LOS ANGELES - For nearly 40 years, Mercy Crusade Inc. has earned
accolades as a tireless advocate of animals.

Now, however, reports indicate it stockpiled more than $100,000
worth of weapons. Records show that group members bought or
ordered at least 34 guns in the past year, including several
rifles such the AR-15, a cousin of the military M-16.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is holding 12
Heckler & Koch SP89 pistols seized from the group's leader last
year, and agents are investigating why an animal welfare group
would need such powerful weapons, the Los Angeles Times has
reported. The guns were among the 34 ordered in the past year.

The 9mm semiautomatics are on the federal list of banned assault
weapons, but it is not illegal to own one manufactured before the
ban. "They're the Rolls-Royces of handguns," said Kim Ratcliffe,
administrative manager of Gun Heaven, a Los Angeles weapons shop.

"It's hard to understand why they have so many guns," said
Madeline Bernstein, executive director of the Los Angeles Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

State and federal officials both have launched investigations
into the organization's activities; no charges have been filed.
Ownership of the guns apparently violates no state, local, or
federal law.

Mercy Crusade's leader is James McCourt, an associate professor
of economics at the University of La Verne.

McCourt has said he bought the guns for the group's 12 humane
officers, unpaid and unregulated volunteers who wear uniforms and
badges and have powers of investigation and arrest in animal
abuse cases.

A little-known 80-year-old state law allows animal welfare groups
to appoint such officers with a judge's approval.

McCourt, who also teaches at Pepperdine University, has told the
Times the guns were needed for his officers for training,
protection during investigations, and to gain respect from other
law enforcement agencies.

McCourt did not respond to repeated Associated Press requests for
an interview. No one else at Mercy Crusade will discuss their
activities.

He said he also wanted his officers to be well-armed in case they
ever again are sent to protect animal shelters and clinics during
events such as the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Law enforcement agencies declined to comment on Mercy Crusade's
gun purchases, saying they would not discuss the case while it
was under investigation.

SPCA officers get 20 hours of training on the handling of
animals, 40 hours on state animal welfare laws and 54 hours of
peace officer training, and they must qualify on a shooting
range, Bernstein said.

The only firearms the Los Angeles SPCA has are .38-caliber
handguns for each of their five humane officers, a couple of
shotguns and a couple of tranquilizer dart guns, she said.

Bernstein said no SPCA officer has ever fired his or her weapon,
but she doesn't know about other animal welfare officers.

She said the officers need protection. "Suppose we have a search
warrant that allows us to kick in the door of a place where we
suspect a dog fight is taking place," Bernstein said.

State officials are investigating whether Mercy Crusade bought
the weapons with funds given by donors who presumed their money
would go to protect animals. Jim Cordi, lead lawyer for the
attorney general's Charitable Trust section in Los Angeles,
declined to discuss details of the investigation.

McCourt has said no money specifically raised for the group's
other efforts such as spaying and neutering programs were used
for the gun purchases.
