Posts Tagged ‘Mississippi’

Sarah & Billy Joe with Priscilla, Persimmon, Penny, Penelope, Petal

Last month, Petal and Penelope were rescued from a terrible situation of neglect in Coffeeville, Mississippi. Their siblings, seen in the photo of their rescue (the girls are on right in BJ’s arms) were just babies. Because we had so many puppies, our friends with the Mississippi State University student program “Homeward Bound” accepted three of the pups into its foster and placement program. They were all set to go on our February transport to Colorado.

The five siblings arrived with fleas, Coccidia, and worm distension. Petal and Penelope were actually the healthiest of the siblings. But, tragically, we either brought Parvo home with a new pup, or picked it up in one of the many places we may have come into contact with communicable canine disease (even the animal companion section of Wal-Mart).

The girls became ill last Tuesday. Wednesday morning we rushed them to Veterinary Associates for testing and treatment. At the sanctuary we can give sub-Q fluids, but at the hospital they were given IV, and we wanted to minimize contamination of their roommates. It’s uncertain if the two other families of other pups sharing their quarters have been infected.

Our little girls lost their valiant struggle. It just hurts so bad. We saved them from neglect, freed them from parasites, medicated them, loved them, and they were heading to Colorado awaiting guardians, and now they’re gone. I’m sorry but “they knew love” or “they would have died where they were” doesn’t lessen the pain. They were happy, beautiful, and then they got horribly sick—sick enough to suffer death.

We move forward because other animals will suffer if we don’t, and caring people cannot wallow in the luxury of self-preservation or pity. We feel the whole world should know that Petal or Penelope were here and what was lost, so we will all fight to prevent the inevitable misery of animals who are not protected. Our little girls will not be forgotten.

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A few weeks ago we told you about IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary being granted custody of 15 starving horses and a mule in Yazoo County, Mississippi. County Justice Court Judge Pam May signed a seizure order on December 21, 2011, and the rescue of the horses began immediately. Within 3 days, all horses were in foster homes receiving much-needed nourishment and loving care.

But the mule eluded capture, earning the name Flying Wind. This past Sunday, a team from In Defense of Animals (IDA), along with a team from Have A Heart Horse Rescue (HAHHR), a Mississippi horse welfare organization, finally accomplished the safe confinement of Flying Wind. IDA would like to especially thank Sheila Horton of HAHHR.

Flying Wind’s capture brings to a close the month-long ordeal that began with IDA being granted temporary custody of 15 horses and a mule found in various stages of malnourishment. Flying Wind’s ability to jump fences not only allowed him to stay nourished with generous access to hay, it also allowed him to freely roam on 70 acres. This made capture very difficult and he was obviously enjoying his freedom and newly discovered superiority.

Once a halter was slipped over Flying Wind’s head, IDA volunteer David Gray led him to a secure confinement area.  After helping Flying Wind calm down, David was able to lead and load him into a waiting trailer and he was finally on his way to Have A Heart Horse Rescue and Sanctuary in Coila, Mississippi to join the seven Yazoo County horses being rehabilitated at HAHHR.

Flying Wind is enjoying his new ‘temporary’ home where he will receive veterinary care and be evaluated for eventual adoption.

In other Hope Animal Sanctuary news, we also rescued a donkey named Percy from a guardian who no longer wanted to care for him. IDA-HAS had previously offered sanctuary for Percy when he was held at a Mississippi shelter. Instead, he was adopted to an individual. That person grew weary of caring for him, and the Drew, MS animal control officer contacted IDA-HAS to ask if haven was still an option for Percy. Members of the IDA-HAS rescue team brought Percy home on January 20.  Percy immediately took to his new home and companions.  He’s been playing with Arlin, the Barbados sheep who barely escaped becoming a trophy intended for a regional man’s wall.

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Our report this week comes from our extraordinary volunteer Debbie Young.  It’s a tale of 15 horses and a mule who will survive because Debbie launched and maintained our efforts for their rescue and care. And a huge thanks to Have A Heart Rescue for aiding with the treatment of some of the horses.

Debbie: “I’d been watching the news about starving horses five miles from my home. I had been told a few days earlier that the local humane society was working on either a seizure order or attempting to the get the keeper of the horses to voluntarily surrender them.

