Horse Slaughter...Can it Be Stopped?

Recently there has been a lot of press regarding the currant administration re-opening or allowing Horse Slaughter to be once again operational in the US. And with this comes the controversy if it should be allowed at all. Despite if the US has slaughter houses, it is still going to happen. It IS happening. Daily horses are loaded into trucks and take long miserable trips to the border North in Canada and South in Mexico.

What about California? Most Californians are unaware that there is a law against horses being sold for slaughter. As most Californians are unaware that horses even go to slaughter.

California Penal Code Section 598c

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, it is unlawful for any person to possess, to import into or export from the state, or to sell, buy, give away, hold, or accept any horse with the intent of killing, or having another kill, that horse, if that person knows or should have known that any part of that horse will be used for human consumption. (b) For purposes of this section, "horse" means any equine, including any horse, pony, burro, or mule. (c) Violation of this section is a felony punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or two or three years. (d) It is not the intent of this section to affect any commonly accepted commercial, noncommercial, recreational, or sporting activity that relates to horses. (e) It is not the intent of this section to affect any existing law that relates to horse taxation or zoning.

But horses do go to slaughter in California, daily.They are not sent to slaughter houses in  California, or the United States. Most are transported to Mexico, others are shipped to Canada.

So if it is illegal, why isn't it enforced? And who is suppose to enforce it?

Sections 20438 /23043 (a) of the California Food and Agricultural Code give all peace officers the authority to stop any vehicle hauling cattle or horses for the purpose of making an investigation.

Now here's something that doesn't make sense.

Documents Required for Transportation (According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture):Horses, Mules, Burros, No documents required at this time unless destined for slaughter.

HUH? The last three words, "destined for slaughter". Now wait a minute CDFA, doesn't this go against the Penal Code? It's very confusing. And that is why the Killer Buyers and Transporters get away with it!

So, no, its not enforced. And horses are transported from this state to Canada and Mexico. However it is very difficult to catch them and even prove that is their destination. There are hundreds of "Feed Lots" where doomed horses are stored until transported. They are pretty well kept secrets and blend well into the many agricultural communities in California.

Some Horse Rescue groups know who the Killer Buyers are and do rescue horses from them. The rescues won't revel who they are or where their "lots" are for fear that they will break the very thin trust between them. If this is broken the Killer Buyers will just move their operation somewhere else or refuse to sell horses to rescues at any price and the rescue wont be able to save horses from them. Other rescues go to the same auctions that the Killer Buyer frequent and try to outbid them to save horses from being loaded onto the Buyers trucks. Horses at auction are sold "cents by pound", just like cattle.

Killer Buyers also do prey on unsuspecting private sellers. Often people who, due to the economy are forced to sell or give away their beloved horses. Crafty Killer Buyers have been known to bring their kids and spouses as a ruse that the horse is going to a good family home. Or a "married" couple show up to buy a horse or horses. Killer buyers are reaping from this poor economy and high hay prices that are forcing owners to sell healthy horses or give them away. How do we stop them? How are we suppose to enforce the law when we don't have proof or they have covered their bases. Kill buyers are a sleazy bunch but they stick together and cover for each other.

As for the Slaughter itself. I will NOT go into details, you can look it up on the Internet yourself. I will say that the horses that go North are treated only slightly more humane than the ones going South. Slaughter houses in the South would make Horror Slasher Movies look like Mary Poppins.

The other side of the debate is, if there are no slaughter houses, and lets say that the demand for horse meat in other countries was to miraculously disappear (it is illegal in the United Stated to purchase and consume horse meat), then what do we do with the surplus of horses? Rescues and shelters are full of unwanted horses. The cost of feeding, medical and even humane euthanasia and disposal at at an all time high. In this area is costs approximately $100.-$200. for a vet to come out examine a horse, determine that it needs to be euthanized and humanely euthanize it by lethal injection. Then it costs another $200.-$300. to have it picked up and disposed of properly. If people don't have the money to feed their horses or provide vet care how are they going to afford euthanasia and disposal? I'm not saying slaughter is the answer, but this is where the debate is.

What about population control? Stop over breeding?

There is are certain demographics that are over breeding and indiscriminately breeding. We can't keep up with them. They move, hide, cross boarders, and leave a path of destruction in their wake. Many cannot be influenced because it in "their culture". Others just don't care, if the horse isn't making them money or stopped making them money, such as Race Horses, they are discarded to whoever will take them. Most often the Killer Buyers. I personally try to educate and enforce as much as I can but there are so many of them and not enough of us. Plus the politics and laws that tie our hands to be able to act more quickly. Many times I have been between outrage and defeat when I work so hard to get a case built only to have it dropped or dead-ended. It's not going to stop me from doing my job to the best of my ability, but I am one of few. It just doesn't seem to be as important to higher up the chain (even beyond our agency) as it is to some of us.

As I said before the rescue do what they can to try to take in as many unwanted horses as they can. But from what I see for every one rescue that opens one or even two close down. Ive also investigated rescues that are just down right scary. Well meaning people who quickly get in over their heads and instead of being part of the solution they become part of the problem.

So what is to be done? How do we stop the slaughter pipeline? How do we enforce the laws?

With the supply and demand there are no easy answers.

Pitbulls...This ACO's Perspective

Pit bulls get a lot of press. Some good but mostly bad. Are they really the evil dogs that they are perceived to be? This ACO thinks not.

One of the many questions that I get asked as an ACO is, "Aren't you afraid of pit bulls?" First of all, if any dog really scared me I wouldn't be doing this job. To me that is such a silly question. You want to know what dog actually makes me grit my teeth? Pomeranians! Yes, those cute fluffy little buggers are evil! At least 90% of the ones I have come across. A very close second is the Chihuahua. These little dogs are like land piranhas! You can't catch the ones that are loose and running, and the aggressive ones are out to get you with their sharp tiny little teeth and little dog complex. To me these little dogs are a nightmare. I would rather take on two aggressive pit bulls over trying to catch one of these little buggers.

But I'm getting a little off track here.

No, I'm not afraid of pit bulls, or any of the bully breeds. As a matter of fact, most of the pitties I pick up are some of the goofiest dogs. Including the "aggressive" ones. Almost all of the "aggressive dog" calls we get are reported as being pit bulls. About one quarter of these calls turn out to be breeds other than any bully breed, one quarter are actually aggressive pit bulls or some bully breed, and the remaining half are non-aggressive pit bulls or bully breeds. These pitties are friendly, silly, affectionate attention hogs. I've gone out on calls that the cops are hiding behind their car doors, have weapons ready, or won't even get out of the car. I call "puppy puppy puppy!" and pat my leg and they come wiggle wagging over and readily accept my little blue leash around their necks. A few have come charging towards me but their body language shows me it's not aggressive, and by the time they get to me they are wiggle wagging.

Of the aggressive pit bulls, I would have to say in their defense, most are terrified and this is their only way of defending themselves. Think of it this way, he's basically saying to himself, " I'm scared but I'm not gonna show them that! I will be pretend to be strong so they won't know I'm scared and they will leave me alone!" Then we have the few that are just bad dogs. It is debatable if they are "made" this way by people, or they are just not right in the head. And it's these dogs that get all the press. I know people will argue that all pit bulls are like this, but it's just not true. I see many many MANY pit bulls daily and honestly, the majority of them are good dogs.

But why do we see so many pit bulls? Why are there so many in the shelters? And why do we hear so many news stories about them? It's a matter of population. What many people don't understand is that most dogs have an average of 3-6 puppies in a litter. A few breeds have slightly more. But pit bulls and Labradors have average litters of 10-15 puppies per litter. So if Joe-Shmoe has a intact (unaltered/unfixed) male pit bull and lets say two female pit bulls. Female dogs typically go into heat every 5-6 months and often females who live together will be on the same heat cycle or relatively close. Joe's dogs could be producing up to 20-30 puppies ever 5-6 months. And Joe thinks that he is going to make tons of money producing all these puppies to sell to all the Mr.Toughguys and little Thugs. He's not. Joe's going to get stuck caring for more puppies than he can sell and that is a burden. It also proves to hit him in the wallet. So puppies go unvaccinated, and Joe dumps the remaining ones he can't sell at a shelter or gives them away to anyone who will take them.

