When Law Enforcement Cavorts with Criminals

I speak regularly of the fact that almost no one in law enforcement receives training on animals from animal experts. Instead the field of "animal law" is littered with con artists, quacks, sexual perverts and criminals.   Previously I discussed the National Sheriffs' Association here and the Virginia Animal Control Association here.  Also being led down the garden path is the National District Attorneys Association, which is just as bad as the American Prosecutors Association.

The National District Attorneys Association runs a "National Center for Prosecution of Animal Abuse" which offers many webinars on "animal abuse." Sounds good, right? Let’s look deeper.

In 2014 they offered the following Webinars:

Collaborative Animal Cruelty Investigations. 

Presented by Joe Stafford (Director of Animal Law Enforcement) and Rod Novotny (Animal Law Enforcement Training Manager) with the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, Colorado

Grant Writing 101: Securing Funding for Animal Care.

Presenter: Adam Liebling (Director of Grants Compliance & Communication Grants Management, ASPCA)

"Feeding, housing, and caring for seized animals can be a costly necessity within an animal cruelty case. Learn how to find and be awarded grants to help defray these unexpected costs."

I wonder if he’s going to present on how the ASPCA and PETA asked a Florida judge for $1 million dollars for "animal care" that included bills for luxury hotel stays, catered lunches and "chocolates for the ladies."

Investigating and Prosecuting Juvenile Animal Abusers

Presenter: Jennifer Rallo (Assistant State’s Attorney with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office)

"Research tells us that juveniles who enjoy harming animals are more likely to commit future acts of violence against humans. This webinar will provide an overview of the prosecution of the youthful offender and offer practical advice in how to best approach building your successful case against a youthful offender and how to achieve the best sentencing results."

Because as we all know, giving a juvenile a criminal record and sentencing them to prison time is really good for their "future."

Pretrial Motions – The Framework for Evidence at Trial

Presenter: Diane Balkin (Animal Legal Defense Fund, Criminal Justice Division Attorney)

Pretrial motions are an integral part of trial preparation. Court rulings regarding motions may dramatically affect the substance and procedure at trial. The prosecution of crimes against animals is still a relatively unexplored area. This webinar will discuss standard practice motions, such as motions for discovery and motions to suppress evidence and statements. Additionally, other motions such as “other/similar transactions” (Rule 404(b)) and Frye hearings (regarding expert testimony as to pain, suffering, etc.)

Understanding and Prosecuting Bestiality

Presenter: Jenny Edwards (The Chandler Edwards Group)

Bestiality is an emotional, even taboo topic, and can present moral, ethical, and legal challenges for the prosecutor. The sexual abuse of an animal by a human is considered a paraphernalia or sexual perversity, by the American Psychiatric Association, and is illegal throughout the United States and many foreign countries. Animal sex abuse can happen in any county or city, and occurs far more often than you might think.

I have covered Ms. Jenny Edwards before, when I talked about her lack of any credible experience in animals, let alone bestiality.

Keeping up the fun, in 2013 they offered the following Webinars:

Behavioral Assessment and Rehabilitation of Animal Cruelty Victims

Presenter: Dr. Pamela Reid (ASPCA Behavioral Assessment Unit)

Dogs rescued from cruel conditions, including puppy mills, hoarding situations and dog fighting, run the gamut from friendly, sociable animals to extremely fearful—even feral—creatures.

Common Issues When Investigating and Prosecuting Animal Neglect Cases

Presenter: Geoff Fleck (Animal Legal Defense Fund, Criminal Justice Program)

This talk will address common issues that police and prosecutors confront when investigating and litigating animal neglect cases with an emphasis on three key procedural issues: (1) warrant writing; (2) pre-conviction tools to recover costs and get the animals out of the system ASAP; and (3) winning the merger of charges issues on the grounds that each animal qualifies as a separate victim.

Of course each animal is a separate victim!  If the animal owner had a tank of goldfish that's 10 extra victims to ramp up the charges against the poor luckless owner that went up against these loons. 

The Dog in the Evidence Locker Problem: Managing Live Evidence in Animal Cruelty and Fighting Cases

Presenter: Stacy Wolf (Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel for ASPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement Division)

In an animal cruelty or animal fighting case, the arrest of the perpetrator is often just the beginning of a long road for the animal victims seized in the case. It may take many months, even years, before the criminal case is resolved. During that time, the animals must be housed, fed, and provided with veterinary care.

Note: They recommend "Voluntary written surrender" so that they can resell off the animals immediately.   That "voluntary" surrender is usually at the point of a gun. 

Bloodstained Dirt: Cockfighting in the United States

Presenter: John Goodwin (Director of Animal Cruelty Policy, The Humane Society of the United States)

"What do public corruption cases targeting sheriff's departments in Tennessee and Virginia have in common with DEA investigations targeting drug cartels? What do large scale gambling facilities have to do with severe animal cruelty? The answer: cockfighting. While illegal in all 50 states, cockfighting thrives in the jurisdictions with weaker laws."

