Help us stop horse abuse! Need tactics...

[howardh]

My cousin lives in Onalaska Wi. She has a neighbor who has been reported many many times over the years for neglect. Animal control and the police come out and do nothing.

This woman is a hoarder. Cited last year for 27 dogs in horrible condition yet she still has them.

Too many stories to tell all but 3 summers ago 5 ponies broke out during the heat of the summer looking for water. My cuz returned them to find 27 pregnant mares with crap pasture and NO WATER and the owner had left town for 3 days. My cousin brought her own hay down to feed them.

Once again yesterday a horse broke out skin and bones and drank 2 buckets of water at her place and ate everything in sight. body score horrible. Police and animal control once again did NOTHING.

this will be a classic case of finding a pile of dead horses and everyone scratching their heads and wondering how it happend, but the entire neighborhood knows about it and reports it over and over!!!

She sent a letter to the editor of the paper last night trying to get them to investigate the obvious trail of police reports but do any of you have ideas for her??? It is cold, hay is really high this year and the horses are skin and bones…

[lcw579]

I would suggest calling the local television news station. They eat this kind of thing up - local corruption/do nothings and graphic film? They’ll love it. Once it gets press the officials will have to act.

[howardh]

We did this just yesterday! I am hoping it works. I suspect the dog issue will attract more interest to the general public but if the horses get saved in the meantime…

we know this person sells her puppies. She cleverly takes them to a friend’s house to show them to potential customers as her conditions are deplorable and a customer would run if they saw how these dogs live!! This is documented in court records, so it is not hearsay. Can anyone give me a dog blog to help out her to potential buyers? She raises Catalauha (sp)? Leopard Dogs…

[Superminion]

I would google the breed, and your location. You may be able to find an ad.

[howardh]

oh my god the irony of it all! I googled her, got her on Linked in looking for jobs! She has gone to vet tech and ag tech schools in the last few years and is currently employed by a small pet food chain. She lists her experience as helping people make the right food choices for their pets! ANY food is the right choice.

And to top it all off the President of the company she grooms dogs for is an ex law enforcement officer…

Head hits desk…

[Superminion]

I won’t get into the food thing. I’m sure that somebody more experienced than me is going to chime in with a much better argument than I can provide.

I just want to urge you to tread lightly in your quest for outage. Hoarders are not the most mentally stable of folk, and if word gets out that you are the one who outed her and she is aware of your relationship with your cousin, you don’t want her to lose it on either of you.

[howardh]

[QUOTE=Superminion;6712832]
I won’t get into the food thing. I’m sure that somebody more experienced than me is going to chime in with a much better argument than I can provide.

I just want to urge you to tread lightly in your quest for outage. Hoarders are not the most mentally stable of folk, and if word gets out that you are the one who outed her and she is aware of your relationship with your cousin, you don’t want her to lose it on either of you.[/QUOTE]

We get it and are aware of that issue, but over the last 10 years she has been very aware that it is my cousin and all the other neighbors around her that are reporting her. This is all public record a mile long. The question is HOW to get the animals safe and out of there? What do you need to do to actually get animal control to pull them? A dead cow carcass in her yard wasn’t enough last year (she has starving cows too…) Said that is how she was feeding her dogs…
27 dogs living in filth with human babies in the house with toys covered in feces wasn’t enough. What the hell does it take??

[GaMare]

Draft a one page letter to local humane, law enforcement & county health contacts.
Include additional pages with photos. On the front page, include a cc list with the appropriate contacts at the USDA, ASPCA, BBB, local news organizations.

Figure out which of the local contacts is a.) most senior and b.) in an elected position.

Email or fax a copy of your letter to that individual with a cover note that you will be sending the attached document via certified mail tomorrow but that you don’t believe such a significant oversight is in line with the values that this particular individual represents and wanted to provide an opportunity for them to make it right in advance your calling such broad public attention to the issue. Immediately after sending, call their office and tell whomever you speak to that you were calling to confirm receipt of the document you’ll be issuing via certified mail the following day and to address any questions prior to distribution to the broader audience.

If you pick the right official to reach out to first, that one contact should be enough. By saying that you know this isn’t a situation that they would knowingly tolerate, you’ve opened the door to their being the hero and reaching out to them means they can’t claim ignorance if no action is taken.

[Superminion]

[QUOTE=howardh;6712849]
We get it and are aware of that issue, but over the last 10 years she has been very aware that it is my cousin and all the other neighbors around her that are reporting her. This is all public record a mile long. The question is HOW to get the animals safe and out of there? What do you need to do to actually get animal control to pull them? A dead cow carcass in her yard wasn’t enough last year (she has starving cows too…) Said that is how she was feeding her dogs…
27 dogs living in filth with human babies in the house with toys covered in feces wasn’t enough. What the hell does it take??[/QUOTE]

New law enforcement… apparently. Can you contact out of the county rescues to help with the overflow? It will probably be too much for one local rescue to handle. Also. Get CPS involved and get those kids outta there. Petition the mayor. I would go right up the levels, and I wouldn’t stop until things get sorted out.

Personally, I’d gather my COTH army and stage a mass breakout… but alas, that isn’t legal nor speedy.

