The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is urging people not to take the law into their own hands when it comes to suspected animal abuse or neglect.
Sheriff Rich Martin said there have been a few instances of people taking or threatening to take another person’s animals because they believe the animal is being abused or neglected.
Just like with any complaint, Sheriff Martin said law enforcement needs to properly investigate and see if a crime was committed. He said that can take time and asks people to be patient.
He also said not every case fits the criteria that would cause animals to be removed immediately.
“The proper course of action is to contact law enforcement and [animal] control, and let them deal with it. There’s a process that we have to go through, just like any due process, in any law or statute that we have to follow. As much as we want to do something real quick, or people feel that this is something that needs to be done, what needs to be done and what the law specifies is what we have to follow,” said Sheriff Martin.
He also pointed out that Animal Control can’t take animals if they have no room. That’s the case right now at Lake County’s shelter in Baldwin. For more information on how to adopt, leave a message at 231-745-3079.