Animal control complaint
Oct 2, 2021 09:19:55 #
BurghByrd
Loc: Pittsburgh
CindyHouk wrote:
....come to find out she was homeless and living out of her truck and horse trailer!
It sounds like the owner was struggling too. Clearly she should have reached out for help to care for the animals under her care; it's good you took care of that. Bad situation all around.
Oct 2, 2021 10:16:39 #
Oct 2, 2021 10:27:17 #
And there are probably plenty of rescue groups that would have taken these animals and cared for them if the owner was unable to do so. Sadly, some people hoard animals even when unable to care for them.
I reported a neighbor once for abuse of their golden retriever, who was left chained outside in 20 below weather with minimal shelter and no food and a frozen water dish. The animal control officer was very adamant about my willingness to testify - "you know, these people come in and claim that it isn't their dog, it belongs to their 10-year old son" and sometimes get off. You may get questioned on the stand by their attorney. When I affirmed that I would still gladly show up and testify on the day of court, the officer confided in me: "By the way, you don't have to worry too much a bout being on the stand - Judge Wilson raises Golden Retrievers"! The owners did try to claim that it was their son's dog, and then claimed that I stole the dog (to get it out of miserable conditions, yes...). They were found guilty.
I reported a neighbor once for abuse of their golden retriever, who was left chained outside in 20 below weather with minimal shelter and no food and a frozen water dish. The animal control officer was very adamant about my willingness to testify - "you know, these people come in and claim that it isn't their dog, it belongs to their 10-year old son" and sometimes get off. You may get questioned on the stand by their attorney. When I affirmed that I would still gladly show up and testify on the day of court, the officer confided in me: "By the way, you don't have to worry too much a bout being on the stand - Judge Wilson raises Golden Retrievers"! The owners did try to claim that it was their son's dog, and then claimed that I stole the dog (to get it out of miserable conditions, yes...). They were found guilty.
Oct 2, 2021 11:19:04 #
Sad to say that I've been around a couple of horses in that condition, (years ago), happily they were nursed and well cared for, and both fully recovered and went on to have much well deserved lives.
Oct 2, 2021 12:14:19 #
When we had so many horses, I rescued a few even worse than those and with plenty of good feed (divided into 3 feedings a day instead of two), good hay, lots of peanut butter and bread and 1/4 cup of corn oil on two of the feedings, they fattened up in no time. I gave them to people that I knew would love and pamper them. I wish I were still able to do that. Maybe the AC can find some good Rescues for them. They still look alert. A couple I took didn't, but they made it and are happy horses now. (we had 77 champion bred horses of our own at the time).
Oct 2, 2021 12:23:23 #
Oct 2, 2021 12:25:13 #
I also meant to say THANK YOU for your quick action. It could mean a happy future for these horses!
Oct 2, 2021 12:42:25 #
TylerDurdensReel
Loc: Fresno Ca.
Obviously something went terribly wrong with this persons life. Maybe she felt she couldn't give the animals up because she couldn't give up hope that she would rebound. She may have thought that by moving them from pasture to pasture would provide them with enough to eat until her life turned around. The horses are unfortunate victims but maybe she is too. Maybe she is mentally ill? If she is living in her vehicle, maybe she sacrificed her own comfort and gave up her home to try and keep the animals she cared about? Feeling compassion for the animals is a good thing and I get that but no one knows the whole story and yet some want to starve her to death in a prison? That's kind of a lynch mob mentality isn't it? WOW!
Oct 2, 2021 12:54:09 #
TylerDurdensReel wrote:
Obviously something went terribly wrong with this ... (show quote)
I know the horses are now in good care and will get the care and lovin they deserve as for the owner...yes she does have something mentally wrong if she allowed these horses to get this bad. I have known people to give up their animals because they could no longer care for them properly - never have I seen animals this bad simply because the owner refused to admit they couldn't handle or afford to keep them...so I have no sympathy for the owner and hope they charge her to the full extent of the law!
Oct 2, 2021 12:54:32 #
Thanks everyone for commenting....I will update everyone when I hear more about the case.
Oct 2, 2021 12:58:54 #
CindyHouk wrote:
Thanks everyone for commenting....I will update everyone when I hear more about the case.
I'm sure that many, me included, would love to have an update. No matter what the story may be, thanks to you, at least the horses are safe now.
Oct 2, 2021 13:46:44 #
Kudos to you, Cindy, for your charity and concern. I have spent the last 25 years setting up nonprofit animal rescues across the country, my wife is a vet tech, and we have fostered over 150 dogs over the years - so animal cruelty is a particularly heinous and unforgivable sin in my estimation. Thanks for caring enough to get involved... 
Oct 2, 2021 14:14:49 #
I will never understand how people can treat animals that way, you did good.
Oct 2, 2021 14:29:02 #
TylerDurdensReel
Loc: Fresno Ca.
People make bad decisions in times of desperation. They also do things that are inexplicable when they are mentally ill. The court system is more than capable of recognizing mental illness and they treat people within that system with compassion. We know what she did but to ask for the highest penalty that a human can make without understanding why could be as bad as what she did.
Oct 2, 2021 17:30:21 #
I know that people sometimes have hard times and get desperate but that woman is old enough to know that it would be better to find those horses good homes, where they would be cared for properly, rather than watch them starve. I'm sorry for people who are hungry but they can ask for help, animals can not!
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