Alert   4/8/08     Fauquier Does It Right!

subtitle: Every Jurisdiction in Virginia Needs Humane Investigators

 

It was a good morning on Friday, 4/4/08, in Warrenton, the county seat of Fauquier County. Charles E. Settle was brought to justice and his dogs won a reprieve!

 

This is such a good example of how things should work to help animals. To see Mr. Settle get his just desserts is something that should happen as often as there are “Mr. Settles” elsewhere in the state, and there are – far too many.

 

There was a “bench” trial (means no jury) with witnesses.

 

Fauquier Animal Control Officers Lane Phillippe, John Arstino, and Becky Cooper testified as did Patrol Deputy Brubaker, Fauquier SPCA Executive Director Judy Hagerman, and veterinarian Janet McKim.

 

But it was Hilleary Bogley, one of three humane investigators in Fauquier County, who really made the case with the photos and medical records in incredible detail that compelled the seizure (and ultimate forfeiture) of 23 dogs, some pregnant, on 12/31/07, from the home of Charles Settle.

 

The subsequent births (one Presa Canario had 10 pups, another Presa had 7, and a rottie had 12) were from mothers having virtually no food or water, and in one case, being chained so the about-to-be-mother couldn’t even lie down.

 

And there were more than the pregnant dogs.

 

The bills for care for this group of nearly 50 dogs came to over $45,000 and required uncounted hours of compassion and love.

 

The judge, Judge Herman Whisenant, and the Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, Angela Catlett, performed beautifully, and Mr. Settle, appealing his earlier conviction, lost. Middleburg Humane Foundation got custody of the dogs, and Mr. Settle has been ordered to pay all the $45,000 costs incurred since 12/31/07. The court also ruled that Mr. Settle shall not be allowed to own any domestic animals.

 

This is a story that has all the right pieces in place to apprehend and punish such wrongdoing. There are three good, well-trained animal control officers in Fauquier County. There are three good, well-trained humane investigators in Fauquier as well (Suzanne Ashby and Ginger Bennett in addition to Hilleary), and one of the humane investigators – Hilleary - has a facility (Middleburg Humane Foundation) where animals that are removed from horrible situations can be cared for until next steps are taken, including re-homing when that is possible.

 

And there is a good and supportive SPCA under Judy Hagerman which serves as the public pound for Fauquier, and good and generous veterinarians to help, Janet McKim being an excellent example, and a system with judges (Judge Whisenant in this case) and commonwealth attorneys (Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Angela Catlett in this case) tuned to the injustices too often visited on animals.

 

Wish this could be said about your county? What do you do if you don’t live in Fauquier?

 

How about advocating re-establishment of the humane investigator program? Talk with your county Board of Supervisors and let them know there are people who will volunteer – trained volunteers! – who will be the Hillearies of your county. Make sure they understand that volunteers means these humane investigators are not on the payroll! Talk with your animal control officers and ask why in the world they would not be out advocating for help and for humane investigators? Do any of you know an animal control officer who doesn’t have more to do than there is time in the day?

 

How about making sure your jurisdiction has at least two animal control officers, and that those officers are trained as soon as they start work? Not enough money? How about getting people to buy dog licenses, and how about raising the price for dog licenses to cover this, and how about advocating for an increase in the current maximum ($10) for a license?

 

How about talking with your local judges and your commonwealth attorneys and find out what support they need to prosecute animal cruelty cases? Do they have the budgets that allow them to put good solid cases together and have the cases heard timely? Ask them what you can do to make sure the Charles Settles are stopped dead in their tracks.

 

How about talking with your local vets and asking them to donate more time to animals in your public pound or rescues, or preparing judges and attorneys for court cases? Ask them if they will support a tax credit for vets doing just this. And remind them that we have tried to give vets these tax credits in the last two sessions of the General Assembly.

 

Fauquier County makes this work – 3 animal control officers and 3 humane investigators plus the vets and judges and SPCAs and commonwealth attorneys – because people in the county care enough to make the effort to support this.

 

Here’s the challenge. We want at least three counties in Virginia to make change and be like Fauquier. If you can demonstrate you are serious, we will work with these three counties till the cows come home and see what it takes to “Fauquier-ize” your jurisdiction. Who will take the challenge? We will contribute up to $5,000 to make this happen.

 

Lillian Clancy and Don Marro

 

PS: For an update on the dogs, google: Middleburg Humane Foundation – VA.