May 2019 Issue

OUR TH YEAR 3 - PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT 280 LANC., PA 17604 Vol. 26 No. 5 (Continued on page 31) May 2019 By Amy Worden Anyone working in humane law enforcement knows that the heartbreaking and disturbing nature of the cases they handle will almost certainly be fodder for heated discussion on social media. Those accused of abuse and their supporters rally in defense. Animal welfare advocates aim their comments at the accused and often the humane officers themselves. That’s exactly what hap- pened last year in Gettysburg, PA when complaints surfaced regarding the care of miniature horses at an equine attraction. But investigators, including the Pennsylvania State Police, found no evidence to support a cruelty case. So-called “Facebook War- riors” took out their frustration on Abigail Avery, Adams County SPCA’s lone humane society police officer (HSPO). When the increasingly hostile posts escalated to death threats, Avery decided after ten years in her job to throw in the towel. Avery, who had handled large-scale equine cruelty cases, including the Star Barn thorough- breds starvation case, continued as shelter manager of the SPCA, but told county residents they would now have to call local or state police to report animal cruelty. Avery’s departure illustrat- ed a larger issue: the decline of humane society police officers (HSPOs) in Pennsylvania. There are 19 counties now out of a total of 67 with no humane society police officer, leaving vast swaths of the Commonwealth with only state or regional police coverage. That number leapt up earlier this year when the Pennsylvania SPCA announced it would no lon- ger be providing law enforcement in five central and northeastern counties (Huntingdon, Centre, Berks, Tioga and Juniata) after an increasing number of costly cases involving large animals. Relying on Shelters Unlike neighboring Maryland and Delaware, where counties employ animal control and cruelty officers, Pennsylvania humane so- ciety police officers are attached to local shelters, which are privately operated and generally receive little or no government funding. That means not only do the shelters have to raise money to pay the officers, they have to assume the liability and the costs incurred for caring for animals, often for long periods of time, and prosecuting cases. “Pennsylvania is an outlier because of crazy home rule,” said Karel Minor, president and CEO of Humane Pennsylvania, which oper- ates shelters in Berks and Lancaster counties, and the former president of the Federated Humane Societies, which trains humane society police officers. “Humane law enforcement is a government function and the government is not doing it,” he said. “Private SPCAs can’t afford to do it as a charity. That brings inconsistency and instability.” The HSPO registry published on the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s website illustrates the randomness of distribution. West- moreland County in southwestern Pennsylvania has 10 humane society police officers, while neigh- boring Armstrong County has none. Other counties are dependent on the PSPCA officers traveling long distance from Philadelphia. Humane Society Police officers must undergo training that occurs only once a year and be sworn by local judges as law enforcement officers before start- ing work. Fix for New Jersey Until this year New Jersey had a similarly fractured system with a statewide SPCA ostensibly providing cruelty enforcement and local municipalities provid- ing animal control. In 2018 New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill dissolving the NJSPCA after years of questionable prac- tices including failing to file tax returns and to submit to govern- ment oversight. Its static website tells readers to call their local police to report animal cruelty. Under the bill, cruelty enforce- ment beginning in 2019 is to be handled by county prosecutors. In Pennsylvania, the animal cruelty law was strengthened even as there were fewer humane officers dedicated to enforcing it. “Libre’s Fractured System Leaves Pennsylvania Animals at Risk of Cruelty—and Worse Inside... Barbara Pritchard, who starved her 103 horses, found guilty of 39 misdemeanors … pg. 6 Mid-Atlantic racetracks band together to prohibit off-label biophosphonate use … pg. 10 … and much more! Gorgeous horse farms to drool over…or move into…pgs. 12-18 Our annual Trainers feature… pgs. 20-22 Devon Horse Show, May 23 rd - June 2 nd See page 4 for more on the Devon Horse Show! McLain Ward won the $250,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon for a record tenth time in 2018 with Sagamore Farms’ Oldenburg mare, Clinta. The Grand Prix is named for Ward’s mount Sapphire, with whom he won the class twice. Ward and Clinta will defend their title on Thursday night, May 30. Photo credit: © Taylor Rains/Phelps Media Group