Animal Services Recommends Animal Cruelty Charges in Recent Case
Author: Animal Services
Date: 2/21/2020 3:46 PM
Animal Services has recommended two criminal charges after a recent investigation.
Animal Services has forwarded a case to the District Attorney with the recommendation for filing of two criminal charges:
- PC597 - Cruelty to Animals - can be filed as felony or misdemeanor
- PC597f(a) Permitting Animals to Go Without Care - misdemeanor
Filing of charges, and whether or not they should be filed as a misdemeanor or felony, is at the discretion of the District Attorney. The Animal Services Division’s recommendation was based on an investigation this week by an Animal Services Officer.
On Monday night, an Animal Services Officer responded to a call that a resident in the rural Paso Robles area had found a dog roaming at large with duct tape wrapped around its muzzle and head. The Animal Services Division of the County’s Health Agency impounded the dog and transported it to a veterinarian for evaluation and removal of the duct tape. The officer’s investigation determined that the dog’s owner had placed the tape on the dog to discipline it for attacking one of their chickens.
“While this does not appear to have been an intentionally malicious act, it is not an appropriate training method and would have caused significant distress, suffering and torment to the dog,” said County Animal Services Divisions Manager Dr. Eric Anderson.
The dog is currently in the custody of Animal Services and will remain safely there until a custody determination is made at an administrative hearing that will likely occur in the coming weeks.
