Disclaimer: This is not meant to be legal advice. Please contact a local attorney or your local law enforcement for the particulars in your area. Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 11:17:05 -0500 From: Martin Bass To: "equinerescue@MyList.net" Subject: EQ-ResQ: Class: Basics Having been a police officer (and still am) for 18 years I have a lot of experience dealing with animal control, documentation of abuse/neglect, preparing for court cases and other law enforcement issues related to animal cruelty cases. First everyone must understand that most animal control officers are not trained to deal with equine. Many are just plain afraid of them because of their size. They usually rely on someone in the know when handling these types of calls. That's where you come in. You're the expert and the animal control people will usually accept your advice. Try to be professional around these officers, treat them with respect, don't belittle or yell at them. Remember you can "catch more flies with honey than vinegar," so try not to get frustrated with them just be patient and educate them on how to handle equine related cases. One of the things I learned to pack in my patrol car some years ago is a lead rope and halter. It lets the animal control officer know right away that he/she is dealing with some knowledgeable and they are much more comfortable once the animal is secured. Depending upon how well this is received I can post more on the other topics later Education is the answer! ============================================================ Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 14:32:02 -0400 From: Cris May To: equinerescue@MyList.net Subject: Re: EQ-ResQ: Class: Basics >>> Martin Bass 08/10 12:17 PM >>> First everyone must understand that most animal control officers are not trained to deal with equine. Beautifully put, Martin. This is exactly why Days End does 3 or more hand-on training sessions a year, to give AC personnel the knowledge they need to handle horses, and to be able to determine abuse. >Remember you can "catch more flies with honey than vinegar," so try not to get frustrated with them. This applies to owners of abused horses too, even if you're sure you're dealing with a bona fide jerk. If you p*** them off you won't be allowed anywhere near those horses again, and the horses are the losers. Using the "honey" approach may allow you to educate an owner who is simply ignorant, or to at least keep tabs on horses belonging to clearly abusive owners and perhaps alert animal control when the animals' condition has deteriorated to the point where there is no question as to abuse. Cris May Days End Farm Horse Rescue ============================================================ From: "Bill Adams" To: Subject: RE: EQ-ResQ: Class: Basics Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 21:45:00 -0400 Martin wrote: First everyone must understand that most animal control officers are not trained to deal with equine. Many are just plain afraid of them because of their size. They usually rely on someone in the know when handling these types of calls. That's where you come in. You're the expert and the animal control people will usually accept your advice. Try to be professional around these officers, treat them with respect, don't belittle or yell at them. Remember you can "catch more flies with honey than vinegar," so try not to get frustrated with them just be patient and educate them on how to handle equine related cases. You are absolutely right about this, and I am sure that this approach works most of the time. Animal control officers are often barraged with demands from all sides that cannot possibly be met. They have a system they must work within, and they can never resolve a situation fast enough to suit the people that are complaining about an animal's condition, nor slowly enough to suit the people that are alleged to have allowed (or perpetrated) the abuse. This is true no matter what type of animal you're talking about. Add an animal with the size of a horse and the housing needs of a horse, and the matter gets complicated x 10. Add the inexperience of someone who may not be familiar with horses, and multiply the complication x 10 again. Add the hostility the ACO faces from the accusers and the owners, and multiply the complication x 100000. No wonder they don't want to get involved. The amazing thing to me is that you can go to a humane group and offer them solutions to the problems of handling and housing a horse as well as the funding for its vet care and maintenance, and you still have a whole lot of humane organizations and ACOs that will not only NOT help you, but will actively discourage you....or worse....in your efforts. This is unthinkable, but it happens. I'm not trying to bash ACOs or any other officials here. I truly do believe that most of them try their best to do a really good job and are totally overwhelmed by the task and the constant flow of animals that need their help. However, I would love to hear suggestions on how to deal with situations such as this where the ACOs still refuse to help even though they are not the ones that MUST assume responsibility for the horses. Elizabeth Adams Lexington KY Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 12:26:16 -0500 From: Martin Bass To: "equinerescue@MyList.net" Subject: EQ-ResQ: Class, Basics Elizabeth Adams wrote "ACO's still refuse to help" I have several ideas that you can try. First, make yourself known to your local ACO long before you need their assistance. Drop by the shelter and get friendly with all the workers. They are much more likely to help out a "Friend" than someone fresh off the street. Second, make sure you have all your ducks in a row when you approach the ACO for help. In my business we refer to that as documentation, documentation, documentation. It also helps to have a copy of your municipal, county and state laws governing animal abuse, cruelty and abandonment in hand. If all else fails ask (politely) to speak with a supervisor and relay your concerns to him/her. If that does not work then approach the head of your city/county government. If after trying all of the above to no avail then begin trying to get the media involved. I have yet to see a ACO that wants to stand and give an interview to the press about why he/she will not do their job. Martin Bass El Reno,Ok. ============================================================ Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 15:03:05 -0400 From: Cris May To: equinerescue@MyList.net Subject: EQ-ResQ: CLASS: Basics >>> Martin Bass 08/11 1:26 PM >>> First, make yourself known to your local ACO long before you need their assistance. There are several ways to do this. A letter of introduction sent to all of the AC agencies with whom you hope to work is a good start. Follow up the letter with a phone call and go to meet the head person and let her/him know what you have to offer. Is there a professional organization in your area for animal workers? If so, join it. Not only will you become acquainted with much of the animal control community, you will also probably have educational opportunities through that org. in a variety of areas such as fund-raising. volunteers, handling various types of animals, etc. >>>If after trying all of the above to no avail then begin trying to get the media involved. I have yet to see a ACO that wants to stand and give an interview to the press about why he/she will not do their job. This is obviously a last-resort solution, and sometimes even that won't work. The media has gotten very careful about what they will report without some substantiation, and that can be hard to get. I know of a number of cases in MD that have gone on for years because of some very cagey owners, who move the horses very quickly to an area where they aren't visible, or who know just where the "line in the sand" is on starvation and when the horses reach it, will suddenly start feeding them. (Or, sometimes, the neighbors who have complained and complained will start throwing hay and feed over the fence. Either way your case has disappeared until the horses are starved down again.) In these cases it isn't that AC doesn't want to do something, but their hands are tied as well. Cris May Days End Farm Horse Rescue ============================================================