As of December 15, with at least 15 horses in various stages of malnourishment and several dead horses on the property in various stages of decomposition, the Yazoo County (Mississippi) Sheriff’s Department filed cruelty charges against Alvin Ross. Mr. Ross turned himself in and immediately posted bond. He then moved the horses to unknown locations. Now the horses wouldn’t even get the extra hay that was being thrown over the fence to them by concerned people.

On December 20, I received a call from a friend who was frantic because nothing was being done to take custody of the horses and get them the rehabilitative care they so desperately needed. It turned out the local humane society had decided NOT to proceed with seizure action, and the Sheriff’s Department was unable to take responsibility for the care of the horses.

I placed an urgent call to Doll Stanley of Hope Animal Sanctuary and her response was immediate. IDA would attempt to secure a seizure order for the horses. That afternoon, with a seizure order in hand thanks to IDA, I went to the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Department to request its assistance in processing the order. After some serious verbal wrangling, the investigator realized we weren’t going away. He instructed us to return early the next morning when the deputy who had been working the case would be on duty, and the Justice Court judge would be in court. After an extended wait, the deputy took us to Justice Court where a sympathetic clerk gave me the first ray of hope since this all began. Thanks to excellent television coverage regarding the case, she was aware of the condition of the horses and made sure the judge was shown all the accompanying photos. We had a signed seizure order that was served immediately.

Within hours, we took over the care of the first four horses. That night they were warm, with fresh hay, and a measured amount of senior horse feed to begin their long journey back to a healthy weight.

The Mississippi Board of Animal Health (MBAH) responded to a phone call regarding the dead horses on the property. The Board discovered five dead horses and four sets of skeletal remains. Mr. Ross had a “killing field” for horses. Mississippi law requires dead “livestock” be buried within 24 hours, so Mr. Ross was charged a $1,000 fine for each of the dead horses. He could not be fined for the skeletal remains since the time of death could not be accurately determined. He also faced fines for each horse he removed from the property without a verifiable Equine Infectious Anemia test. He was ordered to provide the location of the horses he had moved.

Thanks to the action of the MBAH, coupled with the issuing of the seizure order, Mr. Ross complied the next day with the remaining 11 horses. The lone mule is still on the property and being fed.

All of the horses suffer malnourishment ranging from moderate to severe. Their bodies are covered in thousands of blood-sucking ticks (the veteran rescuers agree they have never seen such infestation) and rain rot (bacteria) so bad it has gone through their skin. Two of the horses, both mares, suffer life-threatening conditions due to starvation and neglect but both are starting to show small signs of regaining their strength, and we are hopeful they will live to enjoy a life filled with love and comfort.

Have a Heart Horse Rescue graciously offered to take on some of the horses to help with their rehabilitation. Seven of the horses are in their care. All the others are in foster care at multiple locations and are doing as well as can be expected. Now that they are receiving life-saving nutrition, the ticks are being removed by brushing. The emaciated state of the horses makes it dangerous to use chemicals that will kill the ticks, so brushing is the safest remedy. The rain rot will be treated slowly with antibacterial shampoos as the weather allows.

I wish to thank Doll Stanley and In Defense of Animals for always being ready to take decisive action to help animals who have no voice. There are now fifteen horses in Mississippi who have food in their bellies and warmth from the cold. I am also so grateful to IDA supporters.”

Deborah L. Young

Stay tuned to IDA’s website and eNews for more news about the 15 horses as they fight their way back to health (and the mule), as well as the cruelty charges filed against Alvin Ross.

*UPDATE*

January 13, 2012 – IDA has been granted permanent custody of 15 starving horses and a mule seized after Yazoo County resident Alvin Ross was found guilty today in Yazoo County Justice Court, of nine counts of cruelty to animals. Charges were filed by the Sheriff’s Department on December 15, 2011, following the discovery of nine dead horses in varying stages of decomposition on the property. Ross was found guilty of confining the horses without sufficient quantity of wholesome food, a misdemeanor under Mississippi animal cruelty laws.  The remaining horses were seized under a court order issued by Justice Court Judge Pam May on December 21, 2011, and are now at various locations receiving much-needed rehabilitative foster care and veterinary treatment.  Judge May, who presided over the hearing today, offered to suspend the fines if Ross would surrender all rights to the seized horses.

