I took a screen shot!
[QUOTE=Lynnwood;7214738]
Well the SPCA has taken down their FB posting about their horses going to Mill Creek. Including the postings about Max.[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately, the South Florida SPCA has no legal authority outside of Miami/Dade. So pressure on that avenue is almost closed.
On to the next.
Here’s the Alachua County Animal Services facebook page.
Have at it.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alachua-County-Animal-Services/94793662030
calculated gamble…I figured it would be taken off.
I just sent email to Sheriff Darnell, Alachua - the original email which didn’t get to her and an update on what has taken place.
How about the City Manager of Alachua?
Here’s the City Directory. Traci Cain is the city manager. Page three of the directory.
http://www.cityofalachua.com/index.php/city-directory
No threats, just a coherent account of what has happened, accompanied by photos.
Yahoo -Yohu’s office
I spoke with a sympathetic ear at Yohu’s office , gave her Chronicle website link which she looked at while we were talking and sent an email asking for help… Since he was/is on the BOD of Mill Creek and was/is a Vet…I’m hoping this is the right person to get something positive done.
I emailed Sheriff at the right address with update of what has been happening…rec’d, perhaps automated, reply that it would be brought to Sheriff’s attn.
[QUOTE=Lynnwood;7214738]
Well the SPCA has taken down their FB posting about their horses going to Mill Creek. Including the postings about Max.[/QUOTE]
Well now, isn’t THAT interesting?
I don’t understand how anyone (especially anyone involved in horse rescue) could look at the before/after photos of Max and shrug it off. Perhaps they don’t want to rock the boat because Mill Creek takes unadoptable horses off their hands? Hopefully they will dig a little deeper @ Mill Creek before sending them any more horses (especially any special needs horses).
I wish I could do more to help. I’m not familiar with Florida so would have no clue who to contact other than the obvious. I hope the removal of the FB post is a good sign. Is there a Facebook page for max? Easy to spread. I’ve shared the post about him in many groups but the nature of the sharing system is a bit annoying imo.
[QUOTE=Frizzle;7215087]
Well now, isn’t THAT interesting?
I don’t understand how anyone (especially anyone involved in horse rescue) could look at the before/after photos of Max and shrug it off. Perhaps they don’t want to rock the boat because Mill Creek takes unadoptable horses off their hands? Hopefully they will dig a little deeper @ Mill Creek before sending them any more horses (especially any special needs horses).[/QUOTE]
They are, but they have no legal jurisdiction outside of Miami Dade. So far they’ve been helpful.
[QUOTE=Tehzebra;7215089]
I wish I could do more to help. I’m not familiar with Florida so would have no clue who to contact other than the obvious. I hope the removal of the FB post is a good sign. Is there a Facebook page for max? Easy to spread. I’ve shared the post about him in many groups but the nature of the sharing system is a bit annoying imo.[/QUOTE]
Need some legal advice before starting a facebook page…any Florida lawyers willing to weigh in?
[QUOTE=Lynnwood;7214342]
Laura its under their announcement that they recently sent two horses to Mill Creek.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151988939184258&set=a.75185259257.101438.73461569257&type=1&theater
This is a list of their board of directors as far as I know Yoho gave up practicing vet med when he got involved in politics.
http://www.millcreekfarm.org/board.htm[/QUOTE]
Perhaps it might work to contact some of the BOD. Holly Jensen is a textbook local RARA, but perhaps concern for the horse’s welfare might work in your favor. Also listed is Pam Huizenga, who seems to be involved in a lot of protective/environmental save the creatures work, who also might be persuaded that the welfare of the horse is at stake. Out in left field, but Jack Hanna has done at least one TV segment about the farm years ago, and he is certainly capable of recognizing when an animal doesn’t fit into a particular setting.
As for Rep Yoho, he is way too busy patting himself on the back and having a wonderful time shutting down the government to bother about something as mundane as trouble in his own backyard.
As we have learned from Rev. Buck, it’s possible for anyone to sue anybody about anything and damn the facts, so might it be possible to sue the farm for mistreatment of your special needs horse? It gets a lot chillier up here than Naples, and if they don’t blanket some of their horses the ones that are downright skinny are going to be in big trouble, including Max.
From an economic standpoint alone, if Max is getting 10# of senior feed a day, even at a bargain price of $20 a bag we are talking 6+ bags of feed per month or $120 just for Max alone. Multiply that by 100+ horses !!!
I think the farm was doing okay back in the days when they had 30-some horses from private people plus UF experimental horses. When they closed it to private horses and started taking in the abandoned ones, I’ll bet that’s when they got in over their heads. Wonder if the state and/or other humane orgs are footing the bills?
Also as a curiosity, there are at least several retirement home owners here on COTH. Wonder why none of them have chimed in here?
Hoping that even just the threat of an expose will work in Max’s favor.
Many of the retirement 501©3 farms get private funding support. You would be surprised how many folks will send $$s to these places. I haven’t seen their books…guess I was too busy when the link came up.
BetonBill since you are local…how aout a trip to see Max on Saturday? take pictures and post your on location opinion. Pictures generally don’t show things as bad as they are in reality…so I worry about Max! Are they ‘over their heads?’ or are you speculating?
