MFHS aINTRODUCTION As a state humane agent of Minnesota Federated Humane Societies (MFHS), you have the necessary skills, training and knowledge, critical to meet the mission of MFHS. You share our organizational values of empathy and respect for animals and people, and the wellbeing of all in our greater community of Minnesota. You agree to comply with the procedures and policies stated in this manual.
PRIMARY GOAL OF STATE HUMANE AGENTS The primary goal of a State Humane Agent will be to respond to all suspected animal abuse calls in a timely and efficient manner, in accordance with the law and the rules set forth herein. Personal safety, including your safety, the animal/property owner, custodian or guardian must always come first: Do not proceed if there is any question or doubt with regard to personal safety.
It is MFHS’s policy that you, the Agent, secure law enforcement assistance before going out on a welfare check or to conduct an investigation. Our primary goal is to get the immediate needs of the animal addressed as soon as possible, within the bounds of personal safety and the law. Our objective is to aid and protect the animal(s), and aid and assist law enforcement officials in enforcing the animal welfare laws of Minnesota.
CONDUCTING INVESTIGATIONS It is MFHS’s policy that all investigatory actions and investigations must have prior authorization from the Federation office. If you receive reports of alleged animal cruelty directly, you MUST first report the case to the MFHS office before taking any steps to investigate. All complaints reported directly to a State Humane Agent must be reported to the MFHS office. The office will assign a State Humane Agent to the case. Initial information regarding the complaint will be given to the State Humane Agent by email, text message or telephone. You should begin investigation within 24 hours of the case being assigned to you. If you cannot accept an investigation, please notify The Federation office as soon as possible.
When you begin an investigation, local law enforcement should be notified that you are investigating a complaint in their jurisdiction and you request their assistance. In most instances that will be the county sheriff or municipal police department. Notification can be communicated in person, by telephone, electronically or in writing.
MENTORS MFHS has experienced State Humane Agents who have volunteered to mentor and advise other agents. If you are unsure of an action to take, or how to proceed on a case, you should contact an authorized MFHS mentor and the MFHS office for advice and guidance.
During the investigation, periodic updates on the progress of the investigation must be given to the the MFHS office. An email or written report on the status of an investigation must be submitted to MFHS within 5 business days of beginning the investigation. Upon the completion of the involvement of the State Humane Agent on any complaint investigation, you must file a final report within 5 business days. Reports can be filed by electronically by email or sent via mail. If mailed, please notify the MFHS office. All investigation correspondence with MFHS should be addressed to:
COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY INVOLVEMENT State Humane Agents may work together with local county agents as necessary and as approved by MFHS. If you work with other local or national humane agents on a case investigation, all case files pertaining to the investigation must be submitted to MFHS.
LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERACTION MFHS State Humane Agents are required to review all Minnesota animal welfare statutes at least once per year. While investigating a complaint, if you are unsure about how to interpret or enforce Minnesota law, contact the MFHS office for assistance.
Once MFHS has assigned you to a case, you must notify local law enforcement authorities of any complaint and ask for assistance and guidance before taking any substantial action with respect to the complaint. You must also keep law enforcement authorities notified of investigation activities. If you have a dispute with local law enforcement over the appropriate action to take in a given situation, you should notify the MFHS office immediately before taking further action.
TRESPASSING You must not enter private property without the consent of the property owner. Entry upon the property of another person without permission may require a search warrant. Unlawful entry or trespass may constitute a criminal offense. Before entering private property, you should be familiar with the Minnesota trespass laws (both criminal and civil). Do not rely only upon the actions or opinions of a peace officer to determine whether you are trespassing or not. If you are unsure whether you are trespassing on private property and if you have not received permission from the property owner to enter, do not proceed. Contact the MFHS office.