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We are thrilled to report a very happy ending to a tragic story. Do you remember Kapone, the missing Memphis dog we first told you about in our July 21, 2011 eNews? IDA had just added $3,000 to the reward fund for info about Kapone, a family’s adored pit bull, who had been missing since he was picked up by a Memphis Animal Services (MAS) animal control officer.

Kapone disappeared on June 24, when he and the family’s other dog, Jersey, got out of their fenced yard. Neighbors witnessed both dogs being loaded onto an MAS truck. Over 3,000 IDA members sent emails complaining about MAS to Memphis city officials and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Click here to read our news release about this from July 2011.

Well, Kapone is now back home for the holidays!

Kapone reunited with his family!

Our dear friend and animal advocate Beverly King learned that yet another dog had simply vanished without a trace of paperwork or documentation after being picked up by Memphis Animal Control. Beverly and associates alerted the media, and helped Kapone’s family push the city to prosecute Animal Control Officer Demetria Hogan for Kapone’s disappearance and the death of another dog Hogan left confined in the back of her city truck. Beverly alerted IDA and we offered a reward. PETA joined us, as did a private source, and the reward grew to $8,000.  A banner with the reward information and a photo of Kapone has hung prominently since his disappearance. Just days before Christmas, a tip that Kapone might have been seen in Senatobia, Mississippi broke the case, and, after investigation, Kapone was reunited with his family.

The case is not closed, but is solved, and very satisfying. Kapone is relishing his playtime with his family, while Hogan’s animal cruelty charges are surely to be added to a felony animal abduction charge.  We refuse to use the word theft – “theft” is what happens to property, and Kapone is nobody’s property. He is, however, back with his guardians. How awesome this is!  Oh, by the way, the tipster has asked for and received only $3,000 of the $8,000 reward.

Additional notes:

Jersey was reunited the day after she was picked up.  She was at MAS.

The cloth on Kapone’s neck is his bandana.

Hogan is charged with cruelty.  Theft, we don’t know yet.

As far as we can assume, Kapone could have been used for breeding, even at his age.  He was unneutered.  He was unharmed when found so he hadn’t fought.

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Today, Wednesday, Nov. 2^nd, began like every other busy day at Hope Animal Sanctuary. Lisa, Sarah, and B.J., our new teammate, had their hands full with the care of our precious animals. Danielle, the delicately featured brown bay, is still having a bit of trouble with her right front hoof, but is doing better.  Her mother, our Dolly, seems content, but is struggling with her deformed hoof.  Our time with her is cherished.

Arlin

Our new resident, Arlin, has taken well to his environment but needs a friend. He is a Barbados sheep. He probably doesn’t know how blessed he is. Our friend, Arlin, animal control officer (ACO) for Winona, Mississippi, went the extra mile to see his namesake safely delivered into our hands. The four-hoofed Arlin escaped the trailer he was being transported in and was captured and delivered to the Sell Barn. Technically, the Sell Barn had no claim on him, but it wouldn’t agree to his release without payment. The asking price was $150. Our buddy raised the bounty, and we picked up the newly freed Arlin.  He certainly has moxy. He challenged the emus, horses, and each of us when we initially approached him. A good stomp of his right front hoof, followed by lowered horns and impact on whatever barrier was between us quickly gained respect for his wishes.

Haystack, Helga, & Hannah

Three more abandoned pups arrived. Haystack, Helga, & Hannah are thin, have mange, and are simply adorable.  If it weren’t for the next transport to Colorado, we don’t know what we would do.

By late afternoon I thought I’d wrapped up our business in town when I received a timely call from “Doc” Abernethy, whose Veterinary Associates clinic was on my way home. The newer Grenada ACO had brought a dog in for euthanasia. He’d had a call from a man who’d kicked in a neighbor’s door after his mother had seen a dog in the kitchen window of a house that had been abandoned for months.  The occupant had moved in May and had stopped her irregular visits. There was a horrid odor permeating the air around the front of the house.

When the man and another neighbor entered the deserted home, they were stunned to find two young dogs had been confined to the kitchen and one had succumbed to cannibalizing her lifeless sibling or perish.

