Expanding Support for Oklahoma Horses Through Education

December 12, 2024

group photo at ETAC event

On November 20, 2024, the ASPCA worked with community partners to host our first full-day, equine-focused law enforcement training in Oklahoma. Thirty-one Oklahoma law enforcement personnel from 14 statewide agencies attended the training. The eight-hour course was certified through the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education & Training and was held at the ASPCA’s Equine Transition and Adoption Center (ETAC) outside of Oklahoma City.

Attendees participated in sessions that covered a wide range of equine-related topics such as horse handling and behavior, equine medical evaluation and triage, investigation tips, evidence identification and documentation and cruelty laws.

...

“The course was an extension of an effort we began with Oklahoma animal control officers in 2021,” said Tom Persechino, senior director of ETAC. “This incredible collaboration allows us to make Oklahoma a model for equine welfare. The level of interest in the training was incredible and having ASPCA teach and host these professionals could not have been more impactful.”

The training will have a ripple effect as the attendees bring back their learnings and implement them in counties across Oklahoma. As Deputy Patricia Benavidez of the Payne County Sheriff’s Office, who attended, said: “The information gathered here will be beneficial to others at my agency and will drive home the point of a thorough investigation and the importance of looking into these cases.”

Increasing educational opportunities for law enforcement officials aligns with ASPCA’s holistic approach to improving equine welfare in Oklahoma. Through ETAC, equine owners can access cost-free veterinary care with the goal of keeping their horse safe in a loving home; euthanasia services, if needed; or safe relinquishment options. For horses being relinquished, ETAC provides behavioral and medical rehabilitation before finding the horses adoptive homes.

The ASPCA is working to plan additional equine law enforcement trainings in Oklahoma in 2025. Interested in joining a future training? Email us at [email protected].