Tired Of Tough Animal Cases? Maybe You Need Some Extra Training
Humane Officer Course Runs September 25-29
By Yvonne Bellay, DVM, MS

“I don’t want to give my name, but there’s a farmer down on Townline Road who’s starving his cattle. How do I know? Well, you can see their hip bones sticking out.”

“This is a concerned citizen. My neighbor keeps bringing more and more horses, ducks, sheep, you name it, onto her land and just ignores them. The place looks terrible, and I found some dead animals out in the woods.”

“How come you have time to give me a speeding ticket for going 10 miles over the limit, but you can’t get to that guy next door who keeps his dog chained outside in all weather, lets his cats roam the neighborhood and get in my garden, and you know, he’s constantly screaming at his wife and kids and they just look miserable all the time.”

Familiar scenarios? Probably. Just neighborhood conflicts? Possibly. Something more sinister? You don’t know until you investigate. Even then, it might be hard to tell unless you really know what to look for – you’ll probably spend a lot of time trying, and get a lot of people mad in the process.

We can help. Our 40-hour humane officer course provides some specialized skills and background knowledge that will help you investigate animal cases – skills and knowledge you probably didn't get in police academy. To sweeten the deal, we can offer continuing education credit, too.

This year's training is set for September 25-29 in Madison, with a registration deadline of Friday, August 25. Here's the lowdown:

What is a humane officer?

Humane officers may be civilians who investigate animal abuse and neglect situations or allegations. They may be employees of a village, town, city or county who have animal investigation as all or part of their duties. They may also contract as individuals, or be staff members of humane societies that contract with local jurisdictions to investigate animal cases. Law enforcement officers may also be humane officers, either formally or de facto.

Do local jurisdictions have to appoint a humane officer?

No, they can rely on their local law enforcement to investigate animal cases even if none of the officers have taken the training. But if a civilian is investigating animal cases, he/she must be formally appointed as a humane officer, and must complete the training and be certified by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection within a year.

Currently, we have appointed humane officers in 23 Wisconsin counties, 23 cities, 17 villages and 30 towns.

If we can handle these cases as law enforcement officers, why appoint someone else or spend the time and money on this training?

There are several good reasons. First, having someone dedicated to animal cases and specially trained may prevent animal cases from becoming public relations nightmares. With their specialized skills, these investigators can handle animal cases more quickly, efficiently and effectively and put together cases that the district attorney can take to court. That makes for better headlines and happier citizens. Photographing an animal hoarder's home is not the same as photographing a murder scene, taking fecal samples is different from taking fingerprints, animal law is more than just reading the statute – that's the kind of specialized knowledge that will make your job easier when you investigate animal cases.

Second, you may save public money by being trained to recognize when the solution is education rather than prosecution. Then, too, what looks like neglect or abuse to the uninitiated may in fact be acceptable animal husbandry. Humane officer training will help you see the difference. Either way, you can seize the teachable moment and avoid costly legal cases.

Third, effective handling of animal cases may save human lives. Increasingly, research is finding a link between animal and domestic abuse. A child or teen who abuses animals may grow up to victimize a spouse, children, or elderly parent. Or a case of animal abuse may be what appears publicly when domestic abuse is going on behind closed doors. Domestic abusers may keep their victims from leaving by threatening animals.

Fourth, when you handle animal cases quickly and effectively, you free up time and resources for other investigations with human victims.

Last, law officers who have attended the training in the past have commented that they've taken away a great deal of new knowledge that they never expected to learn. We appreciate having the law enforcement viewpoint and knowledge that they can contribute to civilian trainees, too. The most effective handling of animal cases occurs where law officers and humane officers work together and complement one another's skills.

What happens during humane officer training?

Classroom teachers include veterinarians, attorneys, and law officers with years of experience in investigating animal cases. Trainees always rate these folks high on depth and breadth of knowledge as well as on humorous, personal style. We also take participants to the barns at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for hands-on training – another highly rated feature of the class.

Topics covered include:

Where can I get more information?

You may receive a registration brochure in the mail, or just get in touch with us: call 608-224-4889 or e-mail patty.roelofs@datcp.state.wi.us. You can also get the details and download a registration form on our web site: http://datcp.state.wi.us/ Search for "humane officer training". Don't forget to register by August 25.

Now go answer your phone – there’s a barking dog complaint on line 1.

[Dr. Bellay coordinates the humane officer program for the Animal Health Division of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.]