The HSUS Commends N.C. Law Enforcement for Disbanding Beleaguered Canine Unit

December 9, 2008

The Humane Society of the United States applauds yesterday's announcement that the North Carolina Highway Patrol is dissolving its canine unit and will rebuild it under protocols that expressly prohibit mistreatment of dogs in the program. The HSUS is the nation's largest animal protection group, and has nearly 200,000 supporters in North Carolina alone.

The decision was announced in a press release issued by state Department of Crime Control and Public Safety Secretary Bryan Beatty and Patrol Commander Col. Walter J. Wilson Jr.

Secretary Beatty ordered a full review of the unit's practices earlier this year after a high-profile case in which a video of an officer kicking his dog was posted on the Internet video site YouTube. During the corresponding legal proceedings that came in the wake of the public outcry, other officers stated that kicking dogs was not unusual within the unit.

"We commend Secretary Beatty and Colonel Wilson for working to ensure that all dogs employed by the North Carolina Highway Patrol are treated in a humane manner, and that all officers who handle these animals are fully and properly trained," said Amanda Arrington, The HSUS's North Carolina state director. 

In November, The HSUS wrote to Secretary Beatty to request that he establish written protocols to ensure humane training methods within the Highway Patrol canine unit. The HSUS also suggested changes to the North Carolina animal cruelty law to close a loophole that exempts from prosecution anyone who claims that an act of animal abuse was a good faith attempt at training an animal.

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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.