The Animal Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit organization of attorneys who focus on the enforcement of animal-protection laws, has named Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds to its 2014 Top 10 Animal Defenders list. Others on the list include prosecutors, elected officials and a television news program host. The group is celebrating its annual National Justice for Animals Week through Feb. 22, aimed at raising awareness about animal abuse and urging law enforcement, prosecutors, and lawmakers to protect animals and communities from abusers.
The group has posted the top 10 names and brief explanations on its website. The list notes that Reynolds took office on Jan. 1, 2013, and soon created an Animal Abuse Unit in response to recent cases “to send a clear message that this behavior is not tolerated.” He also charged his prosecutors with using forfeiture statutes to make sure abused animals are permanently removed from the perpetrators and eventually made available for adoption, the top 10 list noted.