Pit bull puppies, like all puppies are adorable! Mr. Toughguy get one or two for himself and his girlfriend. Girlfriend oooh and awww at her new "baby". Until it gets to be about 4 months old and is chewing her Ghettorific designer shoes and anything else it can get it's teeth on. And it keeps pottying in the house! So her "baby" get the boot outside. Oh they occasionally play with him, but that gets fewer and further between. They have lives to live and things to do and well puppy is just so hyper and jumps all over them, starved for attention and interaction. Play time gets less and less, until finally the only time puppy sees them is when they throw him his food.

By now puppy, who has never been to a vet and still has all his male parts is becoming a young testosterone building Male Dog. He's stuck in his backyard, but he smells things and hears things on the outside. In his boredom he has tore up just about everything he can in the backyard, now he's working on the fence boards.

By the way, pit bulls are intelligent dogs. And being stuck in a yard for months and months with nothing to do will make any dog nuts! Imagine being locked in a room for months with nothing to do.

Now Male Dog is about 8 months to 12 months old. He's bored, he's lonely and he hears and smells so much on the outside world. He finally breaks free of his prison and is FREE FREE FREE!!! He can run with wild abandonment! He sees cats for the first time other that on the top of the fence looking down on him. The chase is on. Or he sees people, big or little he doesn't care and in his excitement he is perceived as being aggressive. Someone calls the cops or animal control. Aggressive pit bull chasing cats and trying to attack people.

He ends up at the shelter.

This is the story a thousand times over all over the country.

Female Dog has it no better. Little Thugs think they are gonna make some money themselves by breeding their girl dog. As soon as she is 6 months, still a baby herself, they find the biggest baddest Male Dog to breed her. They are going to make Bad Puppies and Mad Money. Of coarse when Baby Girl produces her 10-12 puppies all their thuggy friends buy them up. So wow they made some money. Six months later they do it again, but now everyone they know already has dogs so they are harder to sell, and some of their thuggy friends are breeding their 6 month old baby girls.

Baby Girl by 2 years old has produced 4 litters of 10-15 puppies. She's thin, tired and used up. If she doesn't escape her life of mass production, she is dumped somewhere.

Trying to do the math on this will make your head explode.

I'm not making this up.  This is what I see every day. Shelter workers all over see this every day. And these are just three examples of many of how pit bulls end up at the shelter.

The typical age of a pit bull at the shelter is from 6 months to 2 years old. Most hit by car dogs are intact males. I don't need to look up statistics. I get a up close personal view every day.

The most truly aggressive pit bulls that I have come across have been taught to be that way by their owners. Encouraged to be aggressive to other animals. Their owners think it's funny to make people jump by "pretending" to sic their dog on them. The dog doesn't know any better he just wants to please his owner and thinks that this is acceptable behavior.  The other truly aggressive ones are not right in the head, bad breeding perhaps. A intact male or female puppy that reaches maturity and is still around intact mom or dad can do bad genetic things. And if there is two or more of these young bored pit bulls, yes you are going to have that deep recessed "pack" mentality surface. And that definitely will be on the news.

There is some good news. Many pitbulls and bully breeds are adopted out of shelters and from rescues. In our area there are no breed restrictions, and pitties are just like every other dog.  Almost all of them go on to lead wonderful adventure filled lives with loving families that they are actually a part of.

The bad news is, we still cannot keep up with the Joe-Shmoes, Mr. Toughguys, Girlfriends and little Thugs. Until we do, there will always be Bad News For Pitbulls.

Want to learn more about Pitbulls, Bully Breeds and ways to help them?

Please check out this wonderful Pitbull Rescue and Advocacy in our Area http://www.chako.org/

And please, come visit some of the wonderful Pitties in our shelter, www.saccountyshelter.net  or your local shelter.

Maybe YOU can be thier happy ending?

A Little Thing Called A Microchip

With all the technological advances in the past decade along came a little thing in the pet world called the Microchip or "chip". This little device is only about the size of a grain of rice, yet it could mean the difference between having your lost pet returned safely to your home or never seeing you pet again.

Despite what rumors and myths say about a microchip, it cannot "track" your pet. It does not have GPS or any type of remote locating/tracking system. It does not send out radio waves, signals or frequencies to remote locations.  And, no, it doesn't store you or your pets personal information. So your identity cannot be stolen from it. Nor can your information be changed on the chip itself. The only information that is on the chip is an individual single code or number. The only way to get that number is by scanning it with a special hand held scanning device or "scanner". These devices are very expensive and not readily available to the general public. However just about every Veterinary hospital and shelter has them. The scanner has to be waved over the pet less than an inch from the body in order for the scanner to "read" the number stored on the chip. Once the chip number comes up onto the scanner, the person has to copy down the number, then the search begins.

Chips are harmless to the pet once they are properly inserted. How they are inserted depends on the brand, but most come installed in a sterile needle and inserted under the skin in between the shoulder blades of the pet. This is done quickly and relatively painlessly, depending on the animal. Just like people, some animals are more sensitive than others. Chips can be tricky little buggers and on occasion will "travel" to another location under the skin. that is why when we scan an animal we do a full body sweep to try to locate a chip. Usually when they travel it has moves to the side of the shoulder or down the back a little ways. This doesn't hurt the animal. Aside from the initial insertion, the chip has not been known to cause any pain. The chip also cannot be felt except by some dogs or cats with thin skin and very little body fat. Chips also cannot be easily removed. A Veterinarian would have to do the procedure as a surgery and I don't know of any who would unless it was endangering the animal's life.

So how does the microchip work in returning a pet to it's owner? In the field, we usually have scanners on our trucks. So we can scan animals at the time we pick them up. Once we get the number we call the microchip company. This is where we have our fingers crossed. Is the chip registered and is the owner information current. This is the biggest problem we have with chips. The owners get the animal microchip but fail to register thier information with the company or verify that thier information is current. Or they have moved or changed thier number, failing to update the information. If this happens we are at a dead end. The animal will be impounded.

Now if the chip information is correct we will try to make contact with you by phone first. And if your address is close to the found location we will try to return your dog to your house. If the pet cannot be returned to the owner in the field, we will leave a notice or a phone message telling you where your pet can be located.

If you find a pet, you can take it to a Veterinary hospital or shelter and have the pet scanned. The vet hospital can call the chip company and obtain the owner information. They then will also call the owner and try to get the pet back home. The goal is to return the pet to it's owner.

Microchips are available through your vet, through various mobile clinics and at all animal shelters. Animal Shelters are actually required to microchip any pet that is adopted from them.

When you get your pet microchipped, make sure you understand about registering your pet. Often times people automatically assume that the registration is done for them at the time of the microchipping. This is not always the case and this often leads those of us trying to locate owners to deadends.

If your pet is microchipped please make sure that the information is correctly registered with the microchip company. If your unsure what company handles your pet's registration, or you don't have the registration information any long let alone know your pet's chip number, you can visit your vet or local shelter for a quick scan. They can let you know what company your pet's chip is registered to. You can find most of the companies online and often you can update your information online.

Recently a cat was returned to it's owner, after being missing 8 years! Another story was a local dog was brought to a shelter two states away and re-united with it's owner. Microchips work, especially if they always have current information.  

