The Kennel Case

    I was a police officer in the San Francisco Bay Area for 21 years.  I then retired and my wife and I moved out of the city to a country-like environ.  That’s when my concern increased about the many cruel ways people treat animals.  I started a web page to include animal welfare related writings and I distributed these articles to various forms of written media. 

    In some jurisdictions animal abuse cases are investigated by Animal Control or an agency doing the same thing but with a different name.  They generally take the initial report and, if a crime is revealed, refer it to the local police agency.  (A latter article on this web site will address specific laws pertaining to animal abuse.  It will be California law.)   

    Now and then a police officer or deputy will come upon an abuse situation.  Here are a couple of cases of which I was involved: 
One was a discovery.  I was on foot patrol in an area dominated by broken down, abandoned buildings.  I entered a single story structure.  The concrete walls were coming apart and the roof was practically nonexistent.  I made my way to the rear of the building and found a run-down dog kennel.  There were about a dozen cages, each surrounded by chain link fencing.  The cages measured about eight by three feet.  There were puddles of green water, urine and feces on the concrete floors.  I saw no food or water in any of the cages.  The smell was awful.  There were nine dogs in the cages.  None stood nor made a sound.  Ribs and other bones showed under their skin.  Their eyes were vacant and their coats were caked with debris and urine. 

    An animal cruelty investigation was launched.  Animal Control transported the dogs to a treatment facility.  They survived.  The crime was deemed a felony (California Penal Code section 597 regarding severe neglect).  We searched the premises and found the place to be abandoned.   The detective Bureau was, as usual, inundated with cases and lacked resources to look into the kennel case.  I don’t know if the perpetrators were ever identified. 

    A day after the discovery and after the dogs were removed, a major television news station did an on-scene bit at the site.  I felt pretty good about being in the right place at the right time (even a blind hog roots up a truffle now and then).  I only wish I discovered the dogs
sooner.    

    The other case was drug related.  A young man bought a substantial amount of cocaine and failed to pay his debt.  Consequently the seller and his associate shot several holes into the young man’s house.  They then entered and beat him.  The perpetrators were apprehended.  Cocaine was found in the house and tied to the youngster.  He went to jail to. 

    A neighbor reported that the attackers killed the young man’s cat and hung it on a fence in clear view of the young man’s house.  The assailants wanted to demonstrate their resolve about getting their money with the use of cruel scare tactics.  

    Animal abuse is more widely present, and more widely varied, than most people realize.  Therefore it is important to become familiar with animal cruelty law.  This can help recognize abuse, help prosecute offenders and enable removal of victimized animals.  Instead of looking the other way, citizens need to contact their local police agency and report such crimes.  After all, these creatures cannot communicate their neglect and suffering and depend on us to come to their aid.   

View http://stevesanimalwelfare.info/ for more articles