Joe Warzycha, humane law enforcement officer with the
Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA), talked to students at UMass Law on Thursday, March 21, about the legal framework underlying animal protection. In 2018, Rhode Island (my home state) substantially beefed up its
animal protection law (see changes summarized
at Potter League for Animals), putting Little Rhodey in the "top tier" of
Animal Legal Defense Fund ratings by state. Warzycha will soon be taking over leadership of the RISPCA, which is a private, nonprofit entity imbued with the legal authority to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty cases. Warzycha is a U.S. Marine veteran and former police officer in East Providence, R.I. He was invited to
UMass Law by the
Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, a member organization of
the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and SALDF officers
Kayla Venckauskas, '19, and
Barnaby McLaughlin, '19. The RISPCA is financially self sustaining and depends on
tax-deductible charitable donations.
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| SALDF at UMass Law |