[clanter]

[QUOTE=howardh;6712849]
Said that is how she was feeding her dogs…
27 dogs living in filth with human babies in the house with toys covered in feces wasn’t enough. What the hell does it take??[/QUOTE]

well, it takes a complaint to Child Protective Services or whatever the agency is called in that state. Forget the animals, if there are minor aged children living there CPS can and will step in to remove the children… which to me would be of a greater concern than the animals condition. CPS will report to the police the animals’ condition.

[cowgirljenn]

[QUOTE=clanter;6713158]
well, it takes a complaint to Child Protective Services or whatever the agency is called in that state. Forget the animals, if there are minor aged children living there CPS can and will step in to remove the children… which to me would be of a greater concern than the animals condition. CPS will report to the police the animals’ condition.[/QUOTE]

If you haven’t called CPS yet and conditions are as bad as you say, you need to do that now. Often they’ll work with animal control authorities. You can call adult protective services (or your state’s equivalent) if you ever encounter a situation where there’s an adult in the home who cannot care for themselves and they’re being kept in filth.

If your county/area has zoning requirements, sometimes hoarder properties violate those requirements and you can get the zoning people involved.

Hoarding is a difficult situation and often needs to be approached from several sides and handled with care.

[candyappy]

[QUOTE=howardh;6712849]
We get it and are aware of that issue, but over the last 10 years she has been very aware that it is my cousin and all the other neighbors around her that are reporting her. This is all public record a mile long. The question is HOW to get the animals safe and out of there? What do you need to do to actually get animal control to pull them? A dead cow carcass in her yard wasn’t enough last year (she has starving cows too…) Said that is how she was feeding her dogs…
27 dogs living in filth with human babies in the house with toys covered in feces wasn’t enough. What the hell does it take??[/QUOTE]

It takes MONEY and there is probably nowhere to take these animals and the local authorities sure don’t have it. I shouldn’t say it but a bullet to the brain of these poor animals would be kinder than the next 3+ months of WI winter and no food.

[wireweiners]

You don’t give your location Howard, but if there are small children in the home and the conditions inside and around the home are as deplorable as you say then you should call your local CPS hotline and make a report. You will need to know the name of the alleged offender, the address and the approximate age of the children. The conditions you describe are called environmental neglect. Some jurisdictions will remove children for those conditions, some will work with the parents to correct the conditions without removing the children. I’m sorry to hear she is puppy milling Catahoulas. They are a wonderful working and hunting breed. Excellent farm dogs if raised right.

[Robin]

Given that Onalaska is right on the border with Minnesota, you might be able to get some help from the animal welfare folks in the next state. Call and talk to the director of the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation and see if she can give you any suggestions.

[dragonharte8]

Ok, here are the steps to take.
File a criminal complaint with the local city law enforcement agency and/or the county sheriff’s. Send a copy to the District Attorney’s Office.
Here is Wisconsin animal abuse statutes:
WISCONSIN STATUTES
CRIMES
CHAPTER 951. CRIMES AGAINST ANIMALS

951.01. Definitions
(2) “Cruel” means causing unnecessary and excessive pain or suffering or unjustifiable injury or death.
951.02. Mistreating animals
No person may treat any animal, whether belonging to the person or another, in a cruel manner.
951.13. Providing proper food and drink to confined animals
No person owning or responsible for confining or impounding any animal may fail to supply the animal with a sufficient supply of food and water as prescribed in this section.
(1) Food. The food shall be sufficient to maintain all animals in good health.
(2) Water. If potable water is not accessible to the animals at all times, it shall be provided daily and in sufficient quantity for the health of the animal.
951.14. Providing proper shelter
No person owning or responsible for confining or impounding any animal may fail to provide the animal with proper shelter as prescribed in this section. In the case of farm animals, nothing in this section shall be construed as imposing shelter requirements or standards more stringent than normally accepted husbandry practices in the particular county where the animal or shelter is located.
(1) Indoor standards. Minimum indoor standards of shelter shall include:
(a) Ambient temperatures. The ambient temperature shall be compatible with the health of the animal.
(b) Ventilation. Indoor housing facilities shall be adequately ventilated by natural or mechanical means to provide for the health of the animals at all times.
(2) Outdoor standards. Minimum outdoor standards of shelter shall include:
(a) Shelter from sunlight. When sunlight is likely to cause heat exhaustion of an animal tied or caged outside, sufficient shade by natural or artificial means shall be provided to protect the animal from direct sunlight. As used in this paragraph, “caged” does not include farm fencing used to confine farm animals.
(b) Shelter from inclement weather. 1. Animals generally. Natural or artificial shelter appropriate to the local climatic conditions for the species concerned shall be provided as necessary for the health of the animal.

[danceronice]

Call social services and report that there are children living in unsanitary conditions with dangerous and diseased animals. If the DSS or whatever it’s called over there step in the local LEOs may have to cooperate (and if her one boss/client is retired/former local law enforcement, that might explain a lot about why nothing ever really gets done about it.)

[Ella1234]

I realize this is an old thread but did this get resolved recently? I live in the area and today my farrier was telling about a number of horses and other animals being rescued. Was thinking it may be the horses in this thread.