Animal cruelty crimes generate unique and sensitive types of evidence. Some types of evidence, such as ammonia levels are transitory and require situation appropriate collection. Marks of animal struggling or suffering may be subtle but important to detect. Animals themselves may be evidence, whether living or deceased and they themselves present challenges at the crime scene and afterwards. This presentation will cover evidence recognition, documentation, preservation, and collection in a variety of types of animal cruelty crimes.
The National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA) was formed in 1978 for the express purpose of assisting its members to perform their duties in a professional manner. We believe only carefully selected and properly trained animal control personnel can correct community problems resulting from irresponsible animal ownership. NACA’s purpose is to preserve the Human/Animal Bond by insisting on responsible animal ownership.
The National Law Enforcement Center on Animal Abuse was established by the National Sheriffs’ Association to provide law enforcement officers information on the realities of animal abuse and to promote their proactive involvement in the enforcement of animal abuse laws in their communities. Through our partners, the Center will serve as an information clearinghouse and forum for law enforcement on the growing problem of animal abuse and its link to other types of crimes, including violence against humans. The Center also promotes officer safety in officer-dog encounters through continuing education and training.
A veterinarian experienced in animal welfare, emergency veterinary medicine and animal cruelty investigations, Dr. Smith-Blackmore has a special interest in working K9 safety as well as helping law enforcement and animal control officers feel confident in investigating allegations of animal cruelty. She is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police forensic science committee; the president of a veterinary forensics consulting group; an adjunct professor at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and a Fellow at the Center for Animals and Public Policy in North Grafton, Massachusetts.
Jessica Rock is an Assistant District Attorney with the Towaliga Judicial Circuit and the Georgia Statewide Animal Crimes Prosecutor and Trainer, only the 3rd of this kind in the nation. She provides statewide animal crime (animal cruelty and dogfighting) case assistance for law enforcement and prosecutors. She also provides statewide and national training to law enforcement, animal control officers, prosecutors, judges and veterinarians on a variety of topics including animal abuse cases from the crime scene to the courtroom, dogfighting investigations and prosecutions and the link between animal abuse, interpersonal violence, and other collateral crimes.
Former Deputy Chief of the Special Victims Unit for DeKalb County, Jessica graduated with Honors from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology. Jessica received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Emory University School of Law in 2003. After clerking for a superior court judge and the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, in 2004, she became Georgia’s first dedicated animal cruelty prosecutor, creating Georgia’s first animal cruelty task force with law enforcement. For over a decade, Jessica successfully prosecuted thousands of special victims cases involving homicide, RICO, gangs, domestic violence, elder abuse, child victim cases, animal cruelty, and dogfighting. Training judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, animal control officers, and veterinarians for over 16 years, she continues teaching nationally and throughout Georgia.
In addition to her speaking engagements, she also works diligently drafting laws related to animals in Georgia on both the state and local levels. She is the past Chair of the Animal Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia and on the executive board of the National Coalition on Violence Against Animals. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Forensic Sciences Program.
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