The Animal Welfare Junction

We are in person at the 2024 Animal Forensic Conference in Gainesville, Florida! Dr. G will be interviewing several of the speakers to give our audience a bit of the knowledge gained through the presentations. We will be releasing each interview individually to allow our listeners to find topics of interest.

This episode is the first interview of the conference, and we have Amber Wallyn, Animal Cruelty Investigator in Lake County, Florida. She will discuss best practices in an animal crimes investigation to build a strong case. This episode is valuable to all individuals involved in the case, from veterinarians to ACOs and law enforcement.

We would also like to invite our listeners involved in animal cruelty

investigations to visit and join the International Society for Animal Forensic

Sciences https://isafs.org/

Mentioned in this episode:

Keep it Humane Podcast Network

The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.

We are in person at the 2024 Animal Forensic Conference in Gainesville, Florida! Dr. G will be interviewing several of the speakers to give our audience a bit of the knowledge gained through the presentations. We will be releasing each interview individually to allow our listeners to find topics of interest.

This episode is our introduction to the series, and joining us is Dr. Adam Stern. Learn about the purpose of the conference and what to expect from the next set of episodes. These talks are applicable to all individuals involved in animal cruelty and investigations, including wildlife crimes.

We would also like to invite our listeners involved in animal cruelty investigations to visit and join the International Society for Animal Forensic Sciences https://isafs.org/

Mentioned in this episode:

10% off Tomahawk products

Use keyword keepithumane at checkout at livetrap.com

Keep it Humane Podcast Network

The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.

Vicki Deisner from Ohio Animal Advocates joins us to share with our listeners the Real Ohio Tours 2024 schedule and the advocacy efforts supported by these programs. From birds to foxes to farm animals, there is an opportunity to visit and learn about the places that care for these animals, how we can help support them, and the advocacy efforts occurring to change laws affecting their welfare.

For information about Ohio Animal Advocates, visit www.ohioanimaladvocates.org or follow them on social media. 

Like our content? Please take a few seconds to rate, like and share. Together we can be a strong voice for animals.

Mentioned in this episode:

Keep it Humane Podcast Network

The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.

10% off Tomahawk products

Use keyword keepithumane at checkout at livetrap.com

The Jefferson County Humane Society was established in Ohio back in 1915 by a group of women who wanted to help animals. For over 100 years, generations of women have worked hard to build a great shelter facility and a shelter clinic. Learn how and why on this in-person interview directly from the humane society.

For information about the shelter, visit their website at https://jeffersoncountyhumanesociety.net/

Mentioned in this episode:

Keep it Humane Podcast Network

The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.

10% off Tomahawk products

Use keyword keepithumane at checkout at livetrap.com

Warning: This episode discusses the details of a case of animal cruelty where the defendant was charged with felony animal cruelty.

We are joined by Sandusky Chief Dog Warden Kelly Pocock, whose hard work and determination resulted in the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of a dog killer. Solving this case involved crime scene investigation, necropsy, blood spatter, interrogation, and interviews and is a case that should be an example to other officers facing similar cases. This case also includes the presentation to the court of a Victim Impact Statement on behalf of the deceased dog, something that we do not see because animals are not normally recognized as victims of crime, just property.

In addition to the interview with Kelly, our listeners will be able to hear the interview with the suspect and, along with us, dissect the information to determine if he is telling the truth or not.

Following Kelly's interview, we follow up with the Humane Society of the United States' Laura Koivula, who shares how the HSUS assisted this small rural town with this big investigation.

Help us spread the word by liking, rating, and sharing this podcast. Let's share the voice of this dog and encourage others to do more.

Mentioned in this episode:

Keep it Humane Podcast Network

The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.

10% off Tomahawk products

Use keyword keepithumane at checkout at livetrap.com

We are back after a short break, and we couldn't have asked for a better guest to get us back on track. Dr. Adam Stern, professor of forensic pathology at the University of Florida, joins us to discuss poisonings and starvation in the veterinary forensic setting. This is an educational and informational episode and, while it is a difficult topic, there is nothing gory about our discussion.

