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The R.A.I.D.E.R. PROGRAM
(Rescuing Animals In Danger and Education Resources)
Our Program
The Houston Humane Society is the first and only animal shelter in Texas to hire law enforcement officers as full-time cruelty investigators on our staff. By contracting with Harris County Constable Victor Trevino, Precinct 6, these deputies spend 100% of their time investigating animal abuse and neglect.
Our Officers
 LIEUTENANT MARK TIMMERS is the R.A.I.D.E.R. Program supervisor and has been working with Houston Humane Society since November of 2002. Since that time he has investigated thousands of animals reported to be abused or neglected. Lt. Timmers has been in law enforcement for over 20 years and, as a long-time animal advocate, is now able to devote all his time to investigating and rescuing animals. Realizing the link between animal abuse and violent acts against humans, Lt. Timmers often notifies Child and Adult Protective Services regarding issues he discovers while working for the animals. He will also call in environmental, abatement, and other governmental agencies if appropriate to his investigations. The HHS is happy to work together with other community organizations to get maximum results.
 SERGEANT PATRICK LEONE started volunteering with the Precinct 6 Constable's office as a reserve deputy in 1991. He served as an unpaid reserve deputy for the precinct, until he became one of the first bicycle patrol officers in the East End neighborhoods. In 1995 Leone and Timmers wrote a grant addressing gang activity and school violence, promoting student safety while traveling to and from school. His previous law enforcement work at the Spring Branch Independent School District and his concern for animal welfare, led Sergeant Leone to accept the position with the Houston Humane Society/ Precinct 6 RAIDER program in early 2006.
Our Work
- Animal Cruelty or welfare calls responded to by deputies:1000+ calls
- Animal seized by, or released to, deputies during investigations: 950+ animals
- Civil seizure warrants obtained through JP Court 6-2: 40 civil seizure warrants
- Criminal charges of animal cruelty or related criminal charges filed through the Harris county District Attorney's office: 35 misdemeanor / felony criminal charges
- Class C misdemeanor animal welfare citations issued by deputies during animal cruelty investigations: 500 citations
- Total number of criminal warrants on individuals cleared up by deputies during animal cruelty investigations: 250 Misdemeanor or felony warrants
- Total number of animals investigated during animal cruelty investigations: 3500+ animals
- Total numbers of animal welfare and cruelty training hours conducted by deputies with citizen groups, law enforcement departments, and animal control agencies: 230 hours
- Total number of individuals trained by deputies: 2000+ individuals
See some of our recent cases by clicking on RAIDER RESCUES.
(Caution: The Raider Rescue page contains images and reports of animals rescued from neglectful situations. Be advised, these may be too graphic for some viewers.)
Our Abilities
R.A.I.D.E.R. investigators can:
- Enforce animal protection laws through the civil court system;
Remove animals from abusive situations more quickly than non-law enforcement investigators by streamlining the warrant process;
- Prosecute abusers by filing criminal charges against them and imposing fines (emphasizing the seriousness of mistreatment or neglect of animals);
- Execute outstanding criminal warrants along with animal cruelty warrants since the deputies have immediate access to police records. (The deputies frequently discover that animal abusers also have criminal records.)
See some of our recent cases by clicking on RAIDER RESCUES.
(Caution: The Raider Rescue page contains images and reports of animals rescued from neglectful situations. Be advised, these may be too graphic for some viewers.)
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Our Mascot
BURNIE’S STORY:
Studies have shown strong links between animal abuse and domestic violence. Furthermore, young people who torture animals are at higher risk for committing crimes against humans later in life. Unfortunately, we know this firsthand because of Burnie, our canine mascot.
BURNADETTE (“Burnie”), is a survivor of cruelty to animals by minors.
In 1996, two young teens tied Burnie to a tree, doused her with gasoline and set her on fire. Luckily a police officer caught them in the act and immediately brought Burnie to HHS. Although she had third-degree burns, our HHS Clinic staff saved her life and began the process of rehabilitation. Throughout the dressing changes and other treatments, Burnie remained friendly and loving to everyone. Ever since, she has taken her job seriously: visiting schools, appearing at special events, selling Animals’ Kingdom merchandise, and writing her own column in the HHS Companion newsletter. In her spare time, Burnie teases resident kitties, plays with foster dogs, helps herself to staff lunches and has even won first place several times in our annual K-9 Fun Run. Burnie is now safe and very much loved, as all animals should be.
