COK Talks with Captain Cindy Machado

For over two decades, Captain Cindy Machado has worked on the front lines of animal protection at the Marin Humane Society in California, where she has been an outspoken advocate for farmed animals. In her capacity as a law enforcement officer, she has helped rescue hundreds of hens, sheep, and other victims of animal agribusiness, led training workshops on humane handling of cows, and educated countless community members about the realities of factory farming.

Q: How long have you been a humane law enforcement officer and what got you interested in this field?

A: I got involved 22 years ago, and it was purely by accident. I always had a love for and a need to work with animals and the public, and upon scanning employment ads in the newspaper, I came across a listing that stated applicants must enjoy working with animals and people—a perfect match! I had no idea what the job entailed, but I applied anyway. I’ve been working at the Marin Humane Society ever since.

Q: Most people are aware that there are laws protecting dogs and cats, but few realize that farmed animals are afforded virtually no legal protection. How do you deal with this on the job?

A: It can be difficult, but I try to keep focus on my goal, which is to help animals, and I don’t limit myself. By being creative with my enforcement and pushing the boundaries in a productive way, I’m working to implement positive change over time. I spend much of my work day educating people. Education must be part of a successful enforcement program. If there isn’t a law to protect animals from certain acts and enough people learn about this and are upset, the community will hopefully unite to change the law or encourage their representative or local authorities to make that change. Simply doing nothing is rarely an option. If the law does not apply, you can still work something out to make a difference for animals.

Q: Many animal control and humane agencies focus largely on companion animals and wildlife. Do you see a role for animal law enforcement officers in addressing the routine abuses endured by farmed animals?

A: Absolutely. As animal law enforcement or humane officers, our job is to seek justice and to protect animals from harm regardless of whether they are homeless, someone’s companion, or being raised for food. It’s not just about impounding animals, conducting investigations, or filing charges. It’s important to see the big picture. As officers, we may have the power to do all of the above, but it’s necessary to step back and ask ourselves: What is the best thing we can do to change this situation for the better? Some things are not required by our job, but it automatically happens when you have a passion for protecting animals.

For example, in 2005, three of our officers, including myself, worked with Animal Place (a local farmed animal sanctuary) to help remove thousands of hens from a battery cage egg production facility in Gilroy, California. Many birds were sick—they had severe feather loss, and some were nearly dead in their cages. In this case, the owner invited us on his property and cooperated in the birds’ removal. There was no investigation, no cruelty charges filed. But by involving ourselves in this situation, we were able to reach out to friends, family, and our community, teaching them about the typical cruelties on such farms where most eggs come from. We were also able to place hundreds of hens in new homes after a year of suffering in battery cages. And the case received significant media attention, enabling even more people to learn about this issue.

Q: What other farmed animal cases have you dealt with?

A: A while back, we received a complaint from a citizen about dying sheep on a ranch in Tomales. We immediately investigated and found hundreds of malnourished and emaciated sheep, over 130 of whom were impounded. Based on the severely poor conditions of these animals, we filed cruelty charges against the ranch operator. He plead guilty—he was sentenced to community service and 5 years of supervised probation, and he surrendered all of the sheep and lambs in our care. Thankfully, we were able to rehabilitate them and adopt them into safe homes.

“Some things are not required by our job, but it automatically happens when you have a passion for protecting animals.”

Q: Have you been involved in farmed animal cruelty cases in which successfully intervened without prosecution?

A: Years ago, we received several calls from people pleading for our help at an area livestock auction where animals were being grossly mishandled. When I went there to observe the conditions, I witnessed goats being pulled by their ears, animals dragged by their hind legs and slammed into gates, weak animals being forced to walk, and downed animals left to suffer. The handlers were excessively whipping these animals and unnecessarily poking them with electric prods. We could have tried to get the district attorney involved to file charges, but we decided to first bring these issues to the auction owner’s attention. We ended up working closely with him to successfully stop this abuse—we came to a mutual agreement on animal handling that tremendously reduced the animals’ suffering. That was in September 1986!

Q: In what ways can animal advocates work with law enforcement on behalf of farmed animals?

A: If people witness cruelty to farmed animals, or any animals for that matter, please alert your local law enforcement agents. We can only take action and make a difference when we know about bad situations. Sure, we may discover many cases on our own, but we rely on caring citizens to be our eyes and ears. So speaking out by filing complaints is essential. Keep a list of contact numbers handy at all times.

You can also follow up on your complaints to see what action has been taken and to ask if there’s anything further you can do to help with the case.

If your local agency does not respond to your concerns when you first call, keep filing complaints. Talk with the officer about the situation to get his or her perspective. Depending on the situation, consider taking photos or video footage (be sure you are not violating the law) to document conditions. Learn your local and state laws that apply to farmed animals so you can spot violations when you see them.

Most importantly, don’t give up! Farmed animals need your voice and your persistence will pay off.

Previous Page | Contents | Next Page