Animal Cops Houston
Animal Planet’s "Animal Cops: Houston" television series has made local and national heroes of the Houston SPCA’s dedicated team of Animal Cruelty Investigators. The men and women of The Houston SPCA remain focused on one thing… saving animal lives in the nation’s fourth largest city!
"Animal Cops: Houston" continues to be one of Animal Planet’s most highly rated humane law programming shows. Animal Planet, available in more than 85 million homes nationwide, is the only television network dedicated exclusively to the connection between humans and animals. The network’s unique programming brings together people of all ages by tapping into a fundamental fascination with animals and providing an entertaining mix of programming, including original movies, adventure series, sports, drama and sitcoms.
We are all very proud to be part of this series, so tune into "Animal Cops: Houston" on Animal Planet and see what all the talk is about!
Meet the Investigations Team:
Charles Jantzen
Houston SPCA Chief Cruelty Investigator, Charles Jantzen, has worked in animal welfare for 6 years. He has attended the National Cruelty Investigators School, National Equine Cruelty Investigations School and FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute. Charles leads a team of 8 highly dedicated professional individuals who investigate more than 12,000 cases of animal neglect and cruelty in an area that encompasses over 2,500 square miles of Southeast Texas. Throughout his career, Charles has helped provide relief to animals following natural disasters including the San Diego wildfires, the San Antonio floods, the Houston floods, in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and in East Texas following Hurricane Rita. In his work at the Houston SPCA, Charles feels a great sense of satisfaction knowing that as soon as he becomes involved in a case, an animal’s life either improves or the animal is removed and taken for rehabilitation and re-homing.
Kristie Franks
I am from Corsicana, Texas and have my BS in Animal Science and an MS in Agriculture from Sam Houston State University.
I love animals and have been deeply involved in working for animal welfare for ten years. My background in animal emergency and critical care medicine at Texas A & M University helps me quickly identify animal health issues in the field. And, my experience at the Corsicana Animal Shelter gives me an insight into shelter care.
My goal as a member of the Houston SPCA Animal Cruelty Investigations Team is two-fold. First, I am dedicated to giving animals a second chance at a better life. Second, I want to work closely with people educating them about proper and humane care for their animals. If education doesn’t work, I am fully prepared to take action and help the animals through any and all legal channels. My hope for the future is that our animal cruelty laws in Texas will strengthen and make it easier to prosecute people for the wrong they have done, if necessary.
Trischa Price
I have had a great love for all animals since I was a child and that is what led me to be a Cruelty Investigator. I volunteered at the Houston SPCA and other humane organizations before working for the SPCA. I have attended the National Cruelty Investigators School level one and a Veterinary Assistant Training Program. Being an Investigator allows me to help animals and educate people about the proper care for animals. I also want the community to know that they should report anything they think might be animal cruelty so that we can investigate and educate as many people as possible. I currently have one horse, adopted from the Houston SPCA, one dog, four cats and one hamster as pets.
Shawna Sundberg
I grew up in Iowa, moved to Dallas and now have lived in Houston for the past 10 years. I have my Associates Degree in Applied Sciences and attended Houston Community College where I studied to be a Veterinary Paramedic. I am excited to be a Cruelty Investigator because I have the opportunity to educate people on the proper care for the animals and because I can be a voice for animals. I want people to realize that animal cruelty affects not only the animals but the community we live in as well and I look forward to making an impact on both. I have five cats and 4 dogs in my family.
Debbie Michielson
I was born in Florida to a Navy family but grew up in Virginia. I have held various jobs but found my true calling 
when I began work in the animal control field. I worked in this industry for 10 years in Virginia and Texas. I have also volunteered at a zoo as an educational guide and keeper aide. I helped implement a program used nationwide by circuses on how to conduct inspections on circus animals to make sure they are being cared for and treated properly.
