ASPCA to Collaborate with New York Attorney General on Animal Protection Initiative

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) has announced that it will be working with the New York State Office of the Attorney General on its new Animal Protection Initiative, providing critical training and support for investigating and prosecuting large scale animal cruelty and fighting cases in New York State.

"We are very excited to collaborate with and help train those individuals who are on the front lines prosecuting animal cruelty in New York State," said Matt Bershadker, ASPCA president and CEO. "We are thankful to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for spearheading this initiative which will combat some of the worst forms of animal cruelty in the state."

The Animal Protection Initiative was announced in May as a statewide effort to promote the enforcement of consumer protection laws and target allegations of animal fighting and cruelty. ASPCA experts representing various program areas within the organization will be leading ongoing, comprehensive training programs that will be webcasted to all 13 regional offices across the state. Topics that will be covered include:

• Investigating Dog Fighting (Terry Mills, Director of Blood Sports, ASPCA Field Investigations & Response)
• The Law in New York (Stacy Wolf, Esq., Vice President and Chief Counsel, ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement & Legal Advocacy)
• The Role of Veterinary Medicine in Cruelty Cases (Dr. Robert Reisman, Medical Coordinator of Animal Cruelty Cases, ASPCA Animal Hospital)
• Legal Tools for Managing Live Evidence (Stacy Wolf)
• Animals and the Fourth Amendment (Jennifer Chin, Esq., Counsel, ASPCA Legal Advocacy)
• Logistics of Large Scale Animal Cruelty Cases (Tim Rickey, Vice President, ASPCA Field Investigations & Response)
• Puppy Mill Investigations (Kathryn Destreza, Investigations Director, ASPCA Field Investigations & Response; Cori Menkin, Esq., Senior Director, ASPCA Puppy Mills Campaign)
• Forensic Evidence Collection in Animal Cruelty & Fighting Cases (Dr. Jason Byrd, Director of Education, ASPCA/University of Florida Veterinary Forensic Sciences program)
• Safe Animal Handling (Dr. Randall Lockwood, Senior Vice President, ASPCA Forensic Sciences & Anti-Cruelty Projects)

"We're thrilled that the ASPCA will be lending its expertise to our new Animal Protection Initiative, assisting our staff as they pursue and prosecute individuals who abuse animals," said Attorney General Schneiderman. "Animal protection is both a public safety and a consumer protection issue. The ASPCA's support will go a long way toward helping our office protect the rights of New Yorkers to live in safe communities."

New Yorkers seeking to report consumer complaints, animal abuse or give anonymous tips about potential animal fighting operations are encouraged to call 1-800-771-7755.