Role of Animal Abuse Investigators
Animal Abuse Investigators are responsible for responding to complaints of animal abuse and neglect. Although procedures differ from county to county, in general, investigators currently complete the following tasks during each investigation:

• Visit the address against which the complaint was lodged.
• Survey the scene.
• Speak with the owner of the animal in question about the complaint.
• Suggest corrective measures.
• If owner is not available, leave a courtesy notice describing the complaint and suggested corrective measures.
• Place a copy of the courtesy notice in the report file as well as a descriptive report of the investigation and any conversations that took place.
• Follow-up after a pre-determined amount of time.

Since Animal Abuse Investigators currently have contact with a potentially high-risk population for abuse, their contact can be utilized to include routine screening, identification, and referral of clients who may be victims of domestic violence. By incorporating what you learn here into your visits, through observation and friendly conversation, you may be able to spot a victim of domestic violence who might otherwise go unnoticed.

Be sure to include all information relevant to domestic violence in the case file. This information can become critical to the victim during a court battle.