Every day animals are abused and neglected in San Diego, and this week the district attorney said she’s taking steps to make it easier to punish people who hurt those who can’t speak up for themselves.
On Wednesday, District Attorney Summer Stephen announced a new Animal Cruelty Prosecution Unit that will provide dedicated experts in abuse cases. The streamlined unit will allow one prosecutor to focus on each case from beginning to end while working closely with police and animal experts. It will also provide prosecutorial consistency across the county.
The DA’s office has prosecuted 248 animal cruelty cases since 2014, Stephen said. “That's a large number. Many of these have resulted in substantial sentences and the perpetrators held accountable.”
Veterinarian Cassie Hamilton sees abused puppies every day. Symptoms like a protruding spine, worn teeth and missing hair are red flags of neglect for her – and not just for the animal.
“If this person is going to neglect this animal to this degree, who else are they neglecting?” she said to NBC 7. “We really have to put the pieces of the puzzle together.”
The DA’s office says 70 percent of people they prosecute have a record of animal cruelty, including 43 percent of school shooters. The link is especially strong with domestic violence and child abuse.
“There's a huge link between animal cruelty and animal abuse and then other forms of intimate partner violence or violence to other people,” chief of the Family Protection Division in San Diego County Tracy Prior explained.
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The DA's office calls the unit "an important step in holding people accountable for their actions."
Deputy District Attorney Karra Reedy has been assigned to lead the Animal Cruelty Prosecution Unit, and Prior’s Family Protection Division will oversee it.