I accompanied the ACO to the scene, documented the evidence, and accepted custody of the dog for Doc’s capable and caring hands. I called the chief of police to ask for support. Two officers and the senior ACO joined us.  A report was taken, and you can rest assured that IDA will assist with the prosecution of the callous soul who simply stopped caring for the two precious lives she entrapped. She could have called animal control, asked a neighbor for help, or even just let them loose if she was too lazy or unthinking to ask for help.

Imagine being confined with your sister and slowly starved and dehydrated.  Imagine the desperation of climbing to the window to seek help, freedom, and then being alone, terribly alone when your sister lost her fragile grasp on life. Think of first nuzzling her for comfort and then as her lifeless body faded and she was no more, resorting to the instinct of survival. How long will it take Wanda to be herself?  She’s emaciated. As she lay on the exam table fleas careened in and out of her dull hair.  She stared straight ahead, fearful of making eye contact, the whites of her eyes so revealed that her beautiful brown irises seemed stark and desolate amidst a panicked world of confusion.

I promise you Wanda will heal with us and learn to love life.

Wanda

Doc & Holly

Little Holly and Bo Jangle are home with us.  Holly, an adorable kitten, has had her badly injured eye removed; Bo Jangle’s hip, side, and back healed with no apparent intervention after what was probably a brush with a vehicle, and Miss Beasley is recovering from the amputation of her badly healed leg.  These are just a few of the treasured lives we’ve been blessed to help in the first few days of November.

And none of this could have happened without you.

We will presently update you about our transport to Colorado. We just want you to know how much we appreciate and value your support. We were able to take 8 kittens and 89 dogs and puppies to find their forever guardians. The 5 puppies we recently pulled from beneath a home (their mother had been killed the day before), and the 6 neglected puppies we gathered from beneath a trailer were all on board and are doing well!

To support our work please click here.

This week BJ Martin joined our staff at Hope Animal Sanctuary.  BJ is a vet tech with 15 years experience who has worked with a wide variety of species, including emus.  She will be an invaluable asset to our team. She’s already proven her worth. On Thursday, BJ, Sarah, and I dedicated our day to caring for our animals and then set out for Macon, Mississippi, to Heartworm Test 33 of approximately 100 dogs needing medical care and guardianship. We didn’t arrive until 10:30 p.m. and didn’t wrap up until after midnight, finally returning at 2:30 a.m. With cases involving so many animals, every opportunity to provide help must be seized. We brought Ella, who is among the 145 dogs when the rescue began, home as her male companions were sparring over her.

Doll Stanley with Ella

I’ve been in contact with “Animal Planet’s” hoarding program over a period of months believing it would be aiding in the Macon case. After the production department passed and rescheduled several interviews I was told the case wasn’t chosen because family members weren’t in conflict over the issues related to the case. What a shame.

But thanks to local activists and members of at least one grassroots group, an effort to help the animals was launched. The activists began documenting the dogs, Dr. Bushby (Mississippi State University Marcia Lane Endowed Professor of Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare Department of Clinical Sciences) and his student surgery team provided 22 surgeries, Friday the 15^th, (we were there to aid with pre- & post-surgery needs), Homeward Bound (the group founded by MSU veterinary students) arranged for the transport of some of the dogs, and we will be taking some of the dogs to Colorado on our next transport. There’s much more to be done, but it will have to be in steps if every option to place the dogs will be accomplished.

The six pups Lisa and I removed from beneath the trailer of a local man are faring well as are the seven adults we wrenched from him.  Apathy, drink, and ignorance have contributed to his years of neglect of animals. This time we will put an end to his contribution to suffering.

Bonnie & Breezle

Two wonderful young women raced three pups to us whom they found bound in a shirt on an unpaved county road. Sadly one of the pups passed the next morning, but his sisters, Beezle and Bonnie, who are absolutely adorable, are thriving.

Friday I had a zillion things to do that just couldn’t be put off, including heading to Starkville, Mississippi, for this year’s Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue class at MSU. It’s a given that the more we have to do the more certain priorities will change with the next phone call. Sure enough, a local Duck Hill police officer called to ask for assistance for the pups of a mother dog who was killed on the road in front of the house she’d chosen for her den.

