by peter e. bortner
Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA asked Schuylkill County Court on Friday to appoint two humane society police officers.
In separate petitions, the Pine Grove shelter requested the court to select Bridget L. Barder and Jessica J. Bettinger as officers with the power to enforce animal-cruelty laws.
"One of the primary functions of the SPCA is the prevention of cruelty to animals," the shelter said in each petition.
Barder, 43, of 75 Moonshine Road, Pine Grove, and Bettinger, 30, of 16 Wertz Drive, Pine Grove, have worked for the shelter since 2011, but the organization is seeking increased authority for each one.
The shelter said each woman completed the necessary Pennsylvania Humane Officer Training Parts One and Two in April and May at Penn State University College of Agricultural Sciences. That training, which is required under state law, lasted more than 60 hours for each one, according to their petitions.
Neither Barder nor Bettinger has a criminal history, according to the state police background checks attached to the petitions.
Also, neither one is certified or seeking to carry a firearm as part of her duties as a humane society police officer, according to their petitions.