Politics & Government

Hillsborough County Animal Services Officer Honored

The Florida Animal Control Association has honored two government employees from Hillsborough County for their outstanding work.

News Report

Cpl. Michele Perez of Hillsborough County Animal Services has been selected as the 2011 Animal Control Officer of the Year by the Florida Animal Control Association.

Now in her second decade of service with the county, Perez was noted for her compassion, dedication and positive personality, despite the challenges she faced during her long career in humane animal welfare.  

Find out what's happening in Bloomingdale-Riverviewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Perez is the fourth investigator from Hillsborough County Animal Services to receive this prestigious award since 2005.

Hillsborough County Assistant State Attorney Natalia Silver also was honored with the organization's special Sentinel Award for professional leadership and guardianship of justice for voiceless victims. Silver has been a member of the Florida Bar Association since 2000. She began serving Hillsborough County in 2004 under the direction of State Attorney Mark Ober. 

Find out what's happening in Bloomingdale-Riverviewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Both Silver and Perez were instrumental in the investigation, prosecution and conviction phases of the landmark animal cruelty case for Casper, a white boxer found starved by his Tampa owner. The dog recovered and was adopted. His owner was sent to state prison following a lengthy court battle and legal appeal process. 

The Casper case set precedent for animal neglect by starvation and galvanized the animal community, but Silver won other victories for Hillsborough County as well. In particular, she won a conviction against the first woman for dog-fighting in the state of Florida, thereby changing the traditional profile of a participant in this illegal activity.

The Florida Animal Control Association (FACA) is comprised of animal care and control professionals from 67 Florida counties and includes membership from major humane animal welfare organizations. Awards are announced during the organization's annual educational conference, which recognizes best-in-state achievements and raises the bar for the profession.

For more information, contact Hillsborough County Anima lServices at 813-744-5560 or www.hillsboroughcounty.org/animalservices.

 

###


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here