Animal abuse is a serious case under the Oklahoma judicial provisions. It is seen as a felony and can attract up to seven years of jail term. It’s quite unfortunate that it is still a rampant crime despite the punishment ascribed to the offense under the law.
Veterinary hospitals and animal shelters housing various animals like cats, are some of the top places this offense is most committed. Some pet owners and neighborhood kids (even adults) have also been found guilty of animal abuse.
This is why private investigators in OKC deem it necessary to investigate such cases and bring offenders to book. Investigating animal abuse doesn’t come easy for private investigators in Oklahoma due to little or no prior information to aid an investigation.
However, as an experienced private investigator in Oklahoma City, you should be able to uncover the perpetrators of this inhumane act and bring them to the book.
Investigations are easier when there’s an intelligence report on who the abuser is. Such a case only requires a private detective to gather evidence against the suspect and bring them to the book.
However, if the abuser is unknown, a PI would have to conduct an extensive investigation, employing various investigative techniques to find the perpetrator. This could take much longer than the former.
Animal welfare is held in high regard, so top private investigator agencies in Oklahoma have Animal Cruelty Investigators. These are a set of specialized private investigators OKC that investigates matters related to animal abuse, neglect, or maltreatment.
Keefe Private Investigators (KPI), owned by Dr. Keefe, is a private investigator agency in OKC with private investigators specializing in animal cruelty investigation.
They perform Oklahoma Statewide Private Investigation on animal abuse-related cases, whether in residential homes, veterinary clinics, or animal shelters.
When a private investigator Norman Oklahoma or a private investigator Edmond Oklahoma detects abuse or neglect in any of these places, there are certain steps they should take to bring the offenders to book. We look into these steps below.
Table of Contents
Things to do When a Private Investigator OKC Detects Abuse & Neglect Inside of Veterinary Hospitals & Animal Shelters
Some PIs take this case to get public acknowledgment and accolades, while others do it out of their interest in animal welfare.
Irrespective of the reason for your involvement in an animal abuse-related case, there are streamlined steps to take to ensure the case comes to a reasonable conclusion. These steps include:
Ascertain the type of crime and crosscheck with the law
The law is logical and doesn’t care about emotions. There may be some acts that aren’t right under human reasoning, but it’s not unlawful under the law.
Hence, a private investigator in Oklahoma must first ascertain the type of crime being committed and know what the local law guiding animal welfarism in that area says about it.
Doing this doesn’t only help the private detective remain professional. It also makes the case easier by letting him know the types of evidence to gather.
Compile evidence against the offender(s)
The next is for the private investigator to collect evidence against such individuals, veterinary hospitals, or an animal shelter involved in animal abuse.
Evidence can be gathered via various methods like site visitation, surveillance, video recordings, audiovisual recordings, etc.
The evidences must be solid enough to help the PI bring the case to a logical conclusion. It must also be gotten through legal means, preventing offenders from evading justice.
Involve appropriate authorities
With enough evidence gathered, a private investigator in Oklahoma City can then press charges against the offenders via the appropriate authorities.
Collaborating with the animal welfare office and the police can hasten the process of bringing offenders to book. The evidence gathered by the PI will come in handy to achieve this feat.
The punishment may range from jail term, to revoking of license, fines, and hospital/animal shelter closure.
Rescuing the animals
The private investigator Oklahoma can then rescue abused and neglected animals from the veterinary hospital or animal shelter and see that they’re given proper care.
An attempt to rescue the animals before gathering enough evidence may allow offenders to escape the law. This is why every intervention activity a PI would be doing should be after evidence beyond reasonable doubts has been compiled.
Rescued animals are closely monitored to ensure the effect of abuse and neglect has worn out on them before introducing them back to a better shelter facility.
Sensitization & Deterrents
The private investigator should collaborate with appropriate bodies to spread more knowledge and awareness about animal abuse.
It has been noticed that some abusers aren’t even aware that their act is unlawful under the law, even though they’re aware it’s inhumane.
Sensitization can help reduce the crime rate and foster the cooperation of neighbors to help PIs with intelligence reports on cats and other animal abusers.
Making arrests and trials public can also serve as a deterrent to existing perpetrators or potential ones, thereby reducing the offense rate.
Create intelligence network
Investigating with no adequate prior information makes the job of a private detective hard. However, it doesn’t always have to be so.
Top private investigator agencies Oklahoma City should ensure they have an existing intelligence network that can provide PIs with tip-offs and accurate information on animal abuse and other related cases.
All experienced private investigators in Oklahoma City, especially animal cruelty investigators, must put the abovementioned things into practice if they detect neglect or abuse in any animal holding facilities.
Conclusion
The rate of animal abuse is steadily increasing, and most law enforcers see it as trivial. The onus lies on private investigators to gather enough evidence (with no prior information) that can help bring perpetrators to book.
A private investigator should, for no reason, turn a blind eye to animal abuse. And in cases where a private investigator Edmond Oklahoma discovers such an act, the steps listed above are the best approach to get the desired outcome.
