(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has released a handbook to help law enforcement and local officials better respond to animal welfare complaints. IDALS will host an informative webinar on the handbook Wednesday, May 28, to give an overview of the tool, which provides agency-specific, and species-specific, guidelines. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the department’s animal health staff developed the handbook so that partners across the state have the tools to respond with IDALS to animal welfare complaints.

Mindi Callison, of the animal advocacy group Bailing Out Benji, called the guidebook “a phenomenal resource.” Callison said while the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a thick handbook, it’s geared towards licensees and inspectors. Callison said the plain language of IDALS handbook will make it easier for law enforcement to step in without having to look through and interpret Iowa code.

Officials who might respond to an animal welfare call have different roles. The USDA and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, control the licensing, inspection and outreach for any groups transporting, researching, exhibiting or dealing animals. The agency works to ensure these individuals meet standards set by the Animal Welfare Act.

Local law enforcement, including animal control groups, and county attorneys may also be involved in animal welfare cases to respond to calls, determine the course of action and build animal abuse cases when applicable.  The handbook outlines how law enforcement should respond to and investigate an animal welfare complaint, which Callison said is an “immediate resource” that will allow authorities to respond to calls sooner.

The handbook advises local authorities to plan in advance, by identifying facilities that could house animals in the event they need to be relocated, and building relationships with local partners and veterinarians. It also encourages communities to build a response plan in the event of animal welfare complaints, to “ensure a collaborative approach to safeguarding animal welfare.” The handbook also serves as a quick reference guide for Iowa code related to animal welfare, including statutes on livestock, the mistreatment of animals, animals in commercial establishments and rescuing animals.

For several years, Iowa has placed high on the list of states with the highest number of puppy mill violations. Part of the issue, which Callison’s organization Bailing Out Benji has highlighted, is that federally licensed facilities do not have to follow the same standards as state licensed facilities. Callison said the handbook helps to clarify the role each agency plays, regardless of where a facility is licensed, which she said “will provide some clarity.”

Legislators proposed a fix to this “loophole” as Callison called it, but the bill did not advance before the close of Iowa’s legislative session. Bailing Out Benji is based in Iowa but works to expose animal cruelty situations across the country. Callison said she has not seen similar handbooks in other states but hopes the IDALS move will inspire other states to create similar guides.

Those interested in attending the webinar on the handbook can register online.