[QUOTE=LauraKY;7215101]
They are, but they have no legal jurisdiction outside of Miami Dade. So far they’ve been helpful.[/QUOTE]
That’s good to know. I emailed them a while ago w/links to Max’s before/after pics as well as the link to this thread and never heard back from them.
Then again, I’m sure they’re quite busy (people here in Miami-Dade generally suck when it comes to animals :no:) so hopefully they can pull some strings to help Max out. I also hope they will reconsider sending any more horses to people who would allow a horse to get into such horrible condition.
Retirement Home for Horses, Inc aka Mill Creek
Annual Revenue & Expenses Financial information on GuideStar is either digitized from Form 990 images we receive from the IRS or submitted by the nonprofits themselves through the GuideStar Exchange (990 filers cannot override Form 990 financial data). If your organization does not file a Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF and you would like to have your financial data displayed in this section, join the GuideStar Exchange today!
Fiscal Year Starting: Jan 01, 2011
Fiscal Year Ending: Dec 31, 2011
Revenue Total Revenue $253,483
Expenses Total Expenses $206,857
Too bad you have to pay for Guidestar’s full reports. This is 2011 and to me it looks like a PROFIT. I’d love to see the details. After taxes and equipment costs not to mention if there are any admin expenses …doesn’t leave much for hay,grain and esp Vet!
You don’t have to pay for Guidestar, you just have to sign in.
[QUOTE=uphill;7215219]
Many of the retirement 501©3 farms get private funding support. You would be surprised how many folks will send $$s to these places. I haven’t seen their books…guess I was too busy when the link came up.
BetonBill since you are local…how aout a trip to see Max on Saturday? take pictures and post your on location opinion. Pictures generally don’t show things as bad as they are in reality…so I worry about Max! Are they ‘over their heads?’ or are you speculating?[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately, I’m probably the only person in the entire country who doesn’t have a phone or a camera. However, my curiosity is up, so I might grab a bag of carrots and mosey over and see what the place looks like.
I think you need (if you already haven’t) talk to Morgan ? at the Horse Protection place in Micanopy. I’ve gone out there once and she seemed to be pretty sensible. She might have an angle or two that you could explore.
I will see what the place looks like this Saturday, but unfortunately, no pictures.
Oh, your old vet must have some past colleagues/acquaintence vets in the area. Maybe he can persuade one or more to drop by.
[QUOTE=uphill;7215558]
Retirement Home for Horses, Inc aka Mill Creek
Annual Revenue & Expenses Financial information on GuideStar is either digitized from Form 990 images we receive from the IRS or submitted by the nonprofits themselves through the GuideStar Exchange (990 filers cannot override Form 990 financial data). If your organization does not file a Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF and you would like to have your financial data displayed in this section, join the GuideStar Exchange today!
Fiscal Year Starting: Jan 01, 2011
Fiscal Year Ending: Dec 31, 2011
Revenue Total Revenue $253,483
Expenses Total Expenses $206,857
Too bad you have to pay for Guidestar’s full reports. This is 2011 and to me it looks like a PROFIT. I’d love to see the details. After taxes and equipment costs not to mention if there are any admin expenses …doesn’t leave much for hay,grain and esp Vet![/QUOTE]
By my calculations, if they only have 100 horses, they’re spending about $173 per month for care of each horse. Sorry - I know what hay and feed cost in this area, and there is NO way the horses are being fed enough on that budget, and they still have golf carts to drive, boards to repair their fences, or any money for vet or farrier or any other property upkeep!
[QUOTE=JWB;7215638]
By my calculations, if they only have 100 horses, they’re spending about $173 per month for care of each horse. Sorry - I know what hay and feed cost in this area, and there is NO way the horses are being fed enough on that budget, and they still have golf carts to drive, boards to repair their fences, or any money for vet or farrier or any other property upkeep![/QUOTE]
Yeah, I spend around $160 just on hay every month, for one horse. Add in his Seminole Senior and, without counting hay cubes or supplements, my feed bill is over $200. And my boy, while a very large TB, is not a terribly difficult keeper, so I imagine the feed bill for a horse on pounds & pounds of Senior a day would be VERY high.
Here’s the link to the 2011 990’s. I think it should work without signing in.
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2011/592/995/2011-592995523-089e7d8c-9.pdf
Expenses (from 2011)
Feed and hay: 86K
Fuel and travel: 7.8K
Insurance: 16K
Licenses: 321.00
Other Expenses: 87.5K
Any one besides me wonder what other expenses consist of?
[QUOTE=LauraKY;7215723]
Any one besides me wonder what other expenses consist of?[/QUOTE]
They are (mostly) listed in Schedule O at the end of the form
Advertising 224
Bank Service Charges 395
Casual Labor 1082
Dues and Memberships 0
Farrier 10980
Interest Expense 2704
Landscaping 440
Legal and Accounting 2672
Maintenance and Repairs 20874
Office Expenses 3748
Payroll Tax Expense 894
Postage and Delivery 417
Printing and Copying 600
Salaries and Wages 11712
Supplies 2588
Taxes, Property 3478
Taxes, Other 186
Telephone 3875
After that it appears to be cut off. The next four letters are Util which I would assume is Utilities
