TOPIC: #SBACC South Bend Animal Care & Control Informational Meeting

December 3, 2017, 2 pm at SBACC
Presenter: Jenn Gobel, Shelter Director

CIVIL OFFENSES:
Improper Tethering - 
* Rope/chain/cord attached directly to the animal's neck
* Tether is not tangle free
* Unaltered animal tethered outdoors 
* Animals tethered after 11 pm and before 6 am

Animals running at-large -
* Running off their own property

Lack of food/water/shelter - 
* Igloo plastic dog house is not enough shelter without straw in it and SBACC has straw available
* Water has to be fluid, not frozen
* Food has to be fresh (not moldy or tainted)

Animal appears to be neglected or abandoned - people are moving out and leaving the animals behind

* Citiations that document violations having occurred on 3 seperate dates within 2 years - (Can't be 3 days in a row since they need to be given time to comply)
* Witness accounts and/or testimony
* Any supporting evidence such as photos, call logs, Animal Welfare Alerts (AWA)
* Documented conversations and/or incidents in Pet Point Software System

Animal Control Commission hears Civil cases - 5 members from the community and 1 Vet. 
They can revoke animal ownership for up to 5 years in the City of South Bend.
Goal - Get other local jurisdictions to honor the ban with ordinance changes

CRIMINAL OFFENSES:
* Death of an animal due to cruelty or neglect
* Neglect of an animal that is detrimental to the animal's health and well being
* Acts of torture
* Dog Fighting

To prosecute:
* Witness accounts and/or testimony
* Documentation of Vet records and assessments plus Vet testimony
* Any other physical evidence needed to prosecute
NOTE: Landlords can be fined for tenant violations. Landlords need to include in their lease they can make unannounced visits to aid enforcement.

Crime is "Place of Occurance"

PHOTO/VIDEO DOCUMENTATION of animal(s) and/or scene(s) 
NOTE: These need to be taken with the geolocation, date and time turned ON.
DO NOT put yourself in danger to get these photos/videos.
Also, NOT sent through FB since the Meta data is not available.
If you do a screenshot, you need to include the URL. For Craiglist posts, be sure to get the "Posting ID Number". The posting number is critical for getting a Search Warrant.
NOTE: If the phone # is spelled out, that is a clue the seller may be dishonest.

Both kinds of Offenses  - These need to have solid EVIDENCE that can be proven

PUPPIES - They can't be sold before 8 weeks per State Law and 10 weeks per SB Law. They must show proof of vaccinations and licenses.

SBACC will be getting 2 day training to use more of the Pet Point Software and upgrade it to handle Dispatching

SBACC will be talking to Officers at Roll Call about updates and they also have trained Postal Carriers on Bite training.

SBACC gets frustrated when they can't see a violation and therefore can't enforce it. They need the PUBLIC to help with photos and video.
NOTE: You cannot Trespass on private property to get the photos. If you get permission from a neighbor to go on their property this is admissible.

CHALLENGE #1 - Animal is not present at the address given or in the area when the officer arrives on the scene.

CHALLENGE #2 - We must allow the owner time to obtain compliance regarding the documented offenses.
NOTE: If there are financial challenges for the owner, there are resources such as the Franz Fund for spays, vaccinations, etc.

CHALLENGE #3 - Animals are considered "Property" and taking an animal without being able to prove exigent circumstances is a violation of the owner' civil rights.

CHALLENGE #4 - Building a case to present to the Animal Control Commission takes time. We must prove that we have given every opportunity possible to help them comply.

CHALLENGE #5 - We can only enforce what the laws and ordinance allow us to. "Bare minimum requirements" is not always agreed upon.

CHALLENGE #6 - Staffing - We only have 4 officers that service a population of 101,735 and approximately 41.5 square miles

NOTE: Not being up-to-date on Rabies is a Misdemeanor

SPOTTING POSSIBLE DOG FIGHTING:
* Using barrels as dog houses
* Torn ears
* Scars on the face and front of the body of the dog
* Treadmills
* Spring Poles - Spring with a rope to have the dog tug and strengthen their jaws
* Small dogs being stolen in the neighborhood
NOTE: Be sure to have LOCKS on your fence gates, motion sensor flood lights and watch your dog at bedtime or go out with them. 

COMMUNITY HELP:
* Invite SBACC to speak at your Neighborhood Meetings
* Make sure your animal is chipped and the chip has your CURRENT address and phone #. If you need a chip, they are available to anyone (in the City or not) for $20
* Make sure your animal has a 10 Digit Phone # tag on their collar. These are available at Meijer, PetSmart and Pet Supplies Plus while you wait and are around $10

Questions or leads - Ms. Jenn Gobel, Director, South Bend Animal Care & Control 

For more articles and meetings: #MichianaObserver