Seriously? John Goodwin?? The convicted criminal in five states?  The felon? The former member of the Animal Liberation Front, an FBI certified domestic terrorist group? John Goodwin who once stated: "We will never, ever, ever work with anyone who helps the FBI stop the A.L.F."  

Investigating and Litigating Equine Neglect Cases

Presenters: Scott Heiser (Animal Legal Defense Fund, Criminal Justice Program) and Dr. Jennifer Cole (Equine Veterinarian)

"The investigation and prosecution of equine abuse/neglect cases commonly involve complex medical issues that are either missed by inexperienced investigators or mishandled by novice prosecutors. These types of errors create tremendous opportunities for the defense to undermine otherwise highly viable criminal cases."

I wonder if they will be mentioning the Henneke Body Scoring System?  And if so, will they be mentioning the little inconvenient fact that Dr. Henneke has publicly stated that prosecutors and law enforcement are misusing his system and it was NEVER designed to be used in animal cruelty cases?

Cases of Animal Abuse: The Role of the Forensic Veterinarian

Presenter: Dr. Rachel Touroo, DVM, Director of Veterinary Forensics, ASPCA Anti-Cruelty

Veterinary forensics is a recently emerging branch of veterinary medicine. Learn about the critical role veterinarians play in animal abuse cases.  

You know from Ms. Touroo who has almost no hands-on experience with actual animals. 

Blood “Sports”:

Investigating and Prosecuting Animal Fighting Cases

Presenter: Geoff Fleck (Criminal Justice Program Contract Attorney, Animal Legal Defense Fund)

Explore the horrific and clandestine world of animal fighting through the experienced eyes of a former prosecutor. Geoff Fleck will discuss specialized investigative techniques including effective warrant application and execution, the evidence to look for and seize, and trial strategies designed to insure a successful outcome in these often difficult cases.

Back in 2012 they offered the following Webinars:

Anticipating Defenses in Animal Abuse Prosecutions

Presenter: Diane Balkin, Contract Attorney with Animal Legal Defense Fund (retired Denver Deputy District Attorney)

Part of the prosecution strategy in any criminal trial is to anticipate the defense. There are certain defenses common to all types of crimes such as self-defense, identification, lack of intent, etc. Crimes against animals also involve more unique defense tactics and statutorily available defenses. It is critical for the prosecutor to carefully analyze his or her case to determine the strengths and weaknesses. The facts may be weak with strong witnesses or the reverse may be true. In this free, 60-minute webinar, Diane Balkin, a contract attorney for the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Criminal Justice Program, will discuss the most common defenses in animal cruelty cases and how to prepare for them.

Combating Animal Cruelty: The Past, Present and Future

Presenter: Dr. Randall Lockwood, Senior Vice President of Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects, ASPCA

Review the history of efforts to fight animal abuse and neglect in America from the early days of animal protection to today.

Taught by a man who has made his career out of defining exactly what is a hoarder of animals and why.   Literally he made it up.  An entire category of crime made up by one man and taught to law enforcement nationwide as an 'expert witness.' 

Planning for a Large Scale Seizure

Presenter: Joel Lopez, Sr. Manager of Operations, Field Investigations and Response, ASPCA

Responding to hoarding and other cases that involve large numbers of animals requires comprehensive planning.

Trial Strategies in Animal Cruelty Prosecutions

Presenter: Geoff Fleck, Esq., Animal Legal Defense Fund

This webinar will discuss specialized techniques for successfully prosecuting animal cruelty cases. Learn about jury selection, opening statements, presenting the state's case, cross-examining the defendant, and making an effective closing argument.

Common Issues Law Enforcement and Prosecutors Confront When Investigating and Litigating "Puppy Mill Cases"

Presenter: Scott Heiser, Esq., Animal Legal Defense Fund

This one hour talk by Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Scott Heiser will cover a host of factual and legal issues relevant to any puppy mill case, including:   an overview of the USDA’s regulatory impact on these types of cases.

Back in 2011 they offered the following Webinars:

The Veterinarian as an Expert Witness

Presenters: Diane Balkin, Animal Legal Defense Fund and Dr. Rob Reisman, ASPCA.

Veterinarians play a crucial role in identifying, reporting, and testifying in animal cruelty cases.

Nothing better than encouraging vets to turn on their patients and turn them into the police, right?  It turns out that Diane Balkin is an animal rights activist. 


Prosecuting Animal Hoarding: Why, When and How

Presented by: Dr. Randall Lockwood, Senior Vice President of Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects at ASPCA

"Animal hoarding cases represent a significant proportion of animal abuse and severe neglect cases."

As you can see, the vast majority of training offered to District Attorney's is taught by perverts, quacks, self-professed experts and criminals.