Just a few of the Microchip Companies and registries: 

Homeagain: http://public.homeagain.com/

24petwatch: http://www.24petwatch.com/

Avid: http://www.avidid.com/

Petlink: http://www.petlink.net/us/cms.spring?path=/welcome.html

Freepetchip:http://freepetchipregistry.com/ (this is a new FREE chip registry)

Things Arn't Always What They Seem

Last night I received a call that was reported as an injured cat attacked by neighbors pit bulls. The dispatcher relayed that the stray cat was still in the CPs (Calling Party) backyard, injured and unable to move.

So I get there and and make contact with the CP. As we walk through her house she tells me that the attack was so horrible that she got video of it on her phone.Out on her patio I ask her where the dogs live. She points out the next door neighbor's yard. Then I ask her to show me where the cat is. I'm scanning the lawn and bottom of the fence expecting to find a mauled cat laying there. The CP points up to the corner where her other neighbors yards and hers all meet. My flashlight highlights a pair of glowing eyes. I have a catch pole and a transfer cage ready. The cat let me get right up to the fence and set my cage down, open it and get my pole ready.  I do see the blood all over his chest, but otherwise he appeared unharmed. Curious. With my flashlight between my teeth I slowly get the loop around him and pull the pole wire tight. As expected he explodes, thrashing snarling and growling. I realize now how much he weighs! A good 20 plus pounds of angry cat on the end of my aluminum pole.I manage to make it look easy lifting him and quite literally stuffing him into my little cage. He's definitely a good 20+ brown tabby more closely resembling a tiny cougar. And he's letting me know he is NOT happy with me, sounding more like a full size cougar and wanting to nail me through the wire. We walk back into the house where I can get a better look at him in the light. I get a closer look at his "injuries". He has none. Well except a scrap on his nose from fighting me trying to get him in the cage. The blood on his chest isn't coming from him, it's only on the tips of his chest, his whiskers and his paws. The CP is relieved that he isn't hurt.

I asked the CP, what actually happened. Well she has video. Turns out this little beast was teasing and attacking the two pit bulls next door from the top of the fence. The video shows his big fuzzy cat-butt hanging on the CP's side of the fence. He's got at least one back foot firmly on the horizontal fence board on the CP's side of the fence.His other back foot is propped against the fence for balance and control, his body draped over the top of the fence and his front half leaning over into the dog's side of the fence. You can hear the dogs TRYING to get him. And you can hear them yelp and scream when he IS getting them. And the most devilish thing is you can tell by his swishing tail he is ENJOYING himself! The video was at least 2-3 minutes long. The CP said it actually went on for longer but she was sure that he was going to fall and get torn to shreds by the dogs. But that didn't happen.

I told her she should post the video to YouTube, I hope she does.
 The CP didn't want me to take him. Being a large healthy well fed cat, he does have the looks to belong to someone. She didn't want any of her neighbors to be upset that she had her cat taken away. and she, like everyone else assumes, was afraid he would be euthanized. So she had me let him go in her front yard. I was thinking he would bolt out of there like his tail was on fire. Nope. He slunk over to the base of her tree and in 3 swift leaps was up in the branches. I looked at the CP, regretting letting him go. And she had a similar look. We kind of chuckled about it and look back at the cat who is now perched up on a branch giving us the dagger stare. I mumble something about setting a trap if he isn't gone by morning. The CP smiled nervously and said it would be fine. Meanwhile creepy cat is eyeballing us the whole time. I pick up my now empty cage and take it and my catch pole back to my truck. The CP went back into her house.

I gave one last look back up at the tree as I was about to get into my truck. The beast had now moved to the branch just above my truck and was staring down at me. (See picture at top). Creepy.

Love Knows No Time

~ BEAR~
EOW 02/02/12

For anyone who has ever had the pleasure of having an animal touch their heart knows that love can be instantaneous, that love doesn't know time. And every now and then one will have a connection to your soul. Bear touched my soul.
Bear's life started out difficult. Then at One year old he found himself in the Shelter. Suffering from a skin condition and very depressed. I took him home as a Foster dog. After spending time putting weight on him and getting his skin cleared up and his hair grown back he stayed with us, adopted.
Bear, even though he was afraid of many parts of the shelter, still came to work with me on many occasions. My partner. Keeping my truck cab safe and keeping me company of late night calls. His favorite thing was to stretch out across the seat and sleep. Or leave his slobbery prints of the windows. He loved to play with his best friend Chuck, 467's shelter dog. He looked so forward to romping with Chuck in the officer area of the shelter. He loved going to work.
Bear got to go to Bear Camp 2011. I don't think he had ever experience being in the mountains and forests before this.
At home Bear was the devoted Uncle Bear, guardian and protector of puppies. He twice protected the puppies from harms way when he saved them from being trampled by a horse and another time with a strange dog got into the yard where the puppies were playing. Bear was ever vigilant with "his" adopted puppies. He was frequently the bottom of the puppy pile, allowing them to do whatever they want to him.
Bear lived with his adopted sisters, Hera and Milly. The girls were often bossy, but he blew them off with his good-natured goofiness. He was well spoiled by us humans in the house. He would sleep in his crate at first, but preferred to sleep on the couch, with "his" pillow. If someone was sitting on his pillow he would sit as close as possible to them until they finally moved and he could get to his pillow.
Bear could act spoiled, precocious, fearsome and hilarious. No matter what he did or how he acted, I adored him.
Bear began limping, minor at first. Then a little more. He became uncomfortable, and depressed and then the leg suddenly swelled up. Trip to the vet. No know cause. Anti-inflammatory and antibiotic and xrays. After couple days and the swelling was gone. He seemed to be more comfortable and moving around a little more. Then he started vomiting. I took him off the meds and he continued to decline. Anti-vomiting meds started. He seemed to feel better again. Then the diarrhea started.Tests for Parvo and Giardia were negative. His symptoms all indicate Hemorrhagic GastroEnteritis (HGE).
Aggressive fluid therapy, strong antibiotics and meds to help relax him and his intestines. He seemed to be getting better. It seemed to be working.
Early this morning I woke up suddenly for no reason. Something was wrong. Bear was crashing. There was nothing I could do. I lay next to him, comforting him, telling him it was alright, that he can stop fighting, to go ahead and let go. And he did.
Bear was not quite 2 years old yet. And He was part of our family less than a year. But what we gave him was a lifetime. We gave him love, we gave him a home and a family. We gave him adventures and a job. He may have not been in our lives for years but we didn't need years to love him and him to love us.
My handsome boy Bear Bear, my Smooshie Face, piece of my soul. Forever you'll be with me.

FERAL! It's not just cats.

My niece, Megan, recently asked me a very good question.

"We all see feral cats all the time.but have you ever come across literal feral dogs? If so how does that happen? That dogs become feral?

　

Yes, there are feral dogs. Here in the United States it's not as common as feral cats and their populations are a lot smaller.  Other countries have huge populations of feral dogs such as Russia, Brazil, India, and Africa to name a few. The populations in these countries are so huge that they are common in urban areas. Not just strays, but generations of unowned half wild animals that have never felt that human touch. Here in the US we also have feral dogs, however they tend to be in more rural areas.We also have government agencies, such as City and County Animal Services, that keep them in check. Loose dogs are one of the most frequent reported incidents to Animal Service Agencies. This helps prevent dogs from getting a chance to become feral.

Cats are harder to regulate than dogs, and they are harder to catch. Dogs also don't breed as prolifically as cats. Dogs only go into heat approx every 5-6 months, and there is a small window of opportunity for a female dog to get pregnant during her heat cycle. A cat goes into heat spring-time to fall and can have back to back litters 6 weeks after giving birth during this whole "season".