Our Guide
Texas Penal Code
42.09 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.
(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly:
(1) tortures an animal;
(2) fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, care, or shelter for an animal in the person's custody;
(3) abandons unreasonably an animal in the person's custody;
(4) transports or condones an animal in a cruel manner;
(5) kills, seriously injures, or administers poison to an animal, other than cattle, horses, sheep, swine, or goats, belonging to another without legal authority or the owner's effective consent;
(6) causes one animal to fight with another;
(7) uses a live animal as a lure in dog race training in in dog coursing on a racetrack;
(8) trips a horse;
(9) injures an animal, other than cattle, horses, sheep, swine, or goats, belonging to another without legal authority or the owner's effective consent; or
(10) seriously overworks an animal.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the actor was engaged in bonafide experimentation for scientific research.
(c) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Abandon" includes abandoning an animal in the person's custody without making reasonable arrangements for assumption of custody by another person.
(2) "Animal" means a domesticated living creature and wild living creature previously captured. "Animal" does not include an uncaptured wild creature or a wild creature whose capture was accomplished by conduct at issue under this section.
(3) "Cruel manner" includes a manner that causes or permits unjustified or unwarranted pain or suffering.
(4) "Custody" includes responsibility for the health, safety, and welfare of an animal subject to a person's care and control, regardless of ownership of the animal.
(5) "Necessary food, care, or shelter" includes food, care , or shelter provided to the extent required to maintain the animal in a state of good health.
(6) Trip means to use an object to cause a horse to fall or lose its balance.
(d) An offense under Subsection (a) (2), (3), (4), (9), (10) is a Class A misdemeanor, except that the offense is a state jail felony if the person has previously been convicted two times under this section.
(e) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) (5) that the animal was discovered in the person's property in the act of or immediately after injuring or killing the person's goats, sheep, cattle, horses, swine, or poultry and that the person killed or injured the animal at the time of this discovery.
(f) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) (8) that the actor tripped the house for the purpose of identifying the ownership of the horse or giving veterinary care to the horse.
(g) It is a defense to prosecution for an offense under this section that the person had a reasonable fear of bodily injury to the person or to another by a dangerous wild animal as defined by Section 822.101, Health and Safety Code.
(h) It is an exception to the application of this section that the conduct engaged in by the actor is a generally accepted and otherwise lawful;
(1) use of an animal if that use occurs solely for the purpose of:
(A) fishing, hunting, or trapping; or
(B) wildlife control as regulated by state and federal law; or
(2) animal husbandry or farming practice involving livestock.
(i) An offense under Subsection (a) (1), (5), (6), (7), or (8) is a state jail felony, except that the offense is a felony of the third degree if the person has previously been convicted two times under this section.
Texas Penal Code 42.10
DOG FIGHTING(a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly:
(1) causes a dog to fight with another dog;
(2) for a pecuniary benefit causes a dog to fight with another dog;
(3) participates in the earnings of or operates a facility used for dog fighting;
(4) uses or permits another to use any real estate, building, room, tent, area, or other property for dog fighting;
(5) owns or trains a dog with the intent that the dog be used in an exhibition of dog fighting; or
(6) attends as a spectator an exhibition of dog fighting.
(b) In this section, "dog fighting" means any situation in which one dog attacks or fights with another dog.
(c) A conviction under Subdivision (2), (3), or (4) of Subsection (a) may be had upon the uncorroborated testimony of a party to the offense.
(d) It is a defense to prosecution under Subdivision (1) or (2) of Subsection (a) that the actor caused a dog to fight with another dog to protect livestock, other property, or a person from the other dog, and for no other purpose.
(e) An offense under Subdivision (1) or (5) of Subsection
(a) is a Class A misdemeanor. An offense under Subsection (2), (3), (4) of Subsection (a) is a state jail felony. An offense under Subdivision (6) or Subsection (a) is a Class C misdemeanor.
Your Assistance
To donate to R.A.I.D.E.R. animal rescues, Click here
To report animal cruelty, call 713-433-6421, ext. 396, or fill out our online form.
All information is confidential
“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” - Immanuel Kant |
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