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My mother was charged with Felony animal abuse and felony child endangerment several weeks ago. These charges are in Virginia. The person who went to the magistrate to file these charges is someone my mother has worked with through the SPCA. Approx 1 month ago the SPCA tried to charge a man with Felony animal abuse. My mother was asked to testify which she did but not for the SPCA. The town vet also testified in the defendants behalf. One week after the charges against this man were dropped the "dog catcher" and a county police officer showed up at my moms home with a search warrant. My mother was not home but my 18 year old sister was. The police officer threatened to handcuff my sister when she told them they would need to wait for my mom to get home. After being threatened with this she allowed them in the house. My mom showed up approx 20 min later and found both the county police officer and the dog catcher searching through her drawers and cabinets. When my mom asked what they were looking for the dog catcher told her " any damned thing we want" I have several questions about this whole ordeal. #1 Do the police need for the owner to be home to begin searching a house, #2 Does someone who has no police training such as a dog catcher have the right to search someones home, #3 Do the police have to tell you what they are searching for?, #4 what recourse does my mom have against the woman who filed the false complaint? The local vet has taken care of my moms dogs for years and has already agreed to testify in her behalf that all the animals are very well cared for except most of them are too fat. The child endangerment charge alledged that my brothers and sister were in danger from diseased and dangerous animals of which there are none. Her reputation in her own town has been very damaged to the point that she had to quit her job to keep any bad publicity away from the hospital where she works as a RN. Thank you for any help you can offer me Tony
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re: Search Warrant (felony animal abuse and felony child endangerment)
The dog catchers normally do not have police powers to search homes etc. and must get the police and a warrant if they want to do so. You may file a complaint with the supervisors of the person, and even file a police report for the home invasion if need be.
If you want lawyers to intervene, you may email World Law Direct using the private "Ask An Attorney" web question form on the home page. Click HOME at the very top of this page. They will further discuss with you. -
an assumed dog bite
About six days ago we got a very unexpected arival when a two police came to my home and told us that the environmentalist was going to take our dog because he was accused of biteing someone. And honestly my dog is the nicest animal you could find, so i no he didnt do anything. You see also, we live in the country so there is no homes for about two miles. The man is lying because the police and the environmetal guy had said they had vidios on my dog. When we asked them to show them they just repetedly said they had them but wouldnt allow us to see them. They also said my dog was about 2 miles away and that they were chasing the dog all the way back to my home. If that were true my dog would have been tired and he was just laying in my yard without panting or anything. What i want to know is that if they had the right to assume it was my dog without knowing and just comeing to my home and getting him. Even the lady who got bit didnt think it was my dog, and when we went to talk to the man he tried to accuse my family of talking the lady into lying and saying it wasnt my dog and thats not what happend. So please help me out and tell me if the environmentalist had the right to assume that it was my dog and take him without accurate knowledge? Because i am more than certain its not.Comment
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re: Search Warrant (felony animal abuse and felony child endangerment)
No they cannot do so. And you may file with a local court to object and have a judge rule. The police and others will need proof which they probably do not have. WLD lawyers could intervene if it were needed. You may email them at [email protected]Comment
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animal vaccinations
I was woundering if your animal dosen't have its rabies vaccination and it is the first time you were told anything of it by a dogcatcher, do you get a warning and an amount of time to get your animal vaccinated or do you immediatly have to go to court? Because a dog catcher is sending us to court and its the first time we were ever told to vaccinate our animals.Comment
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re: Search Warrant (felony animal abuse and felony child endangerment)
Why to court--what do they want to do?Comment
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They wanted to send us to court to charge us a fine for not haveing them vaccinated and we honestly never knew we HAD to get them vaccinated and its the first time they ever told us. So i was woundering if we should get a warning first and then if we dont get it done we still go to court or what. Because we already got them vaccinated on the 7th day after being told.Comment
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re: Search Warrant (felony animal abuse and felony child endangerment)
The court will likely drop the matter now but you are not required to be warned first.Comment
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