Summary: Environmental attorney Ivan DeVoren was charged with sexually abusing his dog.
A well-known attorney in Pittsburgh was charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse to a dog. Ivan DeVoren, 61, is accused of having sex with his dog on multiple occasions, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
The police claim that the environmental lawyer abused his 6-month-old yellow lab Snoopy at least ten times. He has been charged with ten felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty, ten counts of sexual intercourse with an animal, and possession of marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. DeVoren lives and works out of his Highland Park apartment in the Azimuth Court complex.
Detectives report that a witness came forward, claiming to have heard the sexual abuse of the dog at least ten times. The Post-Gazette reported that the neighbor “heard grunting, creaking furniture, a dog whimpering and several exclamations from Mr. DeVoren that led the neighbor to believe Mr. DeVoren was having sex with his dog.” This allegation allowed the police to secure the search warrant for the apartment where they found the drugs.
On February 1, 2018, the police removed the animal from DeVoren’s apartment to be examined by a veterinarian. Snoopy went to a veterinary hospital, where the veterinarian confirmed that Snoopy had some injuries to his colon likely caused by sex but was overall a healthy dog.
Perhaps the most troubling part of the case is that DeVoren volunteered back in 2014 at Humane Animal Rescue as a dog walker for five months. Humane Animal Rescue CEO Dan Rossi made it very clear that DeVoren was never alone with the animals. His work was supervised and he never fostered or adopted an animal from the shelter. Rossi said, “What our dog walkers do is they work on a team, getting our shelter animals out for walks around the shelter. So, it’s usually about a 10-15 minute walk that our volunteers do as a team.”
The other workers at Humane Animal Rescue were troubled and upset upon hearing the news. Rossi added, “It’s very troubling. Everyone here, our staff and our volunteers, they come here because they care about animals and their well-being. Any type of an abuse to an animal is very disconcerting to us on so many levels. We just hate to see that.”
Snoopy is believed to have been bought from a breeder. The dog has been placed under the protection of a local veterinarian that the authorities are not identifying.
DeVoren turned himself into the police after being charged with the crimes.
The environmental attorney has been an attorney in Pennsylvania since 1990. He has his own law practice now but worked for Burleson LLP for a time starting in 2011. The Houston-based energy law firm had offices in Pittsburgh, New York City, Denver, San Antonio, New Orleans and more but shut down in late 2015 when the oil and gas industry slowed down. A press release announcing the hire of DeVoren in 2011 stated he was “a highly accomplished, highly experienced attorney, and we’re proud to have him on board.”
His own website notes “His vast experience in environmental and energy law [that] encompasses emerging issues regarding natural gas exploration, production and distribution, climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and alternative and renewable energy.”
DeVoren was also admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1991 and Ohio in 2014. According to his website, he was working on getting his license in West Virginia. Before becoming an attorney, he graduated in marketing from Penn State University, using this education to open a chain of tobacco stores in Darby and Philadelphia. He then went on to earn his J.D. from Temple University. DeVoren clerked for a time for Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown, and Sandler. He made the Best Lawyers in America List in 2011.
Technically, bestiality is not illegal in Hawaii, Kentucky, New Mexico, West Virginia, and Wyoming or the District of Columbia.
Do you think bestiality should be illegal everywhere or is it possible for a human and animal to love each other? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
To read about others accused of engaging in inappropriate acts with animals, see these articles:
- Louisiana Animal Shelter Worker Accused of Bestiality
- Minnesota Mailman Can’t Avoid Surveillance Cameras; Caught in Acts of Bestiality
- Paw Print Tattoo Gives Woman Away in Bestiality Video
Photo: ibtimes.co.uk
