CORNWALL, Ontario – The OSPCA announced that on Nov. 19, the Cornwall Police Service (CPS) completed a training course through their organization to better understand how to deal with and protect local animals.
“As a result of this training opportunity, our officers have fully extended their understanding of animal abuse,“ said Staff Sergeant George Knezevic, Community Patrol Division, Cornwall Police Service. “Through this partnership, members of the Cornwall Police Service will have the necessary resources to effectively investigate these types of occurrences and help vulnerable animals in times of crisis.”
Topics covered in the training included:
- How to recognize signs of distress in animals
- Navigating provincial animal welfare laws and how to effectively build a case against animal abusers
- The link between animal cruelty and other forms of crime, including violent crime, as well as social and community safety issues
- Animal hoarding and Illegal animal fighting
- Understanding dog behaviour and how to safely interact with dogs
“The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society would like to congratulate the Cornwall Police Service on taking the initiative to equip officers with the knowledge needed to effectively protect animals in their community,” said Jennifer Bluhm, Acting Chief, Animal Protection, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. “Our employees are well trained and with deep expertise to support police enforcement in animal welfare related issues. We look forward to continuing to work with other proactive agencies.”
The training was a part of a province-wide initiative on the part of the OSPCA and is open to all law enforcement agencies.
