People who are cruel to animals in Iberia Parish will feel the heat of animal cruelty investigators and deputies with the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The IPSO has increased its response to reports of abuse of animals, which was the case recently when deputies made two felony arrests in a two-week period. The Humane Society of Louisiana was appreciative of the efforts.

A high-profile arrest was made when the IPSO charged a local man with 21 counts of animal cruelty and one count of aggravated animal cruelty after deputies discovered horses, fowl and a dog suffering from malnutrition and in need of medical attention. There was no access to food or water.

The Humane Society of Louisiana said deputies, working in conjunction with animal cruelty investigators, also made another arrest.

“They made two felony arrests in the last two weeks, which is unheard of in Iberia Parish. It’s a welcome sight,” animal cruelty investigator Toney Wade, who occasionally works in this parish, said recently in The Daily Iberian.

The investigators’ assistance is valuable to law enforcement officers, according to IPSO spokesman Maj. Ryan Turner, who said, “They have offered these services, and if the animal is in really bad condition they can help out. We try to utilize everything that’s available to us.

“Most of the time, if an animal is in inadequate condition, we’ll cite them, but it’s hard to locate them. Other times we have to cite criminal statute and go by the guidelines.”

Humane Society of Louisiana Director Jeff Dorson said in a prepared statement, “I think I can speak for hundreds if not thousands of our members and New Iberia residents who are grateful for these positive outcomes and this new aggressive response to these complaints by ranking officers.”

I wholeheartedly agree with his position. Animals in the parish have more protection thanks to the joint effort between the investigators and IPSO.

DON SHOOPMAN

SENIOR NEWS EDItor