1. Combating cruelty & neglect
prosecutor Pat Harrington, Tippecanoe county prosecutor’s office

2. Tippecanoe County Animal advisory board
Developed the Tippecanoe County Animal Advisory Board (AAB) in September 2017
Created in response to a criminal case
State v. Hansen, 79D CM-274

3. State v. Hansen
Oct. 2016, Animal Control Officer (ACO) was dispatched to investigate animal neglect
Defendant escorted ACO onto his property, and ACO located numerous dogs
Dogs were located in feces-filled cages
Dogs were malnourished, infested with fleas, and in need of medical attention
Defendant signed over 64 dogs to ACO
Defendant was ultimately convicted of two counts of Animal Cruelty (Class A misdemeanors) and sentenced to 180 days TCJ and 550 days supervised probation, with an order to pay restitution
Defendant’s sentence was modified from jail to community corrections once the Defendant paid the restitution in full

4. State v. Hansen (cont.)
Largest animal case in recent history in Tippecanoe County – 64 dogs
The case showed our shortcomings as law enforcement and an animal community
Lack of relationships & communication between Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office, (TCPO), law enforcement, ACOs, veterinarians, shelters, volunteer organizations, etc.
No plans in place for documenting & processing large numbers of victim animals
Failure by TCPO and law enforcement to adequately train and educate the animal community on what evidence was needed for trial
*Case opened up a healthy dialogue, which ultimately led to the creation of the Animal Advisory Board

5. Tippecanoe County Animal Advisory board

6. Animal advisory board: purpose
To protect animals living in Tippecanoe County, Indiana by enforcing Indiana statutes and local ordinances & educating the community about issues relating to good animal care
Goals:
Prevent owners from re-offending by investigating and prosecuting cases, thus protecting victim animals from future abuse and neglect
Educate the community about how to care for animals, thus preventing abuse and neglect

7. Animal advisory board: participants
Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office
Law Enforcement – Lafayette Police Department, West Lafayette Police Department, & Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Department
Purdue University – Veterinary Teaching Hospital & Dept. of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Wildcat Valley Animal Clinic
Crystal Creek Kennels
North Central Indiana Spay & Neuter
Greater Lafayette Kennel Club
Board of Animal Health
Almost Home Humane Society

8. Animal advisory board: Meetings
AAB meets every 2-3 months
TCPO provides information on closed cases (don’t discuss details of pending criminal cases)
Discuss general strengths and weaknesses in recent investigations
Talk about improvements or shortcomings in evidence collection, medical records, etc.
As a group, discuss how we can improve the process for the next case
Ask for help in locating resources, services, etc.
Recently AAB has focused on:
Creating forms for use during cases
Formulating a plan to impact the community

9. Animal advisory board: training
TCPO conducted training in January & March 2018 for the AAB
Educated AAB on possible crimes that can be charged
Discussed elements of each crime
Discussed evidence needed to prove the elements (i.e. photos, records, statements)
Provided case law so the AAB could talk about specific fact scenarios
Discussed specific information and evidence law enforcement, veterinarians, shelters, and foster families can provide that are helpful to prosecution
Discussed issues related to restitution

10. Animal advisory board: training (Cont.)
Specific examples of training:
Pictures should include the scene, every animal before medical treatment or cleaning, and animals after medical treatment or upon full recovery
All animals must be identified with names (or numbers in high volume cases) that follow the animal from the scene to treatment to shelter
Medical records need to connect the animal’s injuries or condition to the suspect owner
Document medical, shelter, and other costs to comply with Indiana restitution statutes

11. Animal advisory board: cases
Since the formation of AAB in September 2017:
Eight new animal cases have been filed (currently two animal cases are being reviewed)
Quality of cases has improved
Communication regarding plea offers and restitution has improved
Trial and sentencing preparation has improved
Evidence was submitted to a laboratory in California for testing
Connection was made as a result of the relationships formed on the AAB

12. Animal advisory board: cases (Cont.)
Since the formation of AAB in September 2017:
State v McCall, 79D CM-2664: on 11/1/2017, the Defendant was convicted of Cruelty to an Animal (Class A misdemeanor) and sentenced to 180 days community corrections & 185 days probation, with restitution in the amount of $198.65
State v Britton, 79D F6-897: on 4/9/2018, the Defendant was convicted of Bestiality (Level 6 felony) and sentenced to 60 days jail & 180 days community corrections
State v Kirts, 79D CM-1893: on 5/22/2018, the Defendant was convicted of Cruelty to an Animal (Class A misdemeanor) and sentenced to 90 days jail & 275 days probation, with restitution in the amount of $6,280.00

13. Animal advisory board: community education
AAB recently discussed the education side of our mission
Talked about websites and brochures
Considered different ways to reach the community – community events, media events, etc.
Discussed possible changes to local ordinances
*Exciting time for AAB as we focus on protecting animals, training law enforcement, and educating our community!

14. BAILEY AND TUCKER

15. Questions? Pat Harrington Tippecanoe County Prosecutor
111 N. 4th Street, Lafayette, IN 47901