Most of the feral dogs are dogs who have managed to survive in typically rural settings. Some dogs start out as being dumped in the country. Others are dogs who have been pets of people in rural areas that leave them to run wild on their property. While the parents may remain domesticated, pups and future generations with no human contact or interaction become wild or feral.  Feral dogs are like coyotes. They are there, but you often don't see them. Their small "family" packs most often live undetected for years, allowing for future generations to be born. Or there is simply complacent on the part or the property or dog owner that they just don't care their dog have gone wild. Feral dogs are also have a higher death rate than feral cats. Dogs are more likely to be shot, hit by vehicles, killed by another animal such as coyotes, poisonous snakes, and other dogs. They are also more susceptible to disease, starvation and poisoning. The family packs are small, usually consisting of a mother dog and her pups, usually of various ages. The pups are the ones that would actually be considered true "feral" dogs.

We have actually had a couple of cases where we have gone out on calls for feral dog problems. One that I heard about was down in our delta. This is a huge rural farming area. On this particular property a worker from years back had left a female dog on the property when he left. The dog survived stealing food from the other pets and most likely killing rabbits and rodents. She became pregnant by owned male dogs in the area.  About 5 of the pups survived the first few months of life. The farm owner called to get the dogs removed. We set a trap and eventually caught the pups after several days. They were wild and scared. But they were young enough that they were able to be put into experienced foster homes and eventually adopted. Unfortunately mom was never caught.

Another case, very similar, also in the delta area. The difference was the pups were older. Much wilder and too fearful to be able to handle let along put into foster safely or adopt out. I think of of the 4 pups from the case only one was found to be calm and became friendly, allowing it to be fostered and adopted. The others had to be humanely euthanized for behavior. I think it was this case that the mother dog had another litter prior to this that were still running other parts of the property feral, the pups we caught were her youngest litter. 

Feral dogs aren't as big a nuisance problem that feral cats can be because of the regulation of dogs. But think of this. If Animal Service agencies were shut down. What would happen then? 

Civic Duty and Justice

Back in June I got that sometimes dreaded letter from the Superior Court that I was being summoned for DUN DUN DUN!!!! Jury Duty! I was scheduled for mid August but that was a bad time because my son was graduating from Army Basic training, so I postponed my service. They gave me a new date and I promptly got the dates mixed up and on the day I was suppose to show up I remembered about halfway through the day. So I quickly called and got a NEW date to show up, October 3rd. Of coarse this was also a bad time, because my Walker Hound was expecting to deliver her puppies that week. Great. Can't postpone again. I was stuck this time.

I arrived at the courthouse and checked in, went through the whole waiting process. Finally got sent to a courtroom. Waited in the hallway with all the other "thrilled-to-be theres" until they started calling us into the courtroom. As I walked in and was directed to sit in the jury box, I noticed the Attorneys and the Defendant watching as we entered. I couldn't help but look at the defendant as I took my seat. My internal warning bell was going off for some reason. I silently questioned myself, did I know him somehow? I couldn't place his face, but there was just something that was giving me the heebie jeebies about him. I tried to ignore it. I had a lot of experience with jury duty and I know we are suppose to be impartial until we hear all the facts of the case. The judge wasn't even in the room yet so we had not been told anything. It was just pure creepiness.

After everyone was seated and accounted for, we rose for the Judge and sat down again. The baliff started bringing forward a box with papers in it. I knew what it was, again, my previous experience. Questionnaires. Great. Only really icky and long trials pass out questionnaires.

The Judge began to explain that we were to take the questionnaires and take 20 minutes to fill them out in the hallway. He then informed us what the case was about. The defendant was accused of Felony Animal Cruelty among other things. I had to bite my lip. Holy hoppin toads! I suddenly knew exactly who the defendant was. It was one of our cases!

Now, I hadn't worked this case, and had never seen or spoken to the defendant. But I knew very intimate details about the case. I knew the "victim". And of coarse I knew the Officers involved. Namely my supervisor. I could hear the groans and gasps around me as the nature of the crime was sinking in to the jurors around me. This was an easy out for me. But most of these folks wouldn't be so lucky, and this was one jury I wouldn't wish on anyone. I raised my hand before be were excused to the hallway. The Judge called on me and I told him my name and that I was an ACO for the county. He looked over my jury form. He asked me if I had knowledge of the case. Yes. Do I know Officer 453? Yes, he is my direct Supervisor. The judge nodded and thanked me for letting him know. I was instructed to speak to no one, especially at work about this case. I was told to turn in my questionnaire and return to the jurors waiting room, I was excused from this jury. He then also excused the rest of the jury pool to go out to the hallway to fill out their questionnaires. I could feel eyes on me, knowing they were thinking what a lucky break I got. I could hear a few people murmuring about how there was no way they could be on this jury. I thought I even hear someone crying. I got on the elevator and headed back down to the juror's room to be reassigned. I knew it was going to take them a long time to actually get a jury on this trial.

We were released to go to lunch. I was bursting to tell someone about what happened, but I knew I couldn't. I did text my dispatcher and told her only that I was excused from my first courtroom because of my status as an ACO. She's a smart cookie and knew exactly what case it was. I didn't violate any order. Didn't tell her anything. But I did tell her that this was going to be blogged for sure!

So the rest of my day went along boring as usual for Jury Duty. I got sent to another courtroom, sat in the box. Then we were instructed that we needed to return tomorrow to this courtroom for jury selection. Blah. That meant another day of jury duty, and on my day off!

The next day I showed up as ordered. I was feeling a little apprehensive though. Milly, my Walker hound had been acting weirder than her normal weird all morning. I had a feeling that this was her day. I texted my son because he would be the first one home and asked him to stay home until I got there just in case. I check with him at lunch time and he was home, nothing happening. But as soon as we had a break, I turned on my phone out in the hallway and the text message blew up.

"SON: MILLYS POOPIN OUT PUPPIES!!!!!"

"Me:Where?"

"SON: On Ashley's Bed!!"

Crap. I called him. Asked him if he could move her out to the kennel room. No, she keeps growling at me. Ok leave her alone. I'll deal with it when I get home. How many? Two..oh wait Three! Gross, I think I'm gonna be sick!!" Yes, this is my 18 year old Army trained son. And this is why it always makes me laugh when people say they want their pet to have a litter so their children can witness the miracle of birth. Bull. First of all dogs and cats don't like to have an audience, they have a knack for picking the worst possible times to give birth, and it is gross.

So now I really don't want to be here. We went back in the courtroom and I was fidgety. The judge in this courtroom was sooooo sloooow. He did finally go around the jury and ask if there was any reason anyone could not stay focused on the case being presented. I raised my hand like a few other people. When he got to me he asked me why. I told him my dog was having puppies. He actually laughed. He asked, "right now?" I answered, " As we speak!" He moved on to a couple more people. I was eventually and shortly thereafter, thanked and excused by the Defense Attorney. The judge also thanked me for my service and wished me well with my puppies. I got all checked out and hurried home.

Milly had five very healthy puppies, 3 boys and 2 girls. And thankfully my daughter had actually made her bed that day, a rare occurrence. I only had to wash her comforter, her sheets and her mattress pad. The mattress itself was unscathed.

Now I bet your wondering about that first trial. It's finally over. That creepy degenerate was convicted of Felony Animal Cruelty. And because he is a habitual meth user AND a Parolee and just a scumbag in general he got a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison!!! That was even more than we were hoping for. And he is ordered to Register as a Sex offender!  It may represent the first time that "Jessica's Law" has been applied in a case involving sexual abuse of an animal. I will save you all the gory details as I'm sure you can already imagine how heinous this case was. I will tell you that the dog is alive, recovering. I won't say he's fine as this was a truly traumatic event for this little guy. And he does show some behavioral issue because of it, and a fear of men. But at least there is some Justice for one little dog.

Letter From the ACO's Spouse

(My wonderful Husband presented me with this letter today and asked if I liked it enough, would I post it to my blog. It's wonderful honey! I love it.)

