Clark County’s ability to investigate equine cruelty cases is about to get a big boost, thanks to grants from a national animal-protection group and the local Clark County Executive Horse Council.
The money, which includes $800 from the county’s horse council and $1,930 from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, will send two of Clark County’s animal protection and control officers to an intensive, 5-day equine cruelty investigation training this summer.
Patrick Higbie, a Clark County animal control officer who helped secure the grants, said the training will help local officers gain a better understanding about how to conduct a large-scale equine cruelty case, including the seizure of multiple malnourished or mistreated horses.
The two officers will attend the training this summer at Code 3 Associates in Durango, Colo. Code 3 is a nonprofit training center that trains professionals involved in animal-related law enforcement and emergency response. Code 3’s advanced equine cruelty investigation trainings uses classrooms and hands-on instruction with a large number of horses to train officers about the various aspects of large-scale horse abuse investigations.
The classes cover topics such as: search and seizure, equine psychology, identification, body condition scoring, equine anatomy, veterinary care, foot and leg care, property inspections, catching and handling, taking vital signs, giving first aid to equines, equine nutrition, and interview and behavioral analysis.
The county is able to send two officers to the advanced training thanks to the grant money and a $1,650 tuition scholarship from Code 3 Associates.
Paul Scarpelli, the county’s animal control manager, said the training will benefit Clark County’s extensive community of horse owners, riders and enthusiasts.
“We are thankful that the local and national animal communities are supportive of our efforts to bring the latest techniques and legal aspects of horse care here to Clark County,” Scarpelli said. “With (more than) 30,000 horses in our jurisdiction, having our staff trained to the highest standards will be a tremendous benefit to the equine community.”
