Chautauqua County Sheriff Jim Quattrone is joined by other officials including the Chautauqua County Humane Society in announcing a partnership with CCHS for more effectively handling animal cruelty issues in the county.
The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office and the Chautauqua County Humane Society have announced a partnership to address animal cruelty more effectively.
Sheriff Jim Quattrone said the County Legislature had approved the creation of an Animal Cruelty Deputy, who started at the beginning of 2026. He said since then, the number of cases the county has had has surpassed expectations.
Quattrone said those who suspect animal cruelty may be happening can contact the Chautauqua County Humane Society through their website at https://chqhumane.org/investigating-cruelty/ and also call the Sheriff’s Office’s non-emergency number at 716-753-2132, “Once we receive the complaint, we will send out our patrol unit or the animal cruelty deputy themselves to assess the situation to see, is this a valid complaint? Is there cruelty going on or neglect going on? And then, if there is a valid complaint, we will start the investigation process.”
Quattrone said the Animal Cruelty Deputy may enlist the help of other divisions of the Sheriff’s Office as well as utilizing staff and volunteers from the Chautauqua County Humane Society to help assist in assessing the welfare of the animals.
He added that while the Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office handles all the criminal investigation aspects of the case, the Humane Society is the designated housing and a care provider for the seized animals during investigations. Quattrone added that this can create a burden on the agency, especially when there are cases with dozens of animals that need to be housed. He said those animals have to be kept at the shelter as evidence during the legal process, which can take extended periods of time.
Chautauqua County Humane Society Executive Director Jane Babinsky said the, “…bottom line is helping the innocent victims of abuse and neglect.” She echoed Quattrone’s comments on how lack of space at the shelter can create a hardship for accepting animals, “When we take in 19 dogs, that means we have to call the municipalities that we service as their stray holding shelter and let them know that we are not able to take any of their strays for a period of time. That also means that we can’t take in owner surrenders as well.”
Babinsky said there are plans to expand and renovate the shelter over the next three years but she believes it still won’t be large enough to meet demand.
Quattrone added that the Sheriff’s Office is collaborating with the Humane World for Animals who will provide a free training from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 14. He said all law enforcement, area shelters, animal control officers, judges, and prosecutors are encouraged to attend.
Leave a Reply