The elder couple that owned the house volunteered their grandson to assist with rescuing the pups, who were huddled beneath the center of the house against the center junctions of the wooden foundation.  As the house was so low and the pups were so far in, even the slender frame of a young man couldn’t fit beyond a few feet of the outside wall. We bound my pole net and a segment of wooden molding and the young man went to work. He was exhausted after retrieving the first two pups. The police officer’s family had come for the vigil and his smaller son took up the effort. All five of the babies came out safely and in good condition. They are now flourishing.

On my way back from the rescue class this evening I rendezvoused with a man who rescued a dog from a rest stop in our region. The dog may have been abandoned, or he wandered there in search of food. Either way, he has endured deprivation, is very thin, and appears to have suffered injuries from a brush with a vehicle. We’ll have him checked out tomorrow.

Last Sunday, Glory went to her new home. A family that pampers their horses and has multiple pastures in which to do so has adopted our beautiful and good-natured mare. We couldn’t be happier.  Glory was emaciated when we rescued her from a barren parcel unfit for pasture. Her companions had died and she would have, too.  We are so grateful for our sanctuary and the support of friends who partner with us to carry out the hope we promise the animals with whom we are entrusted.

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One of the neglected dogs being rescued.

On Wednesday, June 29th, HAS volunteer Sarah Thomas, a vet tech, wildlife rehabilitator, and activist, and I set out to locate three horses in Grenada County, Miss., reported to be starving.  On our way, I got a call from my buddy Kevin Hodges, an animal control officer, water-meter reader, and part-time law enforcer for Charleston, Miss., only an hour from us, asking for help with six dogs also reported to be starving. Kevin knows he can count on our support and guardianship of animals we seize.

We located the first property where the horses were, but a privacy fence prevented “plain view” and an uncooperative sheriff meant the groundwork would have to be laid before there would be intervention.  I called Kevin to tell him that we were on our way to meet him. At 704 East Chestnut Street, Charleston resident Sherri White showed us six chained and horribly neglected dogs.  She claimed two to be hers and four to be those of her boyfriend’s relative.
After a visit to the police department, we prepared a seizure order, and crossed the street for Municipal Court Judge Steve Ross to sign. We returned, warrant in hand, and documented the heart-wrenching plight of the dogs and removed them. White protested the taking of her dogs and informed us the other “owner” refused to come when she called him. The chief and a fellow officer arrived to insure a smooth operation.

We immediately took off for Veterinary Associates, HAS’s vet clinic, to settle the dogs in and supervise as they dove into the nourishment they’d long been denied. White had stated she fed her dogs, but only fed the others if she had extra food. One of her dogs was as emaciated as the boyfriend’s relative’s dog to whom she was chained.  I listened in amazement as she told us she wouldn’t interfere when the other dog jumped her dog and would bite going for the morsel of food she gave her own dog.

The extraordinary density and inhumanity of seemingly conscious people is beyond my grasp. The gross neglect of the dogs has been recorded, they’ve been secured in a private kennel, and I’ll be filing criminal affidavits after meeting with the city attorney. Why can’t all community leaders have it so together like Charleston’s?

The plight of horses is worsening. Some blame the economy; others say banning horse slaughter in the U.S. meant “owners” who couldn’t sell their horses let them starve. I say it’s both selfishness and ignorance. Horses are being overbred just like other companion animals. Those who think they can make a buck breed and then find out there are no buyers, at least at the prices they want, and they don’t want to feed what they can’t make money off of and certainly don’t want to give away what they might someday sell. The glut of horses means you can buy a horse for $50, or get one from someone who wants to “unload.”  It’s cool to have a horse and to tell folks you have a horse. Horses are like “trophy brides”: they express status, and, of course, there are some who actually think they’ll ride. The question is how many of these people are caught up in a whim with no thought of how to actually care for horses.

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Thanks to Mississippi State University’s (MSU) student surgery team, Hope Animal Sanctuary was able to spay/neuter 4 cats and 27 dogs this week.  Deedra and Bryce Booker brought the dogs they’re fostering for us , Cindy Shaw brought the dogs Debbie Young is caring for, Arlin Arco brought the Winona Animal Shelter dogs we could fit on the list and there were 6 others, besides a few at the sanctuary.  It’s fantastic when so many people pitch in on surgery day.  Mike Martin came up just to help.  It was a long drive for him.  He and Lisa are devoted and appreciated volunteers.

