:) The reason why I do all this...

Last night, when I went out to put the horses in, the buckets in the stalls were running low. So I cleaned them and ran the hose to fill them. While I was twiddling my thumbs, I got the curry brush out and started trying to take a layer of two of hair off from Tommy. He REALLY likes to have his chest brushed. So much that, when I was done with the water and was turning to leave, he leaves his food to come to me and nudge the brush with his nose so I will continue brushing on his chest. I had the biggest, goofiest smile on my face. This is the horse that was starved and neglected and he paid me the biggest compliment in my life. He leaves his food... this is what makes it all worth while....

Responses and Questions to my Venting

~This is the most wonderful, profound, eye opening post I have read in a
long time and I am sending it to all my animal friends. Thank you so
much. A

~People have been getting their heads beat in for not doing enough & and now their getting their butt(s) chewed & being told THEY are the problem for doing the best of their ability to help a suffering animal!!!" - Really!!.. I do agree not to cry wolf, but that's about it!! There has to be a better solution then allowing an animal to suffer until AC can get around to checking on the welfare of neglected animals.. I've seen some cases where its taken up to a week & some where AC was a NO-SHOW altogether because Mr. AC was a relative of the abuser, rented property to the abuser, or had other cases to deal with & didn't have time to check on the abused & neglected animals.. SEEMS TO ME THE SYSTEM NEEDS FIXED!! Discouraging anyone from coming to the aid of a helpless animal is wrong, JUST PLAIN WRONG!! BTW- it's not the DO-GOODER who cemented their fate, it was the abuser., That comment takes away from the real problem!! It's appalling when one shifts the focus off the abuser in any form!! CF

(Lynn back in - here was my response to her email...)
I see your point. That is a failure in the system and of law enforcement. They need education, too. And for those out there who do nothing because it's their 'buddy' should be ashamed of themselves and retire. It's not the do-gooders fault. The person owning and abusing/neglecting the animals is the one to shoulder 100% of the blame ALL THE TIME. However, helping someone or their animals ties the hands of the law enforcement that IS willing and able to do something permanent for the animals.

It's not a matter of not doing enough, it 's a matter of doing enough in the RIGHT WAY to help the animals and change their situation permanently and legally. That is the only way this is all going to work. If your AC doesn't show and isn't interested, then call the Department of Agriculture. There is one in every state. Then call the State Police. Call the media. Call the sheriff's department. Call the state rep. Call the governor. Call the HSUS. Call the mayor/town manager. Call everyone you can think of and then email your friends to view the situation and MAKE A REPORT and call, too. Remember the squeaky wheel part?

I agree, there are many places where the system needs to be fixed. It's not perfect but it can't work if we don't do it in the proper way. And it won't get fixed until someone, anyone, stands up and demands that it be different.

I am in NO WAY shifting the blame from the abuser to the do-gooder. I'm just offering some guidelines from a legal and AC perspective that others may not know and maybe it will help out at least one animal who is in dire need of someone to rescue them.

I NEVER said not to help. I said to help in ways that the animals would NOT get back to the abuser, no matter what. DON'T give up. ALWAYS keep on trying for the animals. It's all we can do.

Yes You have no idea how hard it is to see an animal continue to suffer because some AC doesn't want to upset their 'friend' about their underweight, wormy, starving horses. If you think I don't know about it, then search for Tommy on my blog. I bought him to get him out of there for $300. He weighed 565 pounds. He was 12 years old. He's a 16 hand registered Quarter Horse. It's now been a year and he's gained 500 pounds and has a forever home where he's fed twice daily, has his own comfy, shaving filled stall, and never has to go without water again. I called multiple agencies. I did file a statement and signed a report. The others were eventually seized/relinquished. It doesn't happen in a matter of hours. It takes a matter of days to do a proper investigation. To connect to the right agencies. To assemble the resources. I'm just trying to show helping - sometimes - does more harm than good in the long run.

I'm really glad you brought up these points - but the blame ONLY sits on the shoulders of the abuser/hoarder ALL THE TIME. I would like to think there is a special place reserved in HELL for just them. (No, no, don't go all religion on me...)

~Just my two cents. It doesn't help when the animals linger in borderline conditions, which when questioned can be explained [lied about]. It also doesn't help if they are tipped off every time someone is coming to inspect. Again, just my 2 cents. Gee, now Im broke. D S

(me back in...)It's sometimes that case with any kind of investigation, whether it involves an animal or not. But if you can document the continued conditions, sometimes it's enough to be able to help the animals when they know someone is always watching, because, eventually, no one can keep up the charade without fail ALL the time... it's an imperfect world and we can only do the best we can do...

(gasp) guess I shouldn't have said it all on one breath!

~You GO girl! JJ

~You and me both... and let us not forget the people who call the cops to report your horse is dead in your field and he's just laying down sunning himself... B

Big, BIG Soap Box Warning....

Ok. I've had it. I'm sick to death of it. My email has at least ONE email every day telling me about horses, dogs or cats being neglect/abused/starved to death. I hear so many sob stories about how these people are 'overwhelmed' and 'lost their jobs' and how they just 'acquired' too many horses, dogs or cats (or any combination of those or more).

Hell-O!!?!?! How do you just 'acquire' too many horses? It's not like they just showed up on your doorstep, looking for a bowl of milk, like kittens.... these are HORSES - they are usually Trailered... by a TRUCK! If you feel sorry for a horse and the condition that it's in, donate to your local rescue. Don't bring it home. Because you are then the next story that is going to be posted on the email list.

