Lecture 2 Flashcards
Multiagency animal welfare cases
What is mandatory reporting?
1pt
- Veterinarian’s duty to report contraventions
- 7(1) A veterinarian shall, without delay, report to an animal protection officer or agency any event that the veterinarian believes on reasonable grounds is a contravention of sections 3 to 6.
- (2) An animal protection officer or agency may require the veterinarian to provide the animal protection officer with additional information relevant to the event that is known by, or readily available to, the veterinarian. (Government of Sask. 2018)
Will I get sued?
1pt
- You are protected from lawsuits
- (26) No action or proceeding lies or shall be commenced against …any…veterinarian…acting pursuant to the authority of this Part or the regulations made pursuant to this Part, for anything in good faith done…by that person…pursuant to or in the exercise …of any…duty imposed by this Part or the regulations.
Do I have to report?
4pt
- …report to an animal protection officer… is a contravention of sections 3 to 6
- These are the sections that set out the duties of care and the prohibitions
- Important to know and understand these sections so that you know what you’re supposed to report!
- Does not mean that you have to report another vet failing to report, a humane society not following a correct procedure, etc.
What are animal care duties?
5pt
3(2), a person responsible for an animal:
* (a) shall ensure that the animal is provided with food and water sufficient to maintain the animal in a state of good health;
* (b) shall provide the animal with adequate veterinary care or medical attention when the animal is wounded or ill;
* (c) shall provide the animal with adequate shelter and reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold; and
* (d) shall not significantly impair the animal’s health or well-being by confining the animal to an enclosure or area:
–(i) with inadequate space;
–(ii) with unsanitary conditions;
–(iii) with inadequate ventilation or lighting;
–(iv) without providing an opportunity for exercise.
(2) A person responsible for an animal for which there is a standard, code of practice or guideline that is prescribed as acceptable is deemed to have complied with subsection (1) if that person has complied with the standard, code of practice or guideline.
What is the Animal Protection Act (2018) prohibition?
3pt
- 4(1) No person shall cause an animal to be in distress
- (2) No person responsible for an animal shall cause or permit the animal to be or continue to be in distress
- (3) This section does not apply if the distress results from an activity carried on in accordance with the regulations or in accordance with reasonable and generally accepted practices of animal care, management, husbandry, hunting, fishing, trapping, pest control or slaughter
An animal is on distress if it is…
3pt
- deprived of adequate food, water, care or shelter
- injured, sick, in pain or suffering; or
- abused or neglected
Vets who graduated before 2017 are not trained/confident in these processes
look at slide 10 in third lecture for more detail
Where can Animal Protection Officers enter without a warrent?
1pt
- May enter and inspect any vehicle, place or premises where animals are kept for sale, adoption, slaughter, hire or exhibition or for the provision of a service with respect to the animal
Cannot enter private dwellings
How do I identify cruelty?
6pt
Defined: An act or omission, intentional or neglect
Criminal Neglect is the most common form of abuse
* Failure to provide for an animal’s wellbeing (behavioural, mental, physical)
Indicators of Abuse (Non-Accidental Injury)
* Mismatch between hx and findings
* Pathognomic: Repetitive injuries, +/- diff. stages of healing
* Hx of multiple animals with injuries or death over time
* If something in the history, the patient/client
behaviour, type of injury or the actual implication
of a person raises suspicion of NAI- report
How do I know if it is cruelty?
4pt
Understand the Animal Protection Act
* Definitions of distress, offences
Know the Codes of Practices/Tools Available to you
* Compare your observations to accepted practices and what’s “a typical response”
* CVMA, Tufts Animal Care Codes/Care and Condition Scale
You do NOT have to know for sure
* “Believes on reasonable grounds”
* An APO will do an investigation after your complaint
If in doubt, call and talk to someone
* An APO, another vet
What is animal hoarding?
4pt
- Failure to provide minimal standards of sanitation, space, nutrition, and veterinary care for animals
- Inability to recognize the effects of this failure on the welfare of the animals, human members of the household, and the environment
- Obsessive attempts the accumulate or maintain a collection of animals in the face of progressively deteriorating conditions
- Denial or Minimization of problems and living conditions for people and animals
What are barriers to support in hoarding cases?
6pt
- Community risk unrecognized
- Complaints focus on animals = ignored by human health providers
- Animals viewed as problem instead of symptom
- Described as “loving too much”
- It is not commonly understood that AH is not present in legit. shelter/rescue efforts;
- APOs are most likely to respond and take responsibility for AH due to obvious nature of animal distress (as opposed to other threats (zoonoses;enviro threats-ammonia etc)).
What are the types of hoarding and explain them.
6pt
- Persuasion with Verbal Agreemen
- Threat of legal action
- Prosecution
Exploiter
* Persuasion with Verbal Agreemen = unlikely
* Threat of legal action = Unlikely to be intimidated
* Prosecution = probably essential
Rescuer
* Persuasion with Verbal Agreemen = unlikely in initial stages
* Threat of legal action = Driving motivation is to continue with rescue efforts. So threat must offer potential for scaled down operation
* Prosecution = May be required when threats fail
Overwhelmed Caregiver
* Persuasion with Verbal Agreemen = Most likely to be receptive to help and downsizing.
* Threat of legal action = May be sufficient to reduce the likelihood of recidivism
* Prosecution = Often unnecessary and may be counterproductive
What are the outcomes for the team in animal protection cases?
4pt
- Barriers: RCMP willingness to collaborate (individually determined); owner factors; Communication barriers; numbers and species of animals encountered; other interprofessional cooperation; Erin collaboration with hospitals/triage nurse/ER
- Personal toll: These cases can be extremely upsetting from a human perspective. Usually the human living/mental health conditions are the most difficult part of the call to deal with. – Need to stay out of empathic distress
- Tons of paper work: Attention to detail as possible legal repercussions; cite the heck out of relevant Codes and the Act
- Coping: Lots of debrief discussions; self-care; counselling if/when needed; follow up on human and animal outcomes
What are the onsite roles for the animal protection officer?
6pt
- Collect information for investigation
- coordinate site
- document
- coordinate recommendations or seizure
- coordinate care for animals
- follow-up
What are the onsite roles for the vet?
5pt
- Observe animals (including shelter, food, water, health status)
- examine animals where possible
- determine adherence to sections 3-6 of The Act
- refer to relevant COPs
- make recommendations and communicate with APOs and owner/caregiver
What are the onsite roles for the social worker?
3pt
- Observe human (Including shelter, food, water, health status), assess where possible
- determine whether at imminent risk as per Mental Health Act, Child Protection Act
- make recommendations and follow-up with resources
What are other agencies involved onsite?
5pt
- RCMP
- Inpatient/Oupatient Health
- Public Health
- SPS
- MSS
