Zoonotic Diseases & Animal Control Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. For professionals in animal control, sheltering, humane investigations, and field enforcement, understanding zoonotic risk is a core part of officer safety, public health protection, and effective case management.

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In May 2026, 50-year-old Jodi Cowan was fatally mauled outside her Cocoa, Florida, neighborhood. Her neighbor, 29-year-old Linda Cutler, was arrested and charged with felony manslaughter after investigations revealed she knew her dogs were dangerous and repeatedly failed to contain them.

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We had Kim Schwartz on the DFUTCS Podcast to discuss court procedures, courtroom language, and the “Easy Eight’s.” It was an informative conversation covering how the judicial process works, the importance of understanding legal terminology, and practical insight from her experience serving in the Muscogee County Judicial Circuit in Columbus.















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We had Dee Barns on the podcast DFUTCS for our “Easy Eight’s” segment, where we discussed his longevity in the animal control profession throughout Texas — from the days of little to no training and limited resources, to now having strong support from command staff and improved professional standards across the field. It was an awesome time catching up, sharing experiences, and hearing his perspective on how the profession has evolved over the years. Always great spending time with my brother.

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The return of Aldwin Roman from SC Humane Society (S3EP 52#) to talk about his CAWA Certification, and how it help help ever part of job duties.

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I had an awesome conversation with former Animal Services shelter director Gracie Lankford Griggs regarding her struggles with the lack of support from her city commission and the failure to properly train and equip her to successfully complete the department’s mission.
















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On February 25, 2026, 74-year-old Diane Emily Pellington was mauled to death by three neighborhood dogs in the Hiwassee Dam community near Murphy in Cherokee County, North Carolina. The dogs were on their owner’s property at the time of the attack, which occurred on Cross Creek Lane.

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Hey everyone — quick update on the case verdict. Please tune in and share your comments in the chat.

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he bench trial for a father charged in the death of his 3-year-old daughter after a dog attack continued Thursday.It comes after the young girl was mauled by dogs during the week of Christmas in 2024.


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It will be up to a panel of judges to decide whether Warren Houston is innocent or guilty. Houston pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter and child endangerment.WARNING: The details of the story are graphic in natureIn December 2024, Kingsley Wright was spending time with her dad for the holidays. In court, prosecutors claimed Houston put the child to sleep on the couch, with the dogs in the same room, locked inside a broken cage.On Thursday, video from that night showed Kingsley was attacked for more than 30 minutes, but nobody came to help her. Houston was sleeping in a separate room, with the door closed, according to investigators.Houston was so emotional and distraught in the court room that he had to briefly step away.During the police interrogation of Houston, he admitted he knew at least one dog had aggressive tendencies and that the cage was faulty, saying he had to use zip ties in the past to secure it.

We talk about.....

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200 episodes strong! 🎙️For this milestone episode, I had the honor of sitting down with IAABC & CDBC certified behaviorist Jennifer Shryock. Her insight, experience, and practical guidance were next-level.We ran through our “Easy 8’s” and dove deep into one of the most important topics out there—preventing fatal incidents between children and dogs.This wasn’t just a conversation… it was life-saving information every family needs to hear.I’m truly grateful for her time, her knowledge, and the work she continues to do to keep kids and dogs

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