Mounted search and rescue

["IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>]

The police are always getting trouble over shooting a pit bull that goes after a cop, or a little old lady.  There were over 5,000 calls to the SPCA after they set up a tip line for animal cruelty and the DA has now assigned a full time prosecuter to handle the traffic and that one less to handle the crooks.

 

In Pennsylvania SAR animals are considered police animals as long as the owner or handler is part of a recognized emergency response.  The status is 24/7, whether on real call, training or just in the barn.  Specifically included are horses used to search for humans although as written it would also cover the infamous NASAR search pig.

Harassing a search animal is a felony (as is interfering with a search) and the penalty is to include full restitution to the owner, handler and agency for any costs associated with healing, retraining, or obtaining a replacement and training them up to speed.  Lost time is included as well as vet bills, replacement tack costs, training costs, feeding an unproductive animal, etc. 

 

My horse has been charged by two dogs.  One was a SAR dog in training, working off lead.  The other was a shepard running on a wire (it is illegal to stake a dog in PA).

The first time the Black spun and faced the SAR dog down.  The one on the wire tried it repeatedly. The first time Blackie just turned towards but backed up. The second time he stood there and got ready to kick.  The third time I told him to kill the dog and he might if the owner hadn’t shown up to retrieve the mutt.  He wanted to know why I was threatening his dog. I told him about the three strikes, the no tags ($300), letting the dog get loose ($300), and letting the dog attack (kill dog).  I also reached for a portable radio to call a Park Ranger.  Never saw the dog again.

 

Irv Lichtenstein