This topic is good for everyone, but in particular an excellent resource for veterinarians and humane agents wanting to improve their knowledge and learn about resources available to them.

Dr. Stern also is one of the founders of the International Society for Animal Forensic Sciences, an organization we highly recommend for anyone involved in animal cruelty and neglect investigations regardless of their experience or knowledge level.

Websites of importance shared on this episode:

https://isafs.org

https://animalforensics.vetmed.ufl.edu

Mentioned in this episode:

10% off Tomahawk products

Use keyword keepithumane at checkout at livetrap.com

Keep it Humane Podcast Network

The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.

Everyone knows someone who says they work with animals because they hate people. Or maybe you are that someone. But what we must realize is that as animal welfare advocates we cannot separate the animals from their humans. The human-animal bond is a very important relationship, and to care for one we must acknowledge the other.

Dr. Jonathan Gonzalez is a veterinarian practicing in the State of Texas and is very passionate about fostering the relationship between animals and humans and being part of the family medical team. We will discuss the importance of client communications, how to work through hard situations and when to learn to step away, and overall how to change our outlook to improve our own mental health.

Like this episode? Help us by rating and sharing so we can reach more animal advocates like you.

Mentioned in this episode:

10% off Tomahawk products

Use keyword keepithumane at checkout at livetrap.com

Keep it Humane Podcast Network

The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.

This episode contains topics that may be difficult to hear or that can be triggering to some listeners. Please take care of yourself and pause or stop if needed. This episode also has explicit language. 

Our guest K.D. Hearst, host of “Don’t F* up the Crime Scene”, joins us to discuss a case he worked on years ago in the state of Georgia involving sexual assault on a dog by two young kids. Authorities were called to the scene for a “dog bite” complaint and they did not expect to find what they did. Spoiler: everyone is fine.

This case addresses sexual abuse, dog bites, and dangerous dogs. Dog bite level definitions are explained using the Ian Dunbar scale. Sexual assault to animals is a difficult topic to discuss, but one that is important to understand and acknowledge as it goes beyond the cruelty to the dog. These perpetrators can be dangerous to the community, especially to other innocent victims such as children, and current laws may not properly address this crime.

Mentioned in this episode:

Keep it Humane Podcast Network

The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.

Episode 37: SpayFirst with founder Ruth Steinberger

Shelter euthanasia is not the problem. Shelter overpopulation is not the problem. We are looking for a solution to animal welfare issues while overlooking the real problem. Pet overpopulation and lack of access to care is the cause of increased shelter intake and thus shelter euthanasia. Until we acknowledge that lack of affordable and accessible care is the cause of the problem, we will not be able to reach a solution, and more animals and people who care for them will continue to suffer.

To speak about this pet overpopulation crisis, we invited Ruth Steinberger, founder of SpayFirst. Ruth has been involved in providing affordable and accessible care since the ‘90s and shares what her organization is doing to provide solutions, how the current intake processes are doing more harm than good, and what needs to happen to truly help decrease shelter euthanasia. We are all responsible for this problem, and we all need to be part of the solution.

You can help us reach a wider audience by following, rating, and sharing our episodes. Together we can make a difference for animals and the community.

Mentioned in this episode:

Keep it Humane Podcast Network

The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.

In 2017, officers Daniel Ettinger and Salvador Aguirre were able to close a case that started in 2014. Marleen Puzak avoided investigation for years following complaints of animal neglect at her property. This episode breaks down the details of the case, a review on hoarding disorder, and the importance of mental health evaluations.

Our guest Daniel Ettinger (co-host of the Animal Control Report) shares with us his experience on this case, how he was able to obtain a warrant, his findings, what worked well, what could have worked better, and how him and his partner helped both the animals and quite possibly Ms. Puzak herself. This is an informational episode for anyone interested in learning more about animal hoarding.

Like this episode? Help us reach a bigger audience by following, rating, and sharing!

Mentioned in this episode:

Keep it Humane Podcast Network

The Animal Welfare Junction is part of the Keep It Humane Podcast Network. Visit keepithumane.com/podcastnetwork to find us and our amazing animal welfare podcast partners.