MORNING.
>> CHILLY.
>> FROM KITTEN TO HORSES, THE
HOUSTON SPCA HELPS ALL SORT OF
ANIMALS IN NEED AND REALLY THOSE
THAT JUST WANT LOVE, ESPECIALLY
THESE IN ABUSE SITUATIONS.
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND THE HOUSTON SP KREA HAS A
DEDICATED INVESTIGATION TEAM.
>> WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT
THERE, WE'VE SEEN THE SHOW,
ANIMAL COP, ON ANIMAL PLANET,
YOU'RE THE ACTUAL ANIMAL COPS.
>> YES, WE ARE.
>> YOU ARE THE ANIMAL COPS FROM
THE SHOW.
SO TELL US ABOUT HOW EVERY DAY
UNFOLDS BECAUSE THIS IS PRETTY
INTENSE WORK.
>> THE DAYS VARY BUT WE GET
CALLS REPORTED FROM THE GENERAL
PUBLIC, CITIZENS CAN EITHER CALL
REPORT.
AND THEN IT WILL BE ANYTHING
FROM AN ANIMAL THAT DOESN'T HAVE
FOOD OR WATER OR SHELTER TO AN
ANIMAL THAT'S INJURED, NOT
RECEIVING VET CARE, TO LIVESTOCK
THAT APPEARS TO BE NOT BEING
TAKEN CARE OF.
WE GET THOSE CALLS IN AND THEN
WE GO OUT INTO DIFFERENT AREAS
AND WE GO OUT AND INVESTIGATE
THOSE CALLS.
>> MAVERICK, I WOULD THINK A LOT
OF FOLKS WOULD GO, HEY, IT'S NOT
MY BUSINESS.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE
THAT IF YOU SEE AN AN IN NEED --
AN ANIMAL IN NEED, THAT'S IN AN
ABUSE SITUATION, YOU THINK TO
PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL?
>> IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, YOU
US.
LET US GO OUT.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
WE INVESTIGATE REPORTED CASES OF
ANIMAL CRUELTY.
A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IS WE GO OUT
AND YOU KNOW, WE TRAY TO EDUCATE
THE OWNERS, SAYING, YOU KNOW,
HERE'S WHAT THE LAW IS, HERE'S
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY JUST
DON'T KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF
AN ANIMAL PROPERLY.
SO A LOT OF OUR JOB IS EDUCATING
THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE ANIMALS
AND HOPEFULLY CORRECTING THE
SITUATION FROM WITHIN INSTEAD OF
HAVING TO GO FARTHER AND REMOVE
THE ANIMAL AND GO THROUGH THE
LEGAL PROCESS AND STUFF.
>> BEYOND THAT, PEOPLE WHO ARE
JUST UNKNOWINGLY NEGLECTING
THEIR ANIMALS AND NEED TO BE
EDUCATED ABOUT IT, THERE ARE
GOING INTO.
TELL US HOW SOMETHING LIKE THAT
WORKS, WHEN YOU'RE GOING INTO A
SITUATION TO INVESTIGATE A
POSSIBLE CRUELTY CASE, ISN'T
THAT KIND OF DANGEROUS JUST TO
SHOW UP AT SOMEONE'S PROPERTY
AND CHECK IT OUT?
>> IT CAN BE.
THERE'S CERTAINLY ALL KINDS OF
SITUATIONS WE WALK INTO.
WE GET CASES OF REPORTED DOG
FIGHTING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THAT'S INHERENTLY DANGEROUS.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S A REPORT OF A
DOG IN THE BACKYARD WITHOUT A
SO WE'RE
GO.
WE READ THE SITUATION WHEN WE GO
UP.
AND AND IF THERE'S EVER A
SITUATION WE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE,
WE PULL BACK AND ASK FOR
ASSISTANCE.
BUT OUR MAIN PART AS THE
SITUATION.
WE LOOK FOR A SOLUTION.
WE TRY TO FIND A SLIEWGHTS.