I love working with and helping save animals. I like to see them recover and make it to a new home. I think education of the public is key to creating a better society for our animals. I started an educational program in Norfolk for ages 2 years through adults. The program focused on proper animal care and the laws governing the animals.
My job with the Houston SPCA allows me to directly educate the public about how Texas law says we must care for our animals. I would like to continue to be instrumental in public education and hope to be involved in animal welfare for the rest of my life.
Liz Pavlicek
State University. I became involved with Animal Welfare during my University studies. I received the opportunity to serve as an intern with the Houston SPCA Animal Cruelty Investigations Department. Because of that experience, I decided to pursue this career upon graduation. I am excited about being a Houston SPCA Investigator because I look forward to helping animals in need. I look forward to working alongside law enforcement to stop current animal cruelty and prevent it from happening in the future. I believe that education about animal cruelty should start early. I am a very compassionate person and I believe that every animal deserves to live its life free of any form of cruelty. Animal are amazingly resilient and many times no matter how badly they were treated, they learn to trust and love humans again. They give us second chances and just like us, they deserve a second chance.
Bob McClintock
For over 20 years I was a federal investigator, however, I became interested in becoming an animal cruelty investigator after watching “Animal Cops Houston,” on Animal Planet. I had the desire to do something to ease the suffering of animals in my community. So one day, I logged onto the Houston SPCA website and saw that there was an opening for a cruelty investigator and as you can see, the rest is history. I see my position with the Houston SPCA as having two parts. Part one is to protect animals for being treated cruelly and part two is to educate people on the proper care, custody and control of their animals. I would like to see the laws regarding animal welfare in our country to be updated and for the general public to take these laws more seriously.
I have a great love for all animals and believe that every animal has the right to live out its life without being treated inhumanely in any manner. Seeing an animal recover and being placed in a loving home is the greatest part of my job.
I grew up on an Angus farm in West Central Illinois where animals were a part of my family. At a very young age
I was exposed to working with all kinds of animals from cattle to horses. While attending La Harpe High School in
As a cruelty investigator for the Houston SPCA, I feel immense self satisfaction by making a difference not just for the animals, but to the people as well. I can truly say I love my job because it is very gratifying to see an animal go from a bad situation into a loving, permanent home. When I’m not working I enjoy spending time with my two year old Great Dane, Daisy.
Robert McCarty
I was born in Texas and grew up in Houston and San Marcos. I attended Cy- Fair High school and graduated from Langham Creek High school. I attended college at Southwest Texas State University while helping my step father and grandparents on their farm in Kingsbury, Texas. Being a city boy I was blessed to live on the farm and learn how to maintain the farm and animals. I moved back to Houston and went to college at the University of Houston- Downtown. I was enrolled in the Police Academy where I graduated and went on to become a Police Officer. I moved back to San Marcos and spent 10 years in central Texas working in law enforcement. I worked as a Prison guard, worked at the Sheriffs office in San Marcos and then worked as a Patrol officer. I have been fortunate to have worked with some great people and departments over the years and continue to stay in contact with them. I took time off from Law enforcement and worked in the residential and multi family construction as a manager. After watching Animal Plant and watching Houston SPCA Cruelty Investigators, I knew I had to get a job helping educate people about their animals and to make sure they have nice and loving family to go home to.
Mark Lutkenhaus
I was born in Lindsay, Texas and attended Texas A&M University. I am nearly finished with my B.S.
in Agriculture Leadership & Development. Growing up, I was around animals as much as I could, between animals on the farm and 4-H projects. My background expanded to work as an Animal Control Officer for the City of College Station for three years. I am a Certified Animal Control Officer, Level 1 Certified Cruelty Investigator through A.C.C.I, and trained in Local Rabies Control through Texas Department State Health & Human Services. Through my training and experience I hope to be able to educate people on how to properly care for their animals and help animals in need. It is my goal to continue my education in Animal Husbandry and Criminal Justice to better assist the people of my community and the animals that need someone to speak for them.
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