Los Angeles prosecutors develop a more stringen approach to animal cruelty cases

In the last several years, both the county and city of Los Angeles have taken the lead in this country in establishing more forceful measures to combat crimes of animal cruelty. For example, in November 2009, a dog fighting hotline was created, and few years prior to this, the Los Angeles county's District Attorney's Office began training prosecutors to handle animal related abuse cases.

The above seems to have some effect: In Los Angeles County for the 12 month period that ended in August 2008, and the district attorney's office filed animal cruelty charges in 116 cases, nearly 50% more than the previous year. Significantly, convictions has been forthcoming: For example, in 2007 a 42-year-old nurse was convicted on dog fighting charges and was sentenced to three years in prison. Similar convictions have also been made for people involved in cockfighting.

The above has come about because the Los Angeles City Council created a animal cruelty task force in 2005, in part at the urging of LAPD officials who cited studies indicating that animal abusers were often involved in other crimes such as drug trafficking, child abuse and domestic violence. The task force investigates nearly 300 instances of animal abuse each year, and selected cases, as stated above, are now being vigorously prosecuted.

This author has been involved in a number of these cases and has seen prosecutors in some parts of Los Angeles County and surrounding areas become a bit eager to bring charges against individuals suspected of being involved in dogfighting, or other acts of animal abuse. It is hoped that these new policies will be used with prudence, and charges be brought against an individual only when sufficient and compelling evidence, derived from a thorough investigation, suggests that a crime probably was committed.