My Husband writes:
From this blog you have learned what it is like to be an animal control officer and now what it is to live with and love an ACO. We got together before she became 461, her dream job. We both went through the PC 832 course at the same time but at different times of the day. She was working at the Main Jail twelve hours a day and going to 832 classes and somehow dealing with two kids. Sometime later she got hired on as an ACO, and then we moved into a house together. Of course this house had to have a barn and a pasture for horses, she found one but it has no A/C (barn and pasture were more important).
And I learned that ACO's all have at least one pet if not a small Zoo. We have horses, dogs, cat (cats until our 20 year old cat passed on) fish, chickens. I think you get the idea. All in contradiction to the evil dog catcher that hates animals. We had a recent addition to the family, Bear our Foster dog.  Well it seems that I was the last to know that he was staying with us (Those ACO's area a sneaky bunch!) Thanks 450! Bear will be our second shelter dog. Hera was going to be a foster dog but she found a home with 461 and when we moved in together she bonded with me. Then 461 got the hound dog bug from 450 ( thanks again), so we got Milly the Treeing Walker Coonhound. At first she was chewing and peeing in the house then we got her on track. 461 had a Golden Retriever, Shadow. He was an old dog when we first met and he lived about three years beyond the six months the vet gave him. All we required of Shadow was to eat sleep and play ball when he wanted to. Then one day 461 calls me at work, Shadow is down and it is time. I went with her to put him to sleep (she said I was the first to do that) we both had a good cry on the way home.
Now 461 has mentioned about no off switch, boy is that true! I have helped her with a neighbor's horse that was bleeding out (off duty). Responding to a horse stable in the path of a grass fire to move horses to safety (off duty) and once we fostered two kittens (we did not keep them!) because she could not euthanize another kitten that day. I took pictures of our vet stitching up one of our horses after she tore herself up running through a fence during a thunder storm and 461 having been a vet tech assisted. I told her I should have a reserve ACO badge for all the assists I have done.
Like being married to a peace officer, military, fireman, etc. you have to understand them. Many years ago I was a Correctional Officer; I think this is why I understand 461. She works a ten hour shift (if she's lucky) and there are those days she just wants to sit by herself for a while when she gets home. She knows when she is ready I will listen to whatever it was that day that got to her. She knows that I will always listen to the funny, not so funny and sometimes horrible things she encounters. I don't know at times how she and her fellow officers do it. But thank God someone does. I understand why she can't work normal hours or have weekends off and why I sometimes only see her when she is sleeping. And I try not to worry about the threats of violence and death she gets from those oh so caring pet owners.
But on top of it all I am very proud of 461, she is an amazing woman. A while back one of my brothers told me I should not let her be in this job because it was dangerous, I told him yes but she loves it and I would never tell her to stop doing what she loves.
XOXOXO 461.
461's Husband

Can I Go Back On Vacation?

Today was my last day of vacation and first day back to work. I worked  Swing Shift tonight and, ok maybe wishful thinking, thought it would be slow and easy. Not a chance! Every call for the first few hours of my shift was for injured animals! And one of the CC dispatchers was pissing me off. Probably more so because I was tired from driving out of the mountains then starting my shift 2 hours later.

The first call I had was for two aggressive dogs that wouldn't let the CP out of her house. I was patrolling the area looking for the dogs and was waved down by a neighbor. He told me that they had headed to the local park and that the dog owners were looking for them. I checked there and when I couldn't find them I cleared the area. This was on the south side of the county. Then I headed to another south call that was for an injured cat. Couldn't find it or the address, address was wrong. This happens pretty frequently. So then I headed North for the 3 injured dog calls that I had up that way.

I was about half way north when dispatch radioed me about the aggressive dog call again. Now the report was the dogs had attacked another dog and took off, the injured dog was now the one that wouldn't leave her porch. Sorry, I'll have to go back later. I'm almost to my injured dog in a field call when I get an update that one of the dogs has been hit by a car and Sheriff Deputies are on scene. Ok, well I will be on my way as soon as I get this call taken care of.

So I finally get to my call for an injured dog in a field. It actually came in yesterday, so I am expecting it to be gone. Then I can return to the South to deal with that other call. Nope, he's still there. The CP unlocked the gate and we went in. CP told me that he noticed the dog yesterday and he had tried to give it water. He had no idea how long the dog had been there as he had been out of town for work. The dog was an Aussie with a bad attitude amplified by the fact that he couldn't walk or run away. But he had a collar on WITH tags and a license. This is the tricky part. How do you get to a collar with ID on a dog that wants to take a chunk out of you? Well I managed to make friends with him pretty quick after having a little chat with him to show him I wasn't going to hurt him.

I managed to get the collar off and called the phone number, but it just rang and rang. No even a message machine. But there was a license! So I called CC dispatch to get the owner's address.

And of coarse I get my "favorite" dispatcher. I ask her if she can get owner info for a license number. She snarls back, " you KNOW we have SEVERAL priority calls waiting for you!"

"10-4 I'm aware, I'm at one right now."  Have you ever wanted to reach through a phone or radio and just slap the stupid out of someone? So I ask her again if she can check for owner info by license tag.

No answer. So I ask again. "GO Ahead!" She snarls back. I meekly smile at the CP who is standing right there the whole time with a shocked look on his face. So I give her the license number and wait a few moments for her reply. It's taking awhile. So I asked if she copied that number. "I'm PULLING up the screen!" she snaps back. And hear when I though she said go ahead she was ready for the info. So I repeat the number again. Waiting, waiting waiting. Finally she comes back and gives me the dog's license expiration date. Ya thanks don't give a hoot about that right now. Can I please have the owner's phone number and address? Long pause again. FINALLY I get the phone number which is the same as the tag, but I do get the address! Bingo!! It's only a couple miles away. So I get the dog loaded onto the truck. The CP is thanking me for doing what I do. I apologize to him for the length of time that it took for us to get to him. I explained to him that most days we only have one for 2 officers covering the entire county and my shift, the Swing shift there is only one officer. He seemed shocked that I was out working alone. I thanked him for his patience and left.

I stopped around the corner to get the calls that were pending for me. I got the other dispatcher first, one of the nice ones. The my "friend' came on to give me the priority call that she was holding for me.

She gave me the address. After giving me all the info in a rushed tone, which I think she does on purpose so we can't write it down, she ads that this customer is upset that no one had come to get this severely injured dog yet. Ya, well you can cancel that call. I WAS JUST THERE!!! That was that call I was working when she was being a mega witch over the radio. 

I headed over to the dog owner's address. I went to the door hoping that the info was valid. I asked to speak to the owner. The owner is a 89 year old man who is living with his son and family. The son asked if I had found their dog, in what seemed to be a joking tone. Yes, I believe so. SERIOUSLY?? Is he Alive? Yes but he is injured, he's having a hard time walking.The son calls to his dad, and helps him out of the door. The old man looks at me with hope on his face. Did you really find my Moose? Yes Sir I believe so. The son helps his dad to my truck I hand him the collar. He runs it through his hands. This is my Moose's collar! I open the dog box door and the son looks in. Yes that is him!  The dog hearing his masters voices gets very excited and wiggles his way to the door. I open it up and it's obvious that the dog knows his people. He's trying to get out even though he can't seem to get his back legs to cooperate. I helped the son get him out and onto the lawn. The old man touches the dogs face speaking his name softly while rubbing his ears. The son and I watch the re-union. The son then tells me they had almost given up hope, his dad had been heartbroken. The dog has been missing for almost 3 months.

The son carried the dog up to the house and I helped the old man up the driveway. At the door he turned to me with damp cheeks and took my hand. God Bless you for bringing my Moose back home. I could hear the son inside calling to his wife to find the car keys so they can take the dog to the vet. I shook the old man's hand and departed as he went into the house.

A simple $15. dollar license brought a dog back home to his owner after being missing for 3 months. Had the dog not had the license, the owners would have no idea he had been picked up and after 3 months they wouldn't be looking at the shelter anymore. He most likely would have been euth'd due to his condition. Happy Ending!