IDENTIFICATION/UNIFORMS/BADGES You must carry with you your Minnesota Federated Humane Societies, “MFHS”–issued State Humane Agent Identification Badge and MFHS Photo Identification Card at all times while conducting MFHS business, a welfare check or case investigation. The badge must be worn around the neck via the provided lanyard and display sleeve and must be displayed to the alleged violator and to others when requested. Photo identification cards may be displayed as requested. Photo identification cards and badges are the property of Minnesota Federated Humane Societies. MFHS will issue you an MFHS identification badge and a photo ID card upon request. You must provide MFHS a current passport type photo on an annual basis when you submit to MFHS your Annual Consent/Renewal Form, after which your badge will be issued, provided you are in continued good standing. If your position as a MFHS state humane agent is terminated (voluntarily or involuntarily), you must immediately return to MFHS your identification badge and photo ID card. In addition to displaying at all times your MFHS identification badge, you must also wear official MFHS issued uniforms while conducting MFHS business, welfare checks or investigations. MFHS uniforms are not a substitute for displaying your ID badge. MFHS uniforms are the property of MFHS and must be surrendered to MFHS immediately if your position as a MFHS state humane agent is terminated.
WEAPONS It is prohibited that you carry on your person a firearm, knife with a blade greater than 3” long, or a taser –type device, while conducting an investigation, unless you are a licensed Minnesota peace officer, who must follow their department’s policy on weapons and taser carrying and use. You may keep a legally obtained and properly permitted firearm in your vehicle while conducting an investigation. However, all firearms shall be properly licensed, permitted, cased, and located in your vehicle as required by law.
RECORDKEEPING AND REPORTS You must mail, deliver, or email to MFHS’s office all reports, notes, correspondence, documents, photographs, video, etc. regarding an investigation immediately after you have finished investigating a complaint. You must submit completed reports to MFHS within 5 business days of completing a welfare check or investigation. All MFHS Forms are available on our website.
CONFIDENTIALITY Your work as a state humane agent must be kept confidential at all times. You may share your investigation only within the organization. You must treat all documents and records involving or regarding an investigation of a complaint of alleged animal abuse, cruelty, or neglect as confidential. You are prohibited from disclosing documents and records to any person or organization with the exception of local law enforcement officials directly involved in investigating a complaint with you or to judge as a part of court proceedings.
SOCIAL MEDIA MFHS recognizes that you may choose participate in online social networking. However, you are prohibited from reporting on, discussing, mentioning or implying that you have knowledge of, or are working on, any animal cruelty investigation. You are also prohibited from confirming or denying on social media that any investigation into animal cruelty is being conducted by MFHS. You may request that MFHS confirm or otherwise discuss an animal cruelty investigation, but that request must come via email or phone, and not on a public post on social media. MFHS notes that on social media, many inaccurate, objectively biased, and often extremely negative, disrespectful, hateful and inflammatory statements are written, posted and shared. It is MFHS’s policy that you not make such statements.
THE FEDERATION EMAIL ACCOUNTS You are prohibited from using your MFHS email account for any other purpose than conducting MFHS business. Your MFHS email address is to be used only for communicating with the MFHS office, the organization's board members, administration and organizations involved directly with a case investigation.
EXPENSES Approved expenses connected to a MFHS investigation will be reimbursed after an investigation is completed. Mileage will be reimbursed at the rate of $.30 per mile. If you have to travel more than 75 miles for a case investigation, that mileage reimbursement must be preapproved. Other direct expenses resulting from the case must be preapproved by The Federation office and shall be reimbursed by filling out a MFHS Expenses Reimbursements Request Form along with proof of receipts/invoices. If an Agent intends to incur an expense in excess of $25.00, approval in advance must be received. If the payment of fee of a veterinarian is needed to proceed on an investigation, the agent must contact The Federation office for approval. Please have an estimate from the vet before requesting the vet service be paid. Mileage/Expenses Reimbursement Request Forms should be submitted along with proper documentation, receipts, invoices, (including a breakdown of mileage to and from odometer readings) and the final case report. Reimbursement checks will be mailed to the State Humane Agent upon submission of the completed Reimbursements Request Form.
