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Meet the investigators of the Houston SPCA ...
Dana Almengor
Houston SPCA Cruelty Investigator
I am originally from Rockingham, North Carolina, but I moved to Houston, Texas in order to pursue my career working with animals here at the Houston SPCA. I received a BS in Zoology with a Botany minor from North Carolina State University and a MAT in Biology from the University of West Alabama. I have also attended National Cruelty Investigations School Level I through the University of Missouri at Columbia.
I am recently married and have children consisting of 2 dogs, 3 cats, and 5 snakes. I have always known that I wanted to work with animals while growing up and felt that majoring in Zoology would be the best choice for me.
I feel that my number one job as an Animal Cruelty Investigator is to educate people on how to better care for their animals. The last thing I want to do is remove an animal from a property, but the animal’s welfare is my number one priority. Inevitably I would like to strengthen the animal cruelty laws in the United States involving dogfighting. Dogfighting is a barbaric and an extremely cruel form of entertainment. Unfortunately, teaching compassion for animals is sometimes the hardest part of my job.
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Jennifer Francis
Houston SPCA Cruelty Investigator
"I'm a native Houstonian and have found the perfect job working for the Houston SPCA," Jennifer says.
She says the best part of her job as a Houston SPCA Animal Cruelty Investigator is getting animals out of bad situations and helping them live better lives. "I love animals, love working for them, love helping them, and am so grateful that I can give them a second chance at life," she adds.
Jennifer believes that one of the greatest ways to help animals will occur through the passage of animal friendly legislation. "We need tougher laws and penalties for people who abuse, neglect and mistreat innocent animals," she says.
Jennifer has attended Levels I and II of the National Cruelty Investigation's School and has six years experience working in a veterinary clinic. She's also a volunteer firefighter for a local fire department.
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Kristie Franks
Houston SPCA Cruelty Investigator
I am from Corsicana, Texas, and have my B.S. in Animal Science and an M.S. in Agriculture from Sam Houston State University.
I love animals and have been deeply involved in working for animal welfare for ten years. My background in animal emergency and critical care medicine at Texas A&M University helps me quickly identify animal health issues in the field. And, my experience at the Corsicana Animal Shelter gives me an insight into shelter care.
My goal as a member of the Houston SPCA Animal Cruelty Investigations Team is two-fold. First, I am dedicated to giving animals a second chance at a better life. Second, I want to work closely with people, educating them about proper and humane care for their animals. If education doesn't work, I am fully prepared to take action and help the animals through any and all legal channels.
My hope for the future is that our animal cruelty laws in Texas will strengthen and make it easier to prosecute people for the wrong they have done, if necessary.
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Sage Whitney Halford
Houston SPCA Cruelty Investigator
I’m proud to be a native Houstonian working as a Cruelty Investigator at the Houston SPCA. My job is so rewarding! I know I’m making a difference in the lives of the people and animals I encounter each day. I grew up with a deep love and passion for animals. Doesn’t every child want to be a veterinarian? I began my career in animal welfare as a kennel technician at a dog training facility in Austin.
Then I came home to the Houston SPCA where I have over two years experience as a veterinary technician. My technical expertise and animal handling skills are extremely beneficial to me in the field.
One of the most important things people can do to help animals is to get their pets spayed or neutered. The Houston SPCA works tirelessly to accept and place animals into new loving homes only to have another 100 arrive each day. Spaying and neutering results in fewer homeless animals and makes happier, healthier pets that live longer!
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Charles Jantzen
Assistant Chief Cruelty Investigator
Education/Training: National Cruelty Investigators School Levels 1 and 2; National Equine Cruelty Investigations School
What do you like about your job?
The cruelty investigator is able to see the conditions the animals are living in prior to becoming involved. Once an investigation has begun, the conditions either improve to meet state standards, or the animal is removed. Each of these outcomes is satisfying, knowing that the animals will not have to live in substandard conditions any longer.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part of being a cruelty investigator is the thought in the back of one's mind that we are not even scratching the surface of the large numbers of animals living in inhumane conditions. We can only help the animals that we know about. However, there are still animals needing intervention that we do not receive calls about, and these animals continue to live in bad situations.