So onto my next destination, back down South. I called Dispatch to see if Deputies were still on scene.  I'm told that they are, so I give them a 30 minute ETA. That is the best I can do without breaking all kinds of traffic laws.

I think I got there withing 15 minutes. I pull down the street only half expecting the SSD to still be there. Like I said only half expecting. Nope was gone. I noticed a few people in the neighborhood out standing in front of their houses. Then I was the dog. He was sprawled in the gutter, alive in a huge puddle of blood. I pulled right up next to him and jumped out. It was there that I guess the neighbors felt safe enough to come closer. The dog raised his head a little and wagged his tail as I spoke softly to him. I reached down and gently touched his head. I heard some one give me a warning to be careful. I stroked his head and kept talking to him as I assessed his injuries. His guts were spilling out of his belly. I looked up and asked if anyone saw him get hit. One neighbor stepped forward and said he wasn't hit by a car. He looked around at the other neighbors then he said a guy came by and hit him with something then left. I got up and got into my truck and got a blanket and a towel. I gently rolled the dog onto the towel then wrapped him in the blanket. His tail was wagging the whole time. The same neighbor who had spoke up was joined by a lady from a few doors down. She said she was a nurse and asked if there was anything she could do. I shook my head and said I was going to rush him the the vet, but it was definitely not looking good. Another neighbor came forward and said that the dogs owners had just been here and left telling them to not touch the dog they were going to call a vet and come back for the dog. The neighbor who's house was directly in front of of said that this dog and another dog had been running loose and had chased his daughter and their little chihuahua. The other dog did grab his dog, but his dog got away, I asked if his dog was injured. Just lost a little hair on his behind.  Then everyone volunteered info as I am loading this poor dog into my truck. But no one got car license plates or knows who any of these people are who are directly involved. Then I learn that the dogs belong to someone on the street that is 2 blocks down. A major ghetto neighborhood.

So here's what happened. the dogs were running loose after escaping their own neighborhood. They go door to door looking for who knows what. They are pitbulls so immediately everyone is in fear. That was when they first were in the neighborhood. So they ran off and went to the park. That was when I couldn't find them. Apparently the owners where looking for them at this same time. They went back to this neighborhood again. The little girl and Chihuahua where in the front yard and the chihuahua ran out barking at the big dogs. The one chased the chihuahua and girl, taking afew hairs off the chihuahua rump off. This is where things get fuzzy. The second dog was apparently standing on the edge of the street watching his friend chasing the chihuahua when a man walking down the street, came up to the dog and hit him several times. The dog collapsed in the gutter right there and the man continued down the street and disappeared. The sheriff was called and someone else called CHP.

CHP showed up and said there wasn't anything he could do they were too busy and he left. The Sheriff showed up and basically said the same thing, called my dispatch with the Hit By Car call that they called me about. After the Sheriff left the owners showed up. The looked at the dog and told anyone within ear shot that they would be back, they were going to call a vet,  no one better do anything to their dog. Then all three of the people got back in their care and took off. This dog continued to lay in the gutter, no one by his side. And the neighbors were too afraid to get too close. Until I got there.

I stroked the dogs head one last time and spoke softly to him before closing the door. His tail thumping the metal side of the dog box. I knew he wasn't going to make the trip. I wrote up a quick seizure notice that this one neighbor said he would give it to the owners if they show back up. IF. Very doubtful.

I did my very best to get to the Vet as quickly as I could. But I knew he wouldn't make it. He didn't.

I was able to look over his injures. He had been stabbed. on the face, and the side of his belly. No dog deserves that. No matter what this was unexcuseable. But no one saw enough, knew enough, had anything for us to go on. Senseless. Sad Ending.

I try not to go over the what ifs. I just try to counsel myself with the fact that I was the last kind word and gentle touch he felt. He had a last few moments of love, wrapped in warm blankets and safe. HE did not die alone in a gutter.

I need another vacation.

(I just wanted to add that the dispatchers mentioned above are NOT our Animal Control dispatchers. They are county dispatchers that cover Animal Control Nights and Weekends. For the most part the county dispatchers are actually pretty nice to us, there are just one or two that well, don't seem to be exactly thrilled to be doing thier jobs. Our AC dispatchers, especially "LB" are wonderful and part of our animal control family. LB is especailly beloved by us because she is our "Mother Hen" on top of the hundreds of other duties she is charged with.)

RABIES : What you Should Know

When most people think of Rabies, they think of the classic movie "Old Yeller" and the Stephen King horror movie "Cujo", both of which center around dogs that contract the Rabies Virus. Cujo was infected by a bite from a bat, which is a very likely scenario, as Bats are one of the predominant rabies carrier mammals. Old Yeller, was infected by a rabid wolf. Considering the current population of wolves in the United States, this is unlikely. However, both stories have had a profound effect on what people know about Rabies. And that is actually very little.

Just about any mammal can contract the Rabies Virus. Rabies has different strains or variations. The rabies virus targets the central nervous system, working its way up to the brain. Mammals are susceptible to rabies when a rabid animal bites it. The virus thrives in the saliva and enters openings of the body such as wounds and scratches. They eventually die as signs and symptoms of rabies worsen.

Here in our area there are 2 mammals that are known Rabies carriers. The Bat and the Skunk. This doesn't mean that every skunk and every Bat has rabies, it just means that these two mammals have the highest rate of becoming sick with rabies and passing it along to other mammals. Many people are under the misconception that Raccoons are carriers and any sick raccoon has rabies. In the Eastern United Stated this may be true, but here it is not. And actually most of the sick Raccoons found here are sick with Distemper.

Distemper in raccoons is caused by the canine distemper virus. The distemper virus, like Rabies, is fatal. The virus is contagious and spreads easily among animals. A raccoon with distemper will display many signs associated with the rabies virus and it is nearly impossible to tell the difference without viral testing.

Possible Rabies Symptoms:

Daylight exposure. Normally nocturnal animals infected with Rabies are more likely to be seen roaming around in daylight. The animal does not necessarily need to exhibit irritability to tell that it has the virus, especially when it effortlessly exposed itself during daytime. This does not mean that all normally nocturnal animals seen in daylight are rabid. Young skunks and raccoons are often seen during daytime, especially when they are very young.

Behavior. "Mad dog syndrome" is a term referring to an animal's behavior transforming drastically as the symptoms of rabies get worse. Contrary to the term, manifestations of this symptom can be seen in all animals afflicted by rabies. The animal is expected to become irritable as a result of the developing infection in the nervous system. As a consequence of the irritability, it will attack anybody or anything it sees. It will not show any signs of hesitation to bite other animals, humans included. Undesirable sounds or any noise in general will irritate and anger the rabid animal. It will eat and gnaw anything it comes across, as well as inanimate objects such as trees, chairs or bushes for no apparent reason. Be skeptical of a wild animal that seems unnaturally friendly, and having little to no fear of human interaction. Healthy wild animals will flee or hide from humans, or if cornered or trapped fight for survival. Unless they have been conditioned to take food from humans, which in light of our current subject is yet another reason why you DO NOT TO FEED WILD ANIMALS!
Other examples of wild animals acting aggressive will be a parent animal defending it's young,  it's nest, or territory. It should also be noted that a Rabid Animal will not be accompanied by other animals, rabid or not.

Water phobia. Animals infected with Rabies will not drink water. This is important to note especially in Raccoons. Raccoons infected with Distemper with drink water profusely due to the dehydration due to fever, vomiting and diarrhea. This it about the only notable difference between Rabies and Distemper in Raccoons.

