The Humane Society of Ventura County is thrilled to officially welcome Officer. R. Gonzalez to the Humane Investigations team! He was sworn in on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at the Ventura County Hall of Justice and badged at the shelter in the presence of friends and family. With the addition of Officer R. Gonzalez, HSVC will now have three full-time Humane Officers. This year the Humane Officers will have had approximately 520+ cases across Ventura County. Increasing the number of Humane Officers will directly impact HSVC’s ability to respond to animal cruelty and neglect complaints. We could not think of a better candidate to join this incredible team!

Officer R. Gonzalez graduated from Ventura County Sheriff’s Reserve Academy in June 2012, where he received his Police Officer Standards and training certifications. As a Ventura County local, born and raised, he is an animal lover who has had numerous pets ranging from cats, dogs, hamsters, and even a snake. Having multiple pets throughout his life has instilled a passion for animal welfare in him. He then joined the HSVC team in December of 2022 as a Humane Officer Trainee and has completed the vigorous training this past year that is required to become a badged Humane Officer.

Above center: (from left to right) HSVC Executive Director Eric Knight, Humane Officer Gonzalez, Humane Investigations Director King, Senior Humane Officer Utter

Humane Investigations Director, Officer King, says “Since his first day as a trainee, Gonzalez has demonstrated the values, drive & passion that is so important to Humane Investigations. His compassion and integrity are vital to our department’s success. I look forward to seeing him flourish in the animal welfare field.”