Today it was announced that Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring was honored by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) for creating the na
Today it was announced that Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring was honored by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) for creating the nation’s first Attorney General’s Animal Law Unit.
AG Herring launched the unit in January 2015, which consists of a small group of current staff attorneys led by Senior Assistant Attorney General Michelle Welch. Since it’s creation, the unit has worked on more than 200 matters across the state including trainings, complex investigations, and animal cruelty and fighting prosecutions.
“We formalized our work to prevent animal fighting and animal cruelty because we wanted state agencies and local law enforcement to know where they could turn for these kinds of cases, and based on the response we’ve gotten this year it’s clear there was a real need,” said Attorney General Herring in the release. “Laws related to animal welfare and animal fighting should be strictly enforced for the sake of animals themselves and for the strength and safety of our communities since animal fighting often reveals other associated crimes like illegal gambling, illegal drugs or alcohol, or even things like assaults, domestic abuse, or illegal weapons.”
Herring was honored during ADLF’s National Justice for Animals Week which is held annually to raise awareness about animal abuse, recognize outstanding work by law enforcement and public safety officials, and encourage continued work to protect animals and communities from abusers.
This year, they are highlighting areas that AG Herring’s unit has been tackling including animal fighting, hoarding, and the link between violence toward animals and violence toward humans.
“Animal cruelty cases are very complex and resource-intensive and do not always get the time and attention they deserve,” said Stephen Wells, Animal Legal Defense Fund executive director in the release. “We applaud Attorney General Mark Herring for taking the very important step of creating the nation’s first-ever attorney general’s animal law unit, led by esteemed veteran prosecutor Michelle Welch. We’re hopeful that this tremendous team will pave the way for future animal units in attorney general’s offices nationwide!”