Loss of muscle coordination. As the rabies virus works its way to the animal's brain, will start to exhibit uncoordinated muscle movements. Movements such as swaying and stumbles frequently. The animal will seem to be jittery in its movements. At this stage, the animal will produce too much saliva, which will drip profusely as it continuously loses muscle control. This saliva contains the rabies virus that can be transferred to another mammal if bitten. Look for signs of disorientation. Animals that are stumbling around, running into things or seem to be having trouble finding their way around may be infected with rabies. Many also appear to be turning in circles and falling over frequently. Infected animals may show signs of paralysis of some of their limbs, making it difficult for them to move around. It is also about this stage when an infected animal will be especially vocal. Raccoons and foxes especially will whine, chatter, scream and make other odd vocalizations.

Paralysis. As the animal loses muscle coordination, the symptom of paralysis follow. It's at this stage that the virus begins to damage the brain. The muscles in the jaw and the throat are the first to get paralyzed. At this time, the animal will no longer be able to attack anybody. Paralysis will eventually rule over the system of the animal. As the virus continues to destroy the brain of the animal, it will slip into a coma and eventually die.

According to the Center for Disease Control, rabid squirrels are extremely rare. Although any mammal can contract rabies, rodents and rabbits are not considered animals of concern as either carriers or transmitters of the disease. And usually these animals will die from the attack that would cause rabies before they even contract the virus.

While All mammals are susceptible to rabies, opossums rarely get the disease. This is thought to be due to their low body temperature and the rabies virus not being able to survive the opossums body temperature. Opossums are marsupials.

If you or your pet is bitten, scratched or exposed to a wild animal, see your doctor immediately and report to your local Animal Services, Agriculture or Health Department.

Check with your local and state departments to find out what animals in your area are most likely rabies suspect animals  as this can vary in different parts of the country and world.

This is also why it's important for your pets to be vaccinated and re vaccinated for Rabies.


To learn more about how Rabies is Transmitted, the Incubation Period and Symptoms, please refer to the CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/transmission/body.html

Loving Too Much

There are several different TV channels now with shows about Hoarders. My husband is about to ban me from watching the one on the animal channel because i get "crazy" and yell at the TV. What is frustrating to watch, and yes I am aware there is a lot we are not seeing, is the rescuers that come in and coddle many of these hoarders who we KNOW are going to keep on doing what they are doing after the cameras are gone. Sure we see at the end of the show "three weeks later: all is well and happy." Laa Tee Daa...What we don't see is in 6 months when animal control is called back and in 2 years when the situation is the same or worse.
This happens especially in cases where animal control is thwarted from doing their job. None of these people get prosecuted or convicted of animal cruelty. They are allowed to keep many of the animals and get more. Then the cycle starts over again. And Animal Control has to start back at square one. It's frustrating to watch and know, as well as working these types of cases. And the animals? This is the tragic part nobody really knows about. Almost all of the animals taken will need to be humanely euthanized due to health or behavior. The rescues on TV will leave you with that fluffy bunny feeling that they are going to find homes for ALL the animals that they take from the owners. Reality check!

Of the dozens of dogs take from one guy who ALL had severe cases of mange, to the point where they had no hair and severe skin infections, do you really think ALL those dogs are going to get homes? Do you understand the long tern care to get the dogs health enough to be adoptable? Let's say there are 12 dogs taken, maybe 2-4 will be saved. For cats the odds are even worse. But the fluffy bunnies don't want you or the hoarders to know that.

And that is what is so frustrating. They will be able to do it all over again.

There are many types of Hoarders. I had a dog hoarder who had close to 30 dogs. She was a foster home for a Rescue. When I asked her if the rescue knew how many dogs she had, she said yes. They keep giving her dogs. She was aware that she had too many, yet she couldn't make herself say no. She couldn't bring herself to tell the Rescue that they needed to place these dogs. Out of sight out of mind on the Rescues part? I wasn't able to get a hold of the Rescues Director so I didn't know. However, the hoarder seemed almost relieved that someone turned her in. I wrote her a warning notice that gave her 30 days to reduce the number of animals. She would be allowed to keep 4 dogs. I went back 30 days later. All but 4 of the dogs had been returned to the rescue and re-placed in other foster homes. The former-hoarder also got the 4 dogs she kept licensed. She proudly showed me into her home, where she was very embarrassed to allow me in before, she was so proud that it was clean and no longer chaotic. She was also able to move her elderly mother out of a nursing home and into her house now. Before, she couldn't have her mother at her home. Not only because of the dogs but because she couldn't let anyone in the home due to the conditions it would reveal. She thanked me for "busting" her. Now she has a life other than working and caring for dogs. She and her mother are also able to take a vacation out of state. She hasn't taken a vacation in over 7 years. This is one of those few exceptions. This is someone who is aware that they are in trouble, but so overwhelmed that they don't know how to ask for help or are too embarrassed. Or how to say no. This type of Hoarder has probably a 50/50 chance of repeating her hording behavior. And that is as good as it gets.

Another hoarder case that rears it's ugly head every now and then is one where the hoarder is crafty and elusive. This hoarder was first brought to our attention when her house caught fire. This was before my time, that just shows how long this case has been going on. This is a cat hoarder. I don't know what it is about cat hoarders, but they tend to be the most difficult. Well this particular hoarder has her place set up so that no one can see in, except maybe her neighbors who occasionally catch glimpses of the horrors they report to us. This hoarder has a high locked gate that is far from front door. I also suspect that she has cameras. We leave notices regarding complaints and she knows the drill. She is somehow able to move the excess cats to another location before allowing us in to do an inspection. We have found that there are many hoarders like this who have more than one house so they are able to relocate animals temporarily. It's a giant shell game and they are very good at it. To this day we still have not been able to catch her in the act. This hoarder is not only a repeat offender, she never stops.

Another hoarder like the one above has multiple residences, in different jurisdictions. The house we accessed the hoarder wasn't able to get all the cats out. This place was a house of horrors. The garage was filled to the rafters with junk, including cages where animals were being kept. Feces was piled up in the cages. Inside the house was even worse. Furniture, cages and rotting garbage lined narrow pathways throughout the house. The garage door into the kitchen, couldn't be opened more than a few inches due to the debris. Feces covered everything in 2-3 inch layers. The pathways were 4-6 inches of feces. Our Senior Officer actually threw her shoes away after being in this house. Cats still scattered here and there. We had to set traps to catch the remaining cats. The hoarder? She moved to another location, apparently one of three that we were aware of. And she and other person had been living in that filth. Several moths later she did the same thing. She abandoned another residence in another jurisdiction again leaving behind horrid conditions and abandoned cats. this hoarder is much like the previous will be in a few years when it starts to catch up to them. But how many animals have to suffer until they get to the point where they have to stop and are caught.

And there is the cat hoarder who psychologically cannot see the problem. She doesn't smell the acrid feces and urine stench that can be smelled before getting up the driveway to the door. She doesn't see the sick and emaciated cats among the healthy ones that are everywhere. She doesn't see the dead cat that is laying on her coffee table in her cluttered feces ridden living room. Her own children have called Animal Services to help as she has already shut them out. Sometimes in these situations the family has called APS (Adult Protective Services) and APS has called us in. In theses cases all the animals are taken. There is no other choice. And if they do stay in their home and refuse to surrender animals it becomes a babysitting job. They don't have to open their homes to us. And many just don't answer the door. And then the family suddenly refuses to cooperate after feeling guilty for making mom or grandma so upset.

And unfortunately we all are guilty of enabling them sometimes. You can get sucked into it. For the animals sake.

We have a case we are working now. Hoarder "M" is somewhat different from many of the hoarders we deal with. Surprising her tiny apartment is immaculately clean considering she has currently over 30 cats. We have so far been able to have her surrender 44 cats and kittens. She is a very nice elderly woman and is very attached to her cats. All her cats. They ALL have names and all are very friendly. It is very emotional to the point of making her physically ill to surrender any of the cats to us. But she is very cooperative and isn't in denial of the situation. She is aware that she has too many cats and she cannot continue to keep doing what she is doing. She knows she is loving them too much. Issuing her a citation or taking her cats by force, will not help the cats, and will take longer for us to be able to help the healthy animals. And she won't open the door for any of our male officers. We do have to spend a good deal of time working with her. And she is one who is on that tentative tipping scale of as many as she lets us take, she will bring in. She loves them all too much. She even admits that if any of the complex children who she also calls her babies, bring her an animal, she is going to bring it in. This could be a very uphill battle. We are trying to keep the battle field level. Slowing reducing the number to a manageable maintainable level and removing and trying to save as many cats as we can. And trying to not drive her over the emotional edge.  

