animal control officer problem - Page 1

i am having a problem with the local ac officer.  Last week she came by and said my bitch, that had just whelped a litter of 6 puppies a week ago, was to skinny and I was neglecting her.  So I took her the vetfor a checkup and the vet gave a b 12 shot and said try and wean the puppies earlier. her weight was 47.5 pounds when i got this dog she only weighed 50 pounds and was in good shape.  Long story short vet called her and said the dog was normal and ingood condition with 6 puppies and he also said the puppies were fine since she said they were too skinny also which they are soo fat theywobble when they walk. Now tonight she came by and said since it was raining I was neglecting the other 2 dogs, I am at work 2 hours away and my roommate was home and didn't know it was raining or she would have brought them in. Now I have to meet with her in the morning my question is what can I do about this harassment.  I have looked up my state laws and says to be gulity of neglect substantial harm has to result to the animal. I have taken these animals to the vet at any sign of sicknees and keep their shots and wormings up to date.  This"lady" hung up on me when talking to her and cussed me and my roommate out.  She showed up in jeans and a t-shirt with her boyfriend one of the local officers. I really don't know what to do and would appreciate any suggestions.

David

some people get "high" when the have power over others.

City?
State?

Just curious, what brings the officer to you in the first place, a tip?
Something else?
What agency are they with?

She is with the city and it all started when one of my dogs was struck by lightning in his pen and somebody complained that the dog was dead before I could bury him.  Ever since she has been coming by.  The vet that I went too even said that she gets too excited over things that don't amount to a hill of beans.  She was trying to quaote state laws. My problem is her lack of professionalism hanging the phone up and cussing is not the right thing to do. She even told my roommate to make a statement against me and she would not charge her. So I have real problem with her. I had another person at the same vet said she threatened to take him to court because there was a straydog in his yard that was skinny.

Start keeping a log of when your dogs are in, when they are out, when & what they eat, when they go to the vets, are groomed, exercised, nails clipped, etc.. You get the idea. It's a pain in the butt, but it's well worth it, because you've got a problem. This person is likely to keep harassing you until you stand up to them, & tell them to either charge you with something, or leave you alone. But you need to cover your behind, & that's where the log comes in. Time, date, & initial every single entry. Don't confront until you have several months of logs to support the excellent care you're taking of your dogs. And make sure their care IS excellent! Keep them inside if you can. Make sure your yard & property are clean & free of feces, with no foul odors. Report every time this person shows up to the police. When she shows up, call the cops. Never mind threats or making a scene, stay very calm & polite, offer as little information as possible, ask them to leave. DO NOT let them in your house. DO NOT allow them on your property. DO NOT let them SEE into your house. Stand on your porch, front step, whatever, with your front door closed behind you, & call the cops, & ask them to leave, very politely. Can you afford to retain an attorney? You may need one. My husband went through a similar situation with his 2 Akitas, many years ago, he was being visited by A/C 3 or 4 times a week...& the dogs were well cared for, very healthy...but this person did not let up until they finally took him to court. He HAD kept a log, & the judge not only dismissed the charges, but ordered the court costs paid for by the A/C officer, & told him he would be lucky if he wasn't sued. Good luck, it sucks to be targeted by some jerk! jackie harris

Ok,
In this city with no name, in a state somewhere, you had a dog struck by lightening and how long did it take you to bury it?

This woman is a city worker, they all have a boss somewhere in the office's of this city.
All cities have bosses.
Most cities have a lawyer, at least one.

Record your calls.
Make sure you have no violations.

So...........  how long?

Moons.

When the dog died I was at work and asked my roommate to bury him and before he could there was allready a complaint at 8 in the morning he was fine the night before and we had a heavy thunderstorm that night.  I dont care to say the city is Kennett and the state is Missouri.

Thats good advice Kalibeck I will start doing this.  Yes I am getting an attorney, And will be talking to the Chief of Police in the morning.  She never comes when I am around always when I am at work.  It like she knows when I am gone and then starts in on my roommate.  I will even start keeping a log of when I train and video tape it.

Keep a log--take pictures--get a written report from the vet on condition of all dogs. BUT, why were the dogs out in a "heavy thunderstorm" at night? It sounds like you leave them out for long periods of time--do you have proper shelter for the dogs to get out of the elements?

Stand in the officer's shoes for a few minutes and see where they are coming from.  You had a dog die (hit by lightening??) in it's kennel, and apparently left there for long enough for someone (neighbor?) to notice the dead dog and call animal control about it.  They only know the obvious details - dog died, and was left in the kennel for ????? how long - long enough for complaint to be made.  You have dogs in outside enclosures without proper shelter in the rain - the AC officer only sees this, since you/your roommate left them out in the rain - if he had come and the dogs were warm and dry in their shelters, or in the house, there wouldn't have been a problem.  Now you have a dog that is too thin - that's what they see.  Why is it too thin?  Because it had puppies?  Sure (though my females are never too thin before, during or after whelp) - but the AC officer only sees a dog that is malnourished and does something about it.  Now there is three strikes against you, and for the welfare of the animals in your care, he/she will have you on their "red list" to continue checking back and making unannounced visits until they are satisfied things have been taken care of and won't happen again.  THAT'S THEIR JOB!!!!!  They are concerned for the animals welfare.  If you don't comply with their reasonable demands (don't leave dead dogs in the kennel, have proper shelter from weather avaialble if the dogs are out in the weather, feed your dogs enough that they are not too thin) then you are in danger of continued "montioring" and possible seizure of all of your dogs.  Yes you can fight this in court, but really from what you described, the AC has a pretty good case against you.  I'll bet they took pictures and documented the dead dog, the wet dogs without adequate shelter, and the thin dog, don't you?

Get things in order with your animals - that's the way to get the AC officer off your back.

molly