Infiltration from Within: PIJAC Sells Its Soul to the Devil

The animal community reacted in horror (a total understatement!) when the news broke that Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) had hired Ed Sayres to be its new CEO.  Why is this bad?  Well its sort of like a doggy day care hiring Michael Vick to be in charge of "play time."  It's like hiring Jeffrey Dahmer to take your teenage son on a remote hike.  It's like putting Hitler in charge of a country...  Oh, wait......  Ed Sayres stands for the polar opposite of everything that PIJAC's membership is based on.  Ed Sayres used to be the head of the ASPCA, an animal rights group who advocates against pet ownership.  Ed Sayres was the co-founder of NYCLASS, the group devoted to getting rid of New York City carriage horses.  Ed Sayres is so hated by the herp crowd that they refer to him as a contract killer.  The ASPCA utterly opposes ownership of exotic animals. 

Then again, if you read between the lines, PIJAC has changed who its targeted audience is and who it is representing.  It no longer is the supporter of pet stores and the sales of pets, according to their press release, they are now supporting the "broader pet trade."  In other words, PIJAC is trying to save their own sinking ship.  Hints of this came when PIJAC suddenly announced they were going to work with HSUS and ASPCA to define what a puppy mill was, knowing that HSUS defines it as a single breeder having a single litter of puppies, ever.  One litter, that's it!  You are a puppy mill. 

“The ASPCA has witnessed first-­hand the unspeakable cruelty and horrific conditions of substandard puppy mills, and we are committed to working with key industry leaders to help end the inhumane treatment of dogs in these facilities,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “We are pleased that the industry has come together in a meaningful way to acknowledge this abuse, and confront it head on.”

That was then. This is now:

In retrospect, given the nature of the ASPCA’s mission, I had a rather limited view during my tenure as the organization’s CEO, responding in the field to horrific substandard operators who represent a small minority of breeders — not the majority. My view in light of those circumstances formed the basis for the statements I made during that period and campaigns that were developed under my leadership. I know now that I was misinformed about the majority of breeders who work diligently to raise puppies humanely and to find lifetime homes through retail channels. While many in the animal welfare field still want to paint all breeders with the same low standards brush, I look forward to opening their eyes to the true nature of the breeding business. Ed Sayres

If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you, over some swamp land, that I do not own.  But as they say, there's a fool born every minute.

If you are wondering what that "broader pet trade" is, wonder no longer.  PIJAC now supports the fraudulent rescue mill trade.  The choice of Ed Sayres is no coincidence with this change of direction.  After all, less than a year ago, under Sayres leadership, ASPCA launched a national "No Pet Store Puppies" campaign.   PIJAC is supposed to be a lobbyist for pet stores.  Doesn't that make your head spin?  

Dog breeders in America were already reeling at the news of a PIJAC funded Purdue study on "breeders standards" for dogs under the dubious claim that we pet breeders need "uniform standards" and do not have them nationwide.  If we don't have uniform dog breeder standards nationwide, then what are the hundreds and hundreds of pages of APHIS regulations for?  The APHIS Inspection Guide alone clocks in at 418 pages and that's just for inspections.  That's not the actual regulations on dog breeding.  The federal government already regulates dog breeding from the largest kennels to your Aunt Millie having a litter of puppies in her bedroom.  The federal government regulates down to the square inch how much space an animal is supposed to have.  Dog breeders have no breeder standards in what fantasy world?  

The animal rights extremists who infiltrated the APHIS division of the USDA already nailed the final nail in the coffin of American dog breeders last year.  I wrote about that here and here.  This new news from PIJAC is simply dancing on their graves.  ASPCA/HSUS, et al., do not believe that anyone has the right to breed pets.  Anyone.  They don't care about "standards."  They just use the issue of standards to put as many more breeders out of business as they can.  America is awash in "standards" everywhere and so many dog breeders have already been put out of business that many of America's puppies are now foreign bred.  That's right, the government regulated dog breeding so much that its been outsourced!  If if this is all just too much for you think of it this way.  The Purdue study backed by PIJAC is a study on "dog breeder standards" by people who don't breed dogs.

Some of the rest of us have seen the PIJAC writing on the wall for a long time now.  The evidence was clear that PIJAC was being infiltrated from within by animal rights extremists.  For information on their backstabbing in California, see this excellent blog and her follow up piece.  In California, it is now a crime of "animal cruelty" to sell an animal in a public place.  Any animal.  

Back in 2009, the American Pet Products Association pulled all of it's funding from PIJAC stating that it had been concerned about its leadership and sustainability as an organization for several years.  APPA stated it's goal was to ensure that America continues to have live animals available for sale.  That tells me that they had concerns that PIJAC no longer supported the sales of pet animals.  

Oh but Sayres, has fallen on his sword and declared that in the past, he was simply, mistaken.   Time will tell if the pet world has been had yet again, or if Sayres is simply available for sale to the highest bidder.  I for one, am not holding my breath.