d. If a rental property is involved, attempt to contact the landlord. If the landlord has reason to believe the tenants have abandoned the property, ask him to sign a consent form giving you permission to enter the property and remove the animals. e. Call the animal control officer/ humane society to accompany you to the property. f. After securing a search warrant, enter the property. Take photographs of the animal(s) on the property and the conditions in which they were found. g. Have the control officer/local humane society take the animal to a veterinarian or to the animal shelter for examination. h. Leave a receipt and a copy of the search warrant on the property. i. If the animal is taken to a veterinarian, photograph the animal at the clinic. Obtain a statement from the veterinarian documenting the animal’s condition. CAUTION: Although you have a search warrant, if you enter a locked building and remove an animal, you are responsible for re-securing that building. 2. Exigent circumstances Refer to the discussion on exigent circumstances (see the Key concepts discussion in the Be prepared section). When you find the animal’s owner or the person responsible for the animal’s situation, interview him/her to determine how the situation evolved. Based on the conversation and pursuant to the laws in most states, you might charge him with the crime of cruelty to animals for abandoning or failing to provide necessary sustenance to an animal under that person’s custody or control. Common complaints 28 The Humane Society of the United States
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