly with animal issues, it seems that they would be the most suitable to handle animal cruelty. Why do police officers even need to be involved? A. Animal control officers can play a role in cruelty investigations. However we feel they should not be the lead investigators in cruelty cases. Police offers have more training in investigate work and because animal cruelty involves processing a crime scene, we feel police officers should handle cruelty and bring in animal control to assist them. We are aware of a few animal control agencies around the country that are top notch in cruelty investigations,but they are rare.
Q. In the State of Michigan, how many continuing education classes are animal control officers required to obtain? A. Zero. Animal control officers in Michigan receive minimal training through the National Animal Control Association. Animal control agencies usually fall under the jurisdiction of the County, governed by County Commissioners. It has been our experience that most county governments do not want to put any time or money into animal control agencies. Until registered voters speak up and voice to their commissioners or their elected officials at the state level that they want continuing education for animal control officers, you will continue to see under trained officers. We do know of some agencies that do send their animal control officers to seminars and conferences, but Kalamazoo County rarely does so. We obtained the personnel files of animal control employees and was appalled at the lack of training.
Q. Is there anyone that I can contact to demand more training for animal control officers? A. Yes, contact your elected officials at the state and local level. Also contact the Michigan Association of Animal Control Officers and ask them to list on their website those agencies that attend their annual conferences. Ask them to post it year from year so citizens can see which agencies send officers on a regular basis.
Q. My county officials told me that with the way the economy is, that they can't afford more training for officers. Is this true? A. No. During better economic times, animal control agencies were still not getting funding for more training. Get involved in your local politics, read the newspapers, and attend your city and county commission meetings.. You might be surprised to see that your elected officials have plenty of money to give themselves raises, but yet claim they can't spend $150.00 to send an officer to a training conference. We see this all the time in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Animals won't be a priority in Kalamazoo County until registered voters demand it.
Q. Where can I learn more about getting involved in politics to help animals? A. We recommend reading, “Get Political for Animals and Win the Laws they Need “, by Julie Lewin.
Q. I reported a chained dog that was very skinny and did not appear to have food or water. Authorities told me they spoke with the people and educated them on proper care. Why are authorities trying to educate? A. Unfortunately authorities feel compelled to do what is best for the human and not the animal. We would like to see authorities spend less time educating and more time investigating and referring cases to the prosecutors office. When we go up against authorities that spend too much time trying to educate, we ask them if they educate bank robbers not to rob banks again. It continues to dumbfound us that officers will see blatant violations of state or local cruelty laws, but insist on educating the perpetrator. Our experience has been that most people that abuse or neglect animals do not change their ways. Educating them is simply a waste of time.
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A good felony anti-cruelty law should: |
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