Cause* It’s Saturday

Editor’s Note: DDY is out of the office today. Please enjoy this post from our archives. 

I’m a volunteer (one of nearly 1,500!) at the Oregon Humane Society (OHS) in Portland, Oregon so I was especially happy to see OHS’s Humane Investigator, Austin Wallace, profiled recently in Portland’s daily newspaper, The Oregonian.

Wallace investigates reports of animal neglect and abuse throughout the state for OHS, which is funded solely through donations. “I’m the only person in Oregon who is a commissioned police officer working entirely off public donations,” Wallace tells The Oregonian.

So, how is a Humane Investigator’s job different from Animal Control Officer’s job? Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“County animal shelters and OHS work closely together and sometimes investigate the same calls. In fact, animal control officers have more to do — they respond not only to animal abuse and neglect cases but also stray dogs, nuisance barking and protecting people from dangerous animals.

Unlike public animal shelters, the OHS can take anonymous complaints, says OHS investigations coordinator Desenia Goodwin, an advantage for some callers who fear retaliation.

The biggest difference between the two is that Wallace is solely charged with investigating criminal animal abuse and neglect. Plus, he has the authority to enforce state-level laws, while county animal control officers enforce municipal codes.

The state law carries much heftier weight than county ordinances do when it comes to prosecuting for animal-related crimes. Someone convicted of misdemeanor animal abuse or neglect is prohibited from owning an animal for five years. Penalties range from up to a year in jail and up to a $125,000 fine. And he is a commissioned police officer. Wallace graduated from the full-time Oregon Police Academy training and carries a Taser and an expandable baton.

He can investigate a case, obtain a search warrant and attempt to prosecute. The OHS doesn’t have a holding facility for humans, so he can’t physically take someone into custody, but a written citation from him serves as an arrest.

Deputy District Attorney Nicole Jergovic, who prosecutes animal crimes for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, says Wallace is a seasoned investigator devoted to improving the lives of animals.

“An animal can’t tell somebody, ‘This is what’s going on,’” she says. “Sometimes it does take an officer who’s willing to go the extra mile, to get the search warrant, search the house, talk to the neighbors, and really go in and see what’s going on. And he’s done that.”

Read the full article, “Oregon Humane Society Investigator Is The Animals’ Watchdog,” here.

*Cause It’s Saturday: Inspired by an abandoned senior dog named Jasmine’s happy ending, which began on a Saturday, DDY sets aside this day of the week for animal cause features. Read Jasmine’s story here.