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Christine Kendrick Deputy
Constable for Harris County Precinct One
Role: Patrol Deputy assigned to the HSPCA; obtains warrants from court for HSPCA animal seizure cases and assists with uncooperative or violent people the HSPCA investigators visit. Christine also does regular police work including answering calls for burglaries and writing traffic tickets.
How did you get assigned to the HSPCA?
Everyone who I work with on the precinct knows I love animals, so I've always got sent on the animal calls. Then four years ago I got officially assigned to the Houston SPCA.
How did you train for the job?
I attended a police officers academy for basic training. With regards to the HSPCA, most of my training has come from tagging along with the investigators and finding out from them what to and what not to do. I've also studied the state law regarding animal cruelty and health and safety.
What do you like about your job?
I like taking animals out of abusive situations. It feels good to help them. Animals are helpless and dependent on what people do to them — they don't have choices.
What do you find challenging about your job?
It's a challenge to deal with the people who have the animals we seize — to empathize with them rather than judge them.
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Debbie Michielson
Houston SPCA Cruelty Investigator
I was born in Florida to a Navy family but grew up in Virginia. I have held various jobs but found my true calling when I began work in the animal control field. I worked in this industry for 10 years in Virginia and Texas. I have also volunteered at a zoo as an educational guide and keeper aide. I helped implement a program used nationwide by circuses on how to conduct inspections on circus animals to make sure they are being cared for and treated properly.
I love working with and helping save animals. I like to see them recover and make it to a new home. I think education of the public is key to creating a better society for our animals. I started an educational program in Norfolk for ages 2 years through adults. The program focused on proper animal care and the laws governing the animals.
My job with the Houston SPCA allows me to directly educate the public about how Texas law says we must care for our animals. I would like to continue to be instrumental in public education and hope to be involved in animal welfare for the rest of my life.
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Liz Pavlicek
Houston SPCA Cruelty Investigator
I’m proud to be a native Houstonian working at the Houston SPCA as an Animal Cruelty Investigator. I share my home with two cats and a Pomeranian. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University. I became involved with Animal Welfare during my University studies. I received the opportunity to serve as an intern with the Houston SPCA Animal Cruelty Investigations Department. Because of that experience, I decided to pursue this career upon graduation. I am excited about being a Houston SPCA Investigator because I look forward to helping animals in need. I look forward to working alongside law enforcement to stop current animal cruelty and prevent it from happening in the future. I believe that education about animal cruelty should start early. I am a very compassionate person and I believe that every animal deserves to live its life free of any form of cruelty. Animal are amazingly resilient and many times no matter how badly they were treated, they learn to trust and love humans again. They give us second chances and just like us, they deserve a second chance.
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Trischa Price
Houston SPCA Cruelty Investigator
I have had a great love for all animals since I was a child and that is what led me to be a Cruelty Investigator. I volunteered at the Houston SPCA and other human organizations before working for the SPCA. I have attended the National Cruelty Investigators School level one and a Veterinary Assistant Training Program. Being an Investigator allows me to help animals and educate people about the proper care for animals. I also want the community to know that they should report anything they think might be animal cruelty so that we can investigate and educate as many people as possible. I currently have one horse, adopted from the Houston SPCA, one dog, four cats and one hamster as pets.
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Shawna Sundberg
Houston SPCA Cruelty Investigator
I grew up in Iowa, moved to Dallas and now have lived in Houston for the past 10 years. I have my Associates Degree in Applied Sciences and attended Houston Community College where I studied to be a Veterinary Paramedic. I am excited to be a Cruelty Investigator because I have the opportunity to educate people on the proper care for the animals and because I can be a voice for animals. I want people to realize that animal cruelty affects not only the animals but the community we live in as well and I look forward to making an impact on both. I have five cats and 4 dogs in my family.
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Pictures: DCI |
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