Humane Education and Cruelty Investigation

So you want to be a humane officer

At Portage Animal Protective League not only do we take in unwanted animals from the public but our humane officer removes animals from individuals that are not properly caring for their animals according to the Ohio Revised Code.

Yes! In the state of Ohio we do have animal cruelty laws and because we do the Portage APL staffs a sworn Humane Officer who responds to complaints of suspected neglect or cruelty.

In the state of Ohio all potential Humane Officers must have twenty hours of mandated Humane Officer training and pass the exam.

Once they have passed the exam and received their certificate of completion, they must have a recognized organization such as a humane society or non-profit animal shelter to employ them. After receiving the aforementioned requirements, they need to be sworn in by a county probate Judge. Only then can the new Humane Officer go forth into the community to investigate animal cruelty abuse neglect or abandonment.

The Humane Officer at Portage APL has the powers to file animal cruelty charges on an individual and also write and serve search warrants.

Because the Humane Officer enforces a state law, they are considered law enforcement.


Humane Education

As part of the of the continual efforts of Portage APL to reach out to our communities, we offer vocational speakers for classroom lessons as well as Portage APL. Our Humane Officer visits local schools to help educate students of all ages on topics such as, proper animal care, dog bite prevention, pet safety, pet identification and many other animal related topics.

In 2005 the Humane Officer visited 21 class rooms and youth groups with a total attendance of 869 people, and we hope to increase these numbers. We feel that educating the youth in our community is a step in the right direction to help prevent animal cruelty as well as domestic violence. Unfortunately animal cruelty and domestic violence tend to go hand in hand and we need to teach compassion and understanding to our children.

It is a wonderful experience to visit local schools and know that you made a difference in a young person’s life or that you have taught them something they will hopefully carry with them throughout their lives.


Cruelty Investigation

One of the most important qualifications a Humane Officer must have is good people skills and updated knowledge of the laws in which you enforce.

When investigating a suspected case of animal cruelty abuse or neglect there are certain procedures that must be followed.

  1. have accurate information, correct physical address ( location )
  2. observe all of the surroundings, note location of animals and time of day
  3. special note to the weather conditions
  4. make contact with responsible adult ( no minors ) and introduce yourself
  5. never violate a persons constitutional rights
  6. complainant always remains anonymous
  7. take pictures or video
  8. always ask questions such as how long have you had the pet, how old is the pet, has the pet always been outside etc..
  9. be friendly and courteous at all times, have a good conversation with the individual
  10. REMEMBER you may not like what you see but it does not mean they are breaking the law.
  11. Offer suggestions on how to improve the situation ( if needed )
  12. Educate pet owner on proper animal care and the law
  13. If there is a problem give recommendations and time period to correct the problem
  14. If problems are not corrected and owner not willing to correct then you need to take further action, such filing charges of animal cruelty or neglect, getting a warrant to have animal removed.

Always listen to both sides of a story before you form an opinion. Maintain a professional attitude, as you are a representative of the law and your organization

For more information on animal cruelty laws for Ohio
http://onlinedocs.andersonpublishing.com

If you have questions or know of an animal abuse case, please call our Humane Officer at 330-296-4022 Ext. 102 or email huof@portageapl.org

All calls to the Humane Officer are confidential.