WE ADVISE -- SOLUTION.
WE ADVISE OWNERS HOW TO REACH
THAT AND THE ULTIMATELY WE HAVE
TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE WITH
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES,
BE IT THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE,
THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IF -- IF THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO
PROPERTY.
>> I WOULD IMAGINE IT'S A JOB
THAT YOU DON'T SHUT IT OFF.
SOMETIMES IT COMES HOME WITH
>> THERE ARE DEFINITELY THOSE
DAYS WHERE IT'S HARD.
AND PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK US, HOW DO
YOU DO THAT, HOW DO YOU SEE THE
DAY.
AND I KNOW DEBBIE SAYS IT AND I
SAY IT.
IF I GO HOME AT THE END OF THE
DAY AND I'VE MADE A DIFFERENCE
IN THE LIFE OF ONE AN HAL THAT
DAY, I'VE DONE -- AN ANIMAL THAT
DAY.
YOU HAVE TO FOCUSED ON THE
POSITIVES.
>> YOU BOTH MENTIONED THAT YOU
RELY ON PRIVATE CITIZENS TO FLAG
THESE CASES OF POTENTIAL ABUSE
OR CRUELTY.
HOW COULD SOMEONE FILE A REPORT
OR IS IT AS SIMPLE AS PICKING UP
>> ABSOLUTELY.
YOU CAN CALL THE SPCA AND MAKE A
REPORT OVER THE PHONE OR YOU CAN
GO TO OUR WEBSITE.
THERE'S AN ACTUAL FORM THAT YOU
CAN FILL OUT AND IT WILL ASK YOU
ALL THE INFORMATION, ADDRESS,
AND EVERYTHING.
YOU FILL IT OUT RIGHT ONLINE AND
SUBMIT IT AND IT GOES RIGHT TO
OUR DATABASE AND IT'S ASSIGNED
TO AN INVESTIGATOR.
>> CAN YOU DO IT ANONYMOUSLY?
>> THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN
GET AROUND AND DO THAT.
BUT WE REQUEST THAT YOU GIVE US
INFORMATION, BECAUSE THERE'S A
LOT OF TIMES WE GO OUT TO A
PROPERTY AND WE DON'T HAVE ALL
THE INFORMATION AND WE MIGHT
NEED TO CALL SOMEBODY, AN
ADDRESS MIGHT BE WRONG.
THERE MAY NOT BE AN ADDRESS.
IT MIGHT JUST SAY THE WHITE
HOUSE.
SO WE DON'T EVER GIVE THE PERSON
WE'RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE THE
COMPLAINT.
SO FOR US, IT'S BENEFICIAL IF
YOU ARE ABLE TO AT LEAST LEAVE A
NAME AND PHONE NUMBER SO WE CAN
CALL YOU IF WE NEED TO.
LEFT.
BUT PART OF YOUR JOB IS TO
APPEAR IN COURT.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT
NOT REALIZE THAT OFTENTIMES JUST
AS -- IN A CHILD CUSTODY CASE,
THESE ANIMALS, THEY'RE CUSTODY
ISSUES WITH ANIMALS, WHERE YOU
HAVE TO SOMETIMES TAKE CUSTODY
OF AN ANIMAL TO GET IT OUT OF A
BAD SITUATION.
>> WELL, THE MAIN THING THAT WE
DO IS A CIVIL PROCESS, THE CIVIL
SEIZURE PROCESS.
TO A COURT.
WE HAVE TO BRING ENOUGH
EVIDENCE.
WE HAVE TO DO OUR DILIGENCE AND
PROVE THAT THIS ANIMAL WAS
CRUELTY TREATED -- CRUELLY
TREATED SO THE ANIMAL CAN BE
AWARDED TO THE SPCA SO WE CAN
TAKE CARE OF IT.
>> YOU ARE TRULY ANIMAL
ADVOCATES.
>> YES, WE ARE.
>> KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY.
>> TO GET INVOLVED OR TO FILE AN