St. Lawrence County Animal Protection Coalition
Meeting Minutes 08/24/10
1) Attendees
– Niki Rickett, Sue Siedlecki, Judy Boyer, Paul Boyer, Anne M. Rivet-Bohling, Robin Boutot, Steve Boutot, Kevin Wells, Tony Beane, DVM, Carrie Tuttle
2) Reviewed action items from 5/25/10 meeting
a) Kevin Wells will provide a list of agencies/contacts that SLC residents can use to report abuse; PHS will post on their website; Sheriff Tipmail shortcut will be added to this list.
STATUS: Complete – Kevin provided a list of contacts at meeting. List will be posted under “Animal Cruelty” section of PHS website.
b) Mary Rain will provide a list of questions that people need to be prepared to answer when they file a complaint.
STATUS: awaiting completion; Carrie will follow up with Mary after meeting to find out status.
c) Francine Paretta will develop public service announcements through various media (newspaper, radio, etc.) once the website is complete.
STATUS: Waiting on completion of other items
d) DA will research reporting requirements for large and small animals among vets.
STATUS: Complete; DA met with Jeff Eyre from ASPCA and understanding of reporting requirements for large and small animals has been clarified.
e) C. Tuttle will develop a list of contacts for SLC vets.
STATUS: Complete and posted on www.potsdamhumanesociety.org
f) Vets will be invited to meet with committee to address several issues: 1) identify list of vets willing to be available for consultation for cruelty cases; 2) educate about small animal reporting requirements; 3) develop alternatives for addressing large animal cruelty. Vet continuity is important on case. Once they get involved need to remain involved through prosecution/trial. Felony cases will require a vet’s statement and further support throughout the case as necessary, if the animal is not killed as a result of the abuse.
STATUS: Complete; meeting held on 6/22 at 7 p.m.
g) DA will develop a release of liability form for vets that property owners would sign when conducting a search.
STATUS: Awaiting completion; Anne Rivet-Bohling offered to contact other animal agencies to research if template form exists. C. Tuttle will follow up with Nicole on status of progress.
h) Mary Rain will develop and coordinate general training for law enforcement officers, specialized training for select officers so we have “subject matter experts”, and training for judges. Training will include overview of laws, specific SLC requirements, and where to get help (i.e., info posted on PHS website). N. Duvé mentioned that Jeff Eyre from ASPCA would be willing to talk to group. Stacy Wolf is also a resource for training. Training should include educating officers to go back to original complaints and notify people of status – it’s important for the public to know that their complaint was looked info. If law enforcement can’t move forward then the complainant will know so they can continue to observe and notify law enforcement if additional evidence becomes available.
STATUS: Waiting on completion of other items. K. Wells reported that he will be sending officers to animal cruelty training in Plattsburgh this fall.
i) DA will develop a rubric of skills resources she needs to assist in animal cruelty cases.
STATUS: Complete; decided rubric wasn’t necessary with Vet list and Animal Cruelty Contact list.
j) Peggy Cambridge has a list of people willing to temporarily house certain animals during cruelty cases.
STATUS: Awaiting completion. C. Tuttle requested that committee members interested in offering this service email her with the specifics of how they could help (i.e., what type of animals could they house, how many animals, contact info, etc.) List will only be shared with committee members and will not be made available to the general public. Judy Boyer will contact Peggy and see if she can get list that Peggy has.
k) DA will research bonding process and educate affected agencies so bonding may be utilized in the future when animals are seized.
STATUS: Awaiting completion. N. Duvé reported at prior meeting that she had spoke with several other county agencies and the ASPCA regarding this issue. Other counties didn’t have a lot to offer; waiting on issue to be clarified. Anne Rivet-Bohling is attempting to contact other humane agencies to obtain clarification on this item. C. Tuttle explained importance of bonding in providing an incentive for timelier trials.
3) Next Meeting: Tuesday, 9/28/10 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility (i.e., Canton Jail).