And for you Do-Gooders out there - please, please, please... STOP HELPING THESE PEOPLE! All you are doing is prolonging the torture of these animals. Here is a portion of the conversation you are having with animal control, dept. of agriculture, local law enforcment, etc. (for those of you who do report and will file a statement):

Do-Gooder: "Hello. I am calling to report some neglected horses (animals). Their owner isn't feeding them or cleaning their stalls (pens) and they never have water. Can you check on them?"

Animal control goes and checks on the horses (animals). Their stalls (pens) are CLEAN and they have HAY (food) and water.

Animal control: (calls back the Do-Gooder): "The horses (animals) stalls (pens) are clean and they have hay (food) and water. We didn't find any problem. We have to close the case."

Do-Gooder: "Well the only reason the stalls (pens) are clean is because we cleaned them and the only reason they have hay (food) and water is because we bought it and fed them."

Animal Control (BANGING HEAD ON DESK CONTINUOUSLY AS HARD AS THEY CAN): "Then I can't help them until you stop taking care of them. In the EYES OF THE LAW THEY ARE BEING CARED FOR!"

Yes, I will speak for those of us in Animal Control because I have been there - for many years. (I am no longer as I can't stand the anguish any more, AND I have found someone who is much younger and less jaded than I am to do the thankless, painful job.)

If you know of abuse or neglect, you CAN'T FIX IT and then ask us to step in and do something. We have no proof.

How do I know you don't actually have an agreement with the owner and the horses belong to someone else and you are leasing the barn? How do I know it's truly you that is doing the work? How do I know it's you that is doing the work and that you aren't (ILLEGALLY) TRESPASSING on their property? In that case, I have to report you and YOU GET THE TICKET! How do I know that the owner is not doing the care? Just because "you" said so? Maybe the neighbor - even though you are the one mucking stalls, buying hay, filling stock tanks - thinks he just found the perfect neighborhood to live in? Want to come live next door to me? I would LOVE IT if someone else did all my chores, paid my hay bill, took care of my horse and I could just sit back and watch them because IT WON'T GET ME IN TROUBLE AT ALL! How do I know that you don't just have an itch to scratch because they play their music loud every weekend until 2 am?

Please, please, please. DON'T HELP the horses, dogs, cats, etc. REPORT THE ABUSER. If I get a report and I drive by/visit the animal and it has food, shelter and water, THERE IS NOTHING I CAN LEGALLY DO.

You, dear Do-Gooder, have SENTENCED this animal to MORE TIME in their HELL HOLE.

DO report to animal control, department of agriculture, local police, state police, etc., etc..

BE an advocate for the animal.

DO support your local rescues and shelters.

DO NOT give up because your first call wasn't answered. Sometimes, the squeaky wheel gets the most grease, sometimes just to shut it up.

DO take pictures.

DO NOT TRESPASS TO GET THE EVIDENCE. We can't use it in court.

DO NOT help the animal before law enforcement, department of agriculture, animal control, state police, etc., etc., get there as it WILL NOT STICK. (Even if it means the animal is still being neglected. Yes, this is hard to say, even HARDER to do.)

DO NOT CRY WOLF. Just because the neighbor horse is standing out in the rain when it has a perfectly good shelter to go into with hay and water, you will not be taken seriously the next time you report one who is truly in trouble.

I'm seriously pulling out my hair (what little I have left) because of so many stories of "I tried to help, but they wouldn't help themselves or their animals..." because people who neglect their animals DO IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN! They don't stop. It's like a disease. And those who 'help' the animals or the owners are only sentencing those animals to longer confinement in those conditions.

Ok. I'm still steamed. I'm outraged. My blood pressure is going through the roof. It makes me shake my head with wonder every single time this happens. It makes me want to bang my head into the doorframe for hours straight every time I read a new email....

Oh, what did you say? You just can't stand there and do nothing? You can't let those poor little animals suffer any more? Well, YOU just CEMENTED THEIR FATE by stepping in. You are ENABLING THE HOARDER/ABUSER and PERPETUATING THE ABUSE of those neglected animals!

AAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!

When - and it will only be a matter of time - Animal Control, Department of Agriculture, Local Law Enforcement, State Police, Etc., Etc. step in, then be there and be prepared to help the animals out. BUT NOT UNTIL THEN!!!!!

Ok. ok. I'm done for now, but I'm still stomping off my soap box, stomping my way into my boots and stomping out into the barn to clean my horses stalls (otherwise known as throwing $hit around) .... grumble, grumble, stomp, stomp .... fading away >:( >:( > :( >:(

Rain, rain and more flippin' rain...

I know, I know. It's good to have the rain. Yep. So much rain that half the state is floating away and some people are bailing out their basements. The horses are growing webbed feet and the chickens are growing gills. At least we don't have to shovel rain.

The horses were in today - again. Without protest this time. They like being inside and sticking their heads out the doors long enough to get their ears wet and then come inside and snuggle in their shavings in their stalls. I will let them out tomorrow when it slows down a little.

I let them out earlier when I cleaned stalls. They ran around for a few minutes, rolled in the mud (my eyes are rolling) and then came charging back in when I called them. They were out long enough to be totally saturated with mud. So much that I used the scraper on them. Now they are nice and fluffy and dusty. (shaking my head)

Hopefully everyone survives the floods and no one gets washed away. South of us is really getting hit hard. I'm so glad that I not only live very, very high above the river, but I also sit right on top of a gravel pit. Seriously. We don't have hardly any puddles anywhere! Except the impromptu manure pile the guys have made in the pasture.

Stay dry and warm... it's supposed to be 80 degrees on Sunday! I can't hardly wait!