Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Gets Her Hands Dirty for Animals

Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Laura Janssen fights for animals both inside and outside the courtroom.

In Fulton County, Ga., Assistant District Attorney Laura Janssen isn't afraid to get down and dirty for the animals—both inside and outside of the courtroom.

Janssen first gained admiration for her work for animals after being appointed the Dedicated Animal Cruelty Prosecutor in the Fulton County District Attorney's office in 2000, the year Georgia's felony animal cruelty law passed.

She later made headlines when she successfully prosecuted one of the worst cases of animal cruelty in Fulton County history, involving two teenaged brothers who tortured and baked a small puppy to death inside an oven. For this crime, Janssen successfully obtained a precedent-setting, 10-year sentence for the duo, sending a loud-and-clear message that animal abuse will not be tolerated in Fulton County.

Prosecutor's Work for Animals the "Gold Standard"

Janssen is again earning accolades from animal advocates for intervening in a potential cruelty case involving a mother pit bull named Gypsy and her puppies. When videotape from a neighbor recently led animal control officers to confiscate the dogs from their alleged abuser, Janssen was right alongside them, straight from the courtroom to the kennel.

As she stooped down to comfort the dogs, she was met with muddy paws and puppy kisses.

"Laura Janssen is a prosecutor whose compassion for the animal she fights for extends beyond the courtroom," said Dale Bartlett, The HSUS's Deputy Manager of Animal Cruelty Issues. "District Attorneys across the country who are seeking to improve their handling of animal cruelty prosecutions should view her work as the gold standard."

Janssen left with a patchwork of muddy paw prints covering her once-pristine courtroom suit. More importantly, she left having secured yet another victory for the animals. As Gypsy's case winds through the legal system, onlookers will likely remember Janssen on that day as a District Attorney who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty for the animals.

With Janssen at the helm, communities in Fulton County, Ga. will slowly and surely see a welcome relief from the scourge of animal suffering.