I visited the Atlanta Police Department's Animal Cruelty Unit and interviewed Officers Amy Soeldner and Joe Latosky.
What do you do and how long have you been doing it?
As police officers we respond to any call for assistance. We specialize in animal cruelty. Officer Soeldner has been on the police force for 21 years and Officer Latosky 8 years. The Animal Cruelty Unit has been in existence for a year but Officer Soeldner has been focused on cruelty cases for 20 years.
What is the best part of your job?
Letting them "take the ride". Having offenders get picked up on a warrant. Being the voice of the animal that has been abused or standing up for the person who owned the animal who has lost it in cruel circumstances. Getting justice for the animal. We want to send a strong message that if you hurt an animal it will not be tolerated. Getting closure for pet owners too, like a case we had of a cat wrapped in a grocery bag and left on the owner's doorstep. We thought this might have been retaliation from an ex-employee the owner had fired. We sent the cat for a necropsy that clarified cause of death as a dog attack. We could give the owner closure that this was not someone targeting her personally.
What was your first case with animals?
A dog was starved to death. The neighbors were trying to feed it but the owner wouldn't let them. There was also a dog fighting case. The dog had been chained to a tree and almost mauled to death. We found the owner and got him put in jail.
Do you do more dog or cat cases?
More dogs than cats, but cats on the incline. We have a horse case right now and recently closed on a llama case. We have dealt with goats too and an abandoned Bearded Dragon.
How many cases do you do in a year?
We had over 200 cases last year.
What is the major problem in the community?
The Judiciary is not taking the judicial process and punishment seriously enough. Also there is little to no education for children about how to be safe around animals. We will only break the cruelty cycle by educating kids.
What are some stories that you love to tell?
Last year there was a case that was all over the news. Video at a gas station showed a man violently kicking a young cat. The case went unsolved for a long time despite extensive publicity and numerous tips. Then a single sentence tip was called in. We followed it up and jackpot! We try and help the people and animals in our district as much as we can. There is an older gentleman in a rundown area of the city who has a dog called Bear-Bear. On a drive through the neighborhood recently we saw him and Bear-Bear was in bad shape with fleas and losing his hair. I took the dog in my patrol car to Grace at the W-Underdogs (see a previous Rob interview). He got a bath and haircut and I brought him back to his owner a complete new dog! Another of my favorite stories is about a dog we named Smokey. He was rescued unconscious from outside an apartment complex fire. He was given CPR and when the ambulance crew arrived they brought him around with a doggie oxygen mask. He went on to be adopted by a wonderful family.
How can I help you?
Spread awareness of the people that are available to help. If you make human lives better you make animal's lives better.