WASHINGTON – The Humane Society of the United States today announced that it has joined forces with the National Cruelty Investigations School to train animal care and control professionals and law enforcement officers on investigating animal cruelty cases. The school is based at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and is part of the Law Enforcement Training Institute.

A recent study by The HSUS found that animal cruelty is pervasive, despite increased penalties in many states. The HSUS has compiled information on 1,677 animal cruelty cases that came to the organization’s attention in 2001. The HSUS estimates that many more cases are unreported.

“It’s very important for police and animal control officers to have the skills and knowledge to investigate animal cruelty cases,” said Virginia Prevas, manager of The HSUS’ First Strike campaign. “And since the connection between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented, successful prosecution of animal cruelty cases clearly helps people, too.”

The National Cruelty Investigations School offers three tiers of classes, Levels I, II, and III, that can be completed in three separate 40-hour sessions. Each of the levels is offered several times each year in various locations across the country. Upcoming sessions will be held in Knoxville, Denver, and Minneapolis this summer. Topics include an introduction to animal cruelty, interview and interrogation techniques, search and seizure, evidence collection, testifying skills and officer safety. The more advanced programs discuss investigative procedures for cases involving specific forms of animal cruelty, including animal fighting, traveling animal entertainment shows, puppy mills, pet store inspections, animal hoarding, and cases involving large and exotic animals. Advanced topics such as testifying skills, federal animal welfare, juvenile law, and compassion fatigue will also be covered.

Under the new partnership, HSUS experts on animal cruelty will teach some of the classes. This partnership is part of The HSUS’ Humane Society University, which provides professional development opportunities for animal sheltering professionals and animal advocates through a variety of management training programs.

“The Law Enforcement Training Institute has been a leader in providing training for animal cruelty investigators for years,” says Dr. Randall Lockwood, vice president for research and educational outreach for HSUS. “We welcome the opportunity to work with them to update and expand this training to reach an even wider audience of law enforcement and animal care and control professionals concerned about animal cruelty.”

“The National Cruelty Investigations School program has been extremely popular and highly successful in broadening the skills of animal control officers and cruelty investigators, and law enforcement professionals from around the world for over 12 years. We at the Law Enforcement Training Institute are delighted to join hands with Humane Society University in order that we may strengthen and improve upon the program, as we continue to deliver the highest quality animal abuse investigative training available anywhere,” said Gary P. Maddox, Ph.D, director of the Law Enforcement Training Institute.