14 Feb Guest Post: Equipping Animal Control Officers to Help Keep Kids Safe

By Kiera Dunk 

Originally published on Kentucky Youth Advocates
Content warning: This blog, or pages it links to, contains information about sensitive subjects including abuse and violence.

The most recent data released shows that rates of child abuse are down since 2019, but still not enough. This is not acceptable, and I think you all will agree, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is CAPABLE of doing much better. 

In 2023, I discovered a national organization called The National Link Coalition. This group has compiled FOUR DECADES worth of research on the relationship between animal abuse cases and child abuse cases. The data is overwhelming, irrefutable evidence that there is a link between the two. In fact, one study revealed that animal abuse was found in eighty-eight percent (88%) of cases that had physically substantiated child abuse. 

In collaboration with Representative Susan Witten, I’ve written House Bill 194 with this correlation in mind. This bill would require all animal control officers in the state to receive training in spotting signs of child abuse, and on the link between animal abuse and child abuse. This would lead to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services getting involved sooner in homes with abuse and neglect. Everyone in the state is already a mandated reporter, therefore there is no extra-legal responsibility to our animal control officers, than they already have by being citizens of Kentucky. This would just give them the training to help spot those signs, it would also add them to the lists of professionals that can submit a written report.  

Sadly, after working on this bill I heard the story of Kyan Higgins Jr, a 10-year-old boy who lived in Louisville, Kentucky. His life was abruptly cut short at the hands of his own mother. In 2021 Kyan’s mother would try to cut out her son’s tongue, before shooting him and stuffing his tiny body in the trunk of her car. A life cut short, way too soon, in one of the worst ways imaginable. 

After his death, retired LMPD lieutenant Joye Keeley submitted an Open Records Request where it was revealed that animal control had visited Kyan’s home 24 times in the 18 months leading up to his death. Let that really sink in — 24 TIMES in 18 MONTHS. That is 24 missed opportunities to potentially save Kyan from the tragic death that awaited him. If the animal control officers had been trained in spotting signs of abuse/neglect, maybe they would have seen something and the Cabinet could have gotten involved, potentially preventing this tragedy.

It is in his honor that HB 194 is named Kyan’s Law.  

Spearheading the effort, Joye Keeley led the charge in creating a local ordinance for the city of Louisville after Kyan’s death. It is because of her efforts that ALL Louisville metro animal control officers now receive training in the correlation between animal abuse and child abuse. While this is only on the city level it has already had an impact. In 2024, 41 cases were reported to LMPD and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services by animal control officers in Louisville! That is 41 lives potentially saved, at the very least 41 children that now have help, and hope that their lives will not end as tragically as Kyan’s.  

Imagine if 41 cases were reported in Louisville alone, how many more cases could be reported if this training was mandated at the state level? How many kids could we save, how much abuse could we prevent? 

HB 194 would also not have fiscal impact on local communities. The training in spotting these signs would be completely free at no cost to the state. The Kentucky Animal Control Advisory Board would be in charge of this at the state level and the bill has their full support. I see absolutely no negatives to this legislation, only positives.

Kiera Dunk received a Champion for Children award at the 2024 Rally for Kentucky Kids during Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol

This legislation is not a magic wand that will fix everything, but it is a tool in the toolbox of our child welfare and justice systems. We can make little changes in legislation like this that will help our most vulnerable population sooner rather than later. The cost of leaving children in abusive situations can often be seen for generations to come, including a lifetime of poverty, crime, and abuse passed down from generation to generation.

We must protect the children of the commonwealth, they are the future! For far too long Kentucky has failed at keeping its most vulnerable safe. No more, we must come together in a bipartisan effort to get this legislation passed. Watch a recording of our recent Lunch and Learn, with Joy Keeley from The Kentucky Link Coalition, that teaches how to recognize and identify the links between animal abuse and crimes against people.

Kiera Dunk is a 10th grade student from Oldham County.