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New Mexicans Receive National Law Enforcement Awards
Attorney General Gary King, Doña Ana County Sheriff Todd Garrison Honored by HSUS at Washington, D.C. Ceremony
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Wayne Pacelle presented The HSUS’ 2009 Humane Law Enforcement Award to New Mexico Attorney General Gary King and Doña Ana County Sheriff Todd Garrison for their groundbreaking work to address illegal animal fighting and animal abuse. Also shown is Doña Ana County Animal Control Supervisor Curtis Childress.
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Two of New Mexico’s top law enforcers were honored at The Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) prestigious 2009 Humane Law Enforcement Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, September 26.
Attorney General Gary King and Doña Ana County Sheriff Todd Garrison were recognized for their exceptional contributions to enforcing New Mexico’s laws against animal cruelty, most specifically for their role in combating animal fighting. They were among an elite group of individuals from seven states whose law enforcement contributions were celebrated. The ceremony was a joint effort of The HSUS, the National District Attorneys Association and the Fraternal Order of Police. HSUS’s President and CEO, Wayne Pacelle, called the New Mexico Attorney General’s Animal Cruelty Task Force a "brilliant and creative model" that he hopes will be replicated in other states.
“New Mexico’s animal advocates should be extremely proud of AG King and Sheriff Garrison. These law enforcement leaders believe that a civil society includes protecting the vulnerable animals among us, ” states Elisabeth Jennings, Executive Director of Animal Protection of New Mexico (APNM).
New Mexico’s Animal Cruelty Task Force An Exceptional Model
In 2007, when Attorney General Gary King asked the New Mexico legislature to ban cockfighting in one of the last two states in the country that allowed legal cockfighting, opponents of the law said that a ban on the "institutional sport" of cockfighting wouldn't and couldn't be enforced. But AG King had an answer for them.
Under his leadership, the AG's Animal Cruelty Task Force was created in June 2007 to make sure that New Mexico's newly enacted cockfighting law and other animal cruelty laws would be enforced.
The Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACT) has 40 members, including the heads of every major law enforcement agency in the state, the District Attorneys Association, cruelty investigators and experts in the field, as well as federal agencies, animal control agencies, a forensic veterinarian and animal shelters.
Since its inception in June 2007, the task force has conducted more than 25 raids on animal fighting and animal abuse situations, saving more than 4,000 animals from lifetimes of cruelty, mistreatment and neglect or death in the fighting pits.
In the process of taking down animal abuse operations, the ACT has stopped many operations in narcotics and illegal firearms trafficking, illegal gambling and alcohol sales, violent felons, and the endangerment of minors. The ACT has also trained more than 300 law enforcement officers in the investigations of animal fighting and cruelty investigations.
As part of the task force, Doña Ana County Sheriff Todd Garrison has been a leader on the ground. Since its inception, he assisted the HSUS and the task force in leading the first large-scale cockfighting raid in the state's history at the Otero Game Club. The raid sent reverberations throughout New Mexico’s cockfighting world, resulting in the closure of every major cockfighting pit in the state of New Mexico and driving many cockfighters’ breeding operations out of business.
In addition to cockfighting, Sheriff Garrison's team also partnered with the AG's ACT to investigate and prosecute the first dogfighting case in the state's history, which resulted in the state's first felony dogfighting conviction.
Under the guidance of Doña Ana County's Animal Control, investigations have resulted in the prosecution of more felony-level animal cruelty charges than those of any other agency in the state.
APNM’s staff is active in the AG’s Animal Cruelty Task Force, assisting in the coordination of law enforcement and animal shelter resources for animal fighting and hoarding cases, staffing the AG’s cruelty hotline, organizing training of law enforcement, and helping to identify areas of the law needing enhancement for the greatest protection of animals.
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Have you RSVP’d to join in the jubilation?
Animal Protection of New Mexico has done a world of good for New Mexico’s animals in 30 years. While there is much more to do, let’s revel for an afternoon in the accomplishments—in the lives spared or lived more humanely than was possible before APNM’s existence.
Come to APNM’s 30th anniversary celebration:
Sunday, October 18
2-6 p.m.
The Chalk Farm Gallery
729 Canyon Rd.
Santa Fe, NM
Contribution: $50
Delicious foods, quenching libations, bluegrass by Holy Water & Whiskey, a major prize offering from the Hyatt Tamaya Resort & Spa, all in a spectacular gallery setting.
Click here to reserve, or for more information!
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