The Human Factor in Animal Abuse

In recognition of October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Pinellas County Domestic Violence Task Force and SPCA Tampa Bay will host a workshop on the human factors in animal abuse.

The workshop is open to the public and offers 3 CE Credis to law enforcement, guidance counselors, and social workers.

Please RSVP at www.spcatampabay.org/abuselink

If you are planning on receiving CE Credits, please bring $10 the night of.

Workshop
speakers include: Sgt. Laura Spelman, Clearwater police department; Joan Rueben
and Denise Thornton, Pinellas County School Board; Suzanne Horn, CASA;  Denise Hughes-Conlon, Pinellas County
Domestic Violence Task Force/PERC; Martha Boden, SPCA Tampa Bay; Doug
Brightwell, Pinellas County Animal Services; William H. Burgess III, Circuit Judge
6th Judicial Court; and, Jim Helinger, Esquire.

Topics
covered include: patterns of abuse in animal cruelty and human violence; how to
be a better bystander for animals and people; SPCA Tampa Bay and Pinellas County
Animal Services’ roles in investigation and the judicial process.

Several
notable animal cruelty cases in Pinellas’ history will be presented, including
Eldred/Pettyjohn. This case broke in October 2001 and is best known in Pinellas
County as ‘the llama case.’  It is
considered the most horrendous animal cruelty case in recent history.