Phoenicia and her pups were spayed yesterday.  They were abandoned in Montgomery County, Mississippi.  Little Bit too was found abandoned on the road.  Ronnie and Raymond were discovered with their 4 sisters on HWY 82.  The wonderful thing is the people who found them were willing to bring them in to IDA’s Hope Animal Sanctuary. IDA has done what we came to Mississippi to do – set up an oasis of hope for animals in one of the poorest states in the country.

My friend Theresa alerted me to a Wyatte, Miss. case of a 86 year-old man who lives in a gutted school bus.  John is a squatter who’s really fortunate that the man who owns the property feels compassion for him.  Theresa helps him and has helped the hoard of dogs he kept.  You may remember we took 19 pups our first 2 visits.  Sadly many of the pups suffered from distemper and didn’t make it.

Monday evening Theresa brought John’s remaining 3 female adults to be spayed. I was absolutely heartsick to think they would go back. They were covered in ticks and their feces was disgusting and parasite ridden.  We made a deal Theresa could take Daisy back but she would see that she gets all the preventive medicines she needs. Daisy is fond of John and sleeps with him in the school bus.

I was relieved that we would keep Iris and Rosie and Theresa would insure that Daisy was cared for. That was a deal I could live with. Iris and Rosie loved sleeping in with the sanctuary’s other dogs last night. They think this new life is pretty cool.

A huge thanks to MSU’s Dr. Busby and his team.  Without their help we wouldn’t be able to help all the animals we rescue and care for.

Please click here to donate directly to Hope Animal Sanctuary. The “double your donation” offer is still good – a very generous IDA supporter will match any donation you make through this link.

(See Part Two from yesterday for introduction to the folks mentioned below!)

Early Monday morning we began loading the animals for transport to our adoption partners. Arlin and Mr. Weed, a member of Winona Animal Advocacy Group (WAAG), brought their dogs, Mike came back with the dogs they fostered and helped load and check supplies for the journey. Deedra and Brice, her son, arrived with their fosters and others followed. We rearranged some crates, added 2 large crates and we were ready to head for Vet. Assoc. We had 4 dogs waiting for us there and Deedra’s friend, Patricia and her darling daughter, Griffe, were waiting with the pups they fostered.

Weather has been a huge issue this winter. We’ve had 6 snows here. Keep this in mind.

We were well into Oklahoma when we needed to stop. We spotted a large dog in the parking lot, emaciated and looking for food. She’d had many pups but wasn’t nursing. We set out to help her. She clearly wanted help, but just wasn’t sure of our reaching hands. I ran back to get a leash while Sarah kept up with her. It took about an hour, but we had Esmeralda safely on board. What a dog. She was soooo sweet and easy-going. She joined our little group we allowed to bed down between the seats. Elizabeth was our baby for several years. Cupcake is so well behaved and doesn’t like being crated. Their pleasure and calm demeanor actually help us make the grueling 24 hour trip.

There’s a reason I mentioned the weather. Before we left Oklahoma, the storm due in the next day was on us. We were equipped with backup heat and supplies should we have to stop, but surgeries were scheduled at Every Creature Counts (ECC) and holding over with the dogs in crates wasn’t ideal. We pressed on. Snow from Oklahoma to Ft. Lupton. You don’t know what white knuckles are until you’ve seen mine baring down on the wheel and using my years of experience to keep us safe.  I drove a box truck for 11 years when I was a teamster. I’m more at home in a truck than a car. There were few souls on the interstates, mostly UPS and Fed Ex.

When we arrived, the back door to ECC never looked so good. There are times when reason and determination forge events that faint hearts would shy from, some folks would question the wisdom of, and only those participating can truly say it was the right move. Our friends and our determination, and your donations to In Defense of Animals (IDA), made this trip possible. WAAG members, ECC, and friends donated the cost of the transport and preparation. IDA’s Eric Phelps and Matt Rossell organized and participated in a 100 mile bike ride that raised money that built us a stable for our blind and aged horses, their new feeder, and this transport. Funds not spent will carry our next transport. Thanks to everyone who helped. By the way, the dog who was banned from San Mateo, California for “herding joggers” has been adopted by Deedra and Kirk.