TRAINING From time to time required training MFHS will offer training to all MFHS state humane agents. To maintain your good standing with the organization, you must attend the trainings offered. If you do not complete training within 30 days of the training event, webinar or seminar, you may lose your certification. Certifications can be reinstated by a review by the board of directors and the completion of all required training.
If you are unable to attend or participate and complete required training due to an illness or injury, you must notify MFHS. You may be able to then reschedule and complete the required training by an agreed upon date. You may not conduct MFHS business as an agent, conduct welfare checks or investigate cases until all required training is completed and approved.
AVAILABILITY If you are unavailable to investigate complaints or carry out your MFHS work for any significant length of time, you must notify MFHS in advance of your absence.
RELEASE OF LIABILITY You agree to release Minnesota Federated Humane Societies, its board of directors, officers, employees, agents, administrators, attorneys, committee members, and volunteers from any and all liabilities, including, but not limited to, liabilities resulting from personal injury or property damage that you or others have suffered; defamation; trespass; wrongful death; or other tort or liability claim(s) for acts or omissions performed while acting as a MFHS state humane agent. You further agree to hold harmless and indemnify Minnesota Federated Humane Societies, its board of directors, officers, employees, agents, attorneys, committee members, and volunteers from any and all claims or liabilities which arise from the performance of your work as a MFHS state humane agent.
REPRESENTING THE FEDERATION You may not accept speaking engagements or post on social media anything related to your work as a MFHS state humane agent or otherwise represent MFHS without prior approval from MFHS's board of directors. You are prohibited from discussing a past or ongoing investigation on social media on in any other media outlet. When commenting on non-Federation matters on social media, you may not identify yourself as a MFHS state humane agent.
TERMINATION The goal of MFHS is to deliver quality service to our donors and the citizens of Minnesota. The organization expects MFHS appointed state humane agents and all MFHS volunteers to do their work in a high quality, professional, dignified manner, respectful of the rights of people and animals. Agent appointments are made as needed by MFHS board of directors through its executive director. The policies set forth herein are designed to assure that MFHS engages in caring, competent, and effective animal cruelty investigations. MFHS's policy is that its volunteers must engage in any activities that place them in a conflict of interest between their duties as a volunteer or state humane agent and any other obligation as such as conflict may interfere with your ability to meet your obligations as a MFHS state humane agent, or create a potential or actual conflict of interest or commitment or the appearance of the same.
All MFHS state humane agents are initially appointed for a one-year period by MFHS's board of directors based upon criteria set by the board and communicated through the MFHS executive director. MFHS board has the authority not to reappoint a state humane agent after review of the agent’s performance, incompletion of required training, MFHS policy violations and/or review of program needs. State humane agents who are not reappointed will be notified by MFHS. All MFHS property must then be immediately returned to MFHS, as explained above.
During an appointment year, any currently appointed state humane agent whom MFHS believes is failing to adhere to the mission and/or MFHS policies will be given written notice from MFHS's board through the MFHS executive director. The written notice shall generally address the concern(s) and offer the agent the opportunity to explain their actions and/or policy violations. The agent shall have 15 days from the date of the MFHS’s notice to respond to the MFHS executive director. The response may be via email or in writing delivered by courier or a US mail. MFHS will then notify the agent of the organization's response by phone or via email.
The board may take any action it deems necessary to fairly further investigate the matter to determine if the state humane agent or volunteer has violated any policies or procedures or if the state humane or volunteer agent has compromised MFHS's mission. After an investigation, the board may decide not to take any action at that time, to suspend the agent or volunteer, to terminate the agent or volunteer, or take other action. The decision of the board shall be communicated in writing by the MFHS executive director.
Nothing in this policies and procedures manual shall prevent MFHS board of director from immediately temporarily suspending a volunteer or state humane agent pending further investigation and notice to the agent, in circumstance the board deems appropriate, such as, but not limited to, substantial violation of MFHS policies or mission or other wrongdoing.