Victory: Cop was right to rescue kitten from drug den

Animal Justice have just had a victory for animals (and common sense). It needs to be celebrated. Hence this.

You may remember that a lady police officer, Beth Richardson, was inline to be disciplined because she removed a kitten from a home that was a drug den. The kitten’s now former owner is a drug user. The kitten was neglected. Beth felt compelled to take action in the interests of the cat’s welfare.

Bizarrely, her bosses accused her of “discreditable conduct” and that she had taken the cat without permission.

Lawyers for Animal Justice applied to intervene in Beth’s disciplinary hearing which took place in Whitby, Ontario, Canada.

As a result, Beth’s accusers saw sense and backed down. They agreed that rescuing the cat (Tia) under these circumstances (in distress) was not discreditable conduct. Common sense prevailed of course. It is a shame it takes this sort of intervention for senior police officers to see what others see clearly. At least this is a result for animal welfare.

The police also agreed that the police have an obligation to preserve all life including animals – an important admission.

The Chief Executive of Animal Justice, Camille, Labchuck said:

“This deal is an incredible precedent. It will help ensure that animals aren’t treated like mere personal property, such as furniture. Rescuing animals will be treated as a duty—not an offence.

The agreement we struck will help ensure that no officer is punished for showing kindness and compassion to an animal in distress.

There’s one final piece of good news: Tia is now living safe and sound in a new home.”

We love to see justice for animals. It can be difficult to achieve. We love to see animal welfare improved. This is a live example. Well done.

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