Animal welfare officers threatened with violence
(CNS): The Department of Agriculture (DoA) has said that officers from its Animal Welfare and Control Unit and other public servants have recently received numerous threats of violence during the course of their work. CNS has asked the DoA for details of these unspecified allegations but we have not received any response. In a press release, the DoA said it has a zero-tolerance approach to any threat made to their staff, and all threats will be reported to the RCIPS and investigated, though they have not disclosed any details about the threats.
DoA Director Adrian Estwick said the department was taking these threats extremely seriously. He said the animal welfare officers “risk their lives daily to ensure the safety of the animals and the community”. He added, “The Department of Agriculture would like to express its gratitude to persons in the community and other law enforcement agencies for their continued support in the collaborative effort to ensure the safety of our officers, staff, animals and community.”
According to the law, animal welfare officers have the power to enforce animal welfare and to investigate and prosecute offenders for animal cruelty, with the same rights and immunities as RCIPS constables. Threatening public servants while they are on the job aggravates the offence, according to the Penal Code.
Last week the DoA urged the public to report all incidents of animal cruelty to help them prosecute offenders and meet public pressure to better protect animals. The department said that they need the assistance of the community and witnesses to go through the process.
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Category: Crime
another story that makes a mockery of the caymankind mantra….
It is very sad that it is happening to the officers but the Government has an agenda of killing all of the stray cats as well as wild chickens on the island and people are over-reacting by being abusive to the officers. Since the MPS are all living in the lap of luxury, they do not remember that those same chickens they are so keen on exterminating are similar to the ones their parents and grandparents ate and relied on for eggs.
Following and enforcing laws here is culturally sensative and will always be. Just ask Bush.
“The greatness of a nation can be judged by how it treats its animals”
You, abusers of the vulnerable, are collecting a huge load of sht karma, so when it comes to bite your sorry behinds and brings you sickness, loss or similar, do not moan ‘why me, why me’. You know why. Enjoy.
The problem is that people who abuse their animals probably also beat their girlfriends and emotionally, if not physically, abuse their children. They must feel pretty crappy about themselves as well. We need to pray that our children are raised up with respect, and love, and compassion, and then maybe they in turn will treat their pets with the same love and care. This cycle of abuse will continue unless we educate our children that there is another kinder way.
Animal abuse and butchery runs deep in Cayman’s heritage. This was still a Turtling station a few generations ago. We have a month long celebration of this history every November. We spend over $10mln a year farming turtles for meat and shell.
I have never understood why we don’t have an RSPCA branch in Cayman that has actual enforcement powers.
Not a surprise to hear that animal abusers are not receptive fine recipients. They must be surprised that someone finally cares enough to confront them. One of our hundreds of full-time career RCIPS officers should probably join them on their confrontation rounds to really underscore that this isn’t a debate.
They already do.
Scum who abuse animals usually reserve the same amount of respect for law enforcement, be it DoA, DoE, and RCIPS.
Caymankind
yea because the US has USAkind or the UK has UKkind or JAMkind, CENTRALAMERICAkind STFU and go back to where you are from since its so perfect.
Silly Billy!
The real animals they are dealing with don’t wear collars.
They need to take the FRU with them when they go out in the wild.
Same goes for the Conservation officers.
Conservation officers are threatened; have conch shells thrown at them; never treated the same as other law enforcement officers. They have a very difficult job and get very little respect even from their peers.
If only the police would take animal abuse as well as owners letting their animals run around to terrorize neighborhoods as seriously as they do this.
downvotes are animal abusers.
None of this is taken seriously. No one has been arrested, prosecuted or imprisoned. No one! Our governance is an expensive scam, mainly conceived and operated to provide employment to our Caribbean neighbors.