It's all so complicated. Every case is different so you have no easy step by step to follow.

I had someone, a family member of a hoarder, very frustrated with the whole situation ask why Animals Services can't be doing more by providing mandatory therapy free of cost to these people instead of charging and fining them.Why can't Animal Services impose a lifetime ban on these people for owning more than 1 or 2 pets. This would prevent them from going out and collecting again and again.

This is a huge frustration of mine. We do as much as we can to try to rescue and save the animals. We cannot force people to go to therapy. Even if they are sentenced in court to go to therapy or never to own animals again. They do what they want. And many times they move out of the jurisdiction that they got "busted" in and start all over again. I know for many Animal Service Agencies we are having our budgets slashed, employees laid off, less volunteers, and the case loads don't slow down. Free services (at least here in our county) cost someone something. The money has to come from somewhere and someone has to pay for it. So we "bust" the hoarder, they are cited to appear in court, we take the animals and at the expense of the facility, they are examined by a vet, treated or euth'd, housed, fed and cleaned up after for however long is required. And when you have double to triple digits of animals coming from one case, on top of the hundreds of animals that are already in the shelter as well as the multitudes more that come in daily. Who pays that bill? The hoarder? Not that I have ever seen. Oh, they may receive a bill for services, but they don't pay it. And when they go to court, they are sentenced, to court fines and to never have animals. It is up to them to comply. And if they move, like they frequently do, they are in the wind again until the get caught again. And unfortunately if we don't know where they went we can't give a heads up to the next jurisdiction.

So our hands are tied and we are left with the bill.

I don't fault the TV shows for portraying hoarding. I hope that maybe showing some these situations will help educate people of the unknown, some recognition to the problems and help hoarders families get the help they need.

Anyone who has dealt with Hoarding cases know it's a mental disorder that needs long term care. This is not something we as Animal Service Officers can provide and we can only do so much.

And It's Not Even A Full Moon

Every day is a busy day anymore with staffing levels. So we look at our call sheet when we are heading out to the field to assess what needs to be done the most urgently. I'm looking at my call sheet and see this one call for a pick up of 8 dogs in some one's apartment. That just doesn't seem right. Of coarse what does go through my head is either someone found a litter of puppies OR their dog had a litter and they are trying to get rid of them without paying a fee.
I decided to give the CP a call to find out what was going on. I took note that the address was in a pretty ghetto area, so there were possibilities that the dogs had been abandoned. The CP answered and I told her who I was and asked her if the dogs were a mom and puppies. She said that some of them were. I asked her if there were 8 or was that a typo, she stated that there were actually 13 dogs she had a couple of the neighbor kids count them.
Were they small dogs? Some are.
How did they get into your apartment? I don't know, I took my own dogs out about 4am and they were here when I came back.
Do you have a roommate or someone living in your house that maybe brought them in? No, my daughter is in LA. I just don't know how they could have all gotten up in here! I can't even go in my bedroom because that big shepherd looking one growls at me when I even open the door. They are everywhere! Hiding behind my couch, be hind the TV stand and under the TV stand. They are just every where! There is a mother dog with puppies behind the TV one of the puppies is under it. I can see it's eyes.
I can't even begin to explain all the scenarios gong through my head. I knew I had to see this for myself. I had that inkling that there was something off about this CP. But I could be wrong. This woman was very serious sounding, her speech wasn't slurred, she was very articulate sounding, she didn't stumble over words or give me any indication that she was off her medication or self medicating.
I told her that I would be there in approximately half and hour. She thanked me profusely and told me she has been sitting on her front porch since 4am she is so afraid to go into her apartment.  I assured her that I would be there as soon as I could, barring any emergencies.
Oh, there is one more thing I hope that you can get. There is a baby rattlesnake under the TV stand.
BING BING BING!! The cookoo alarm in my head just when off full tilt.
I asked if she was sure that it was a snake? Isn't one of the puppies under there? How did it get there? Oh I think one of the dogs must have brought it in. Please hurry?
Of coarse, I will be there as soon as possible. I need to make a call to see if another officer will be able to help me with all those dogs, my truck won't hold that many.
So I hang up with her. I would have been speechless had anyone else been with me. This was just too good to not share! So I called 460. She was the South Officer for the day and I was the North.
I gave her the whole story between episodes of laughter. She agreed that two officers were needed for this call. IF there were 13 dogs no way I would be able to handle that load, and OFFICER SAFETY.
She was about as far out as I was, so we would meet there.
We did arrive at about the same time. We both rolled into one of the most ghetto-fied apartment complexes in the area.
There was the CP, sitting on the front porch of her Second Story Apartment. She waved to us as we found our parking spots. 460 and I came together and both exchanged the "look". You know the one where you look over the top of your sunglasses at each other knowing what each other is thinking? Ya, that look.
So we climbed the stairs to meet the CP at the top. First thing I notice is her two little dogs barking furiously at us. Then I notice her eyes. Blood shot, glassy with a hind of yellow tinge. I am half listening to her hush at her dogs and explain where the dogs are hiding in her apartment. The front door is wide open and I can see that both the couch and love seat across the room appear to have been shredded. Stuffing coming out everywhere. I enter her apartment with her and 460 stands by near the door. I begin to search the room using my flashlight to check every crevice and dark places. My first stop is the TV and Stand where the mom dog, puppies and snake are suppose to be. The CP is pointing from across the room Right there! Right behind there!
Nothing.
Nothing behind the TV. Nothing under that TV stand, which by the way is only about 1-2 inches off the ground. I search behind the couches and boxes in corner. Nothing.
The CP is insistent that I check the TV stand again. I stand in front of the TV and ask the CP to show me where she sees the dogs. She insists that there is one starring at her right now, she can see it's beady little eyes. So I get down as far as I can with out laying on the floor and look into the dark 1 1/2 inch high space.
I was using my flash light. Nothing.
I stood back up and told her nothing was there. Where else?
Well, where did they go?They were all in here! I swear I am NOT going crazy!
Uh, Ya you are. Your already passed there lady. Of coarse I didn't say this out loud. But I did look over at 460 and could read her mind as well. And she was thinking the same thing.
We checked the bedroom for the one she insisted way growling at her. Nope.
We checked under her kitchen table and her spare room. Nothing.
We checked behind the washer and dryer, and even showed her that snakes were not poking their little heads out from under her washer.
Back to the living room. She is still insistent that they are behind the TV. So I look behind it again.
She points to the spot next to where I am standing.
If you move the big brown one you'll see the puppies!
Where? I can see the empty space she is staring at.
It's right There!...It's wagging it's tail!
I wave my hand in the empty space. Right here?? :wave wave wave:
It was time for us to end this case. We would be there all day, looking for invisible animals. I still couldn't tell if she was off her meds or ON something. Other than seeing invisible dogs and snakes. She seemed perfectly fine.
He neighbor came out and yelled at her, I told you there wasn't nothing in there!
But she was still convinced. She still insisted that they were there, hiding. I told her that if they came back, what she needs to do is get them all in a box and bring them down to the shelter. We will take them for free!
We got in our trucks and drove out. As we did I called 460 and warned her not to look and roll up her window. CP was on her balcony trying to get our attention. Drive Drive Drive!
We got the heck outta there. We drove just down the street to an empty lot. It wasn't until there we could safely burst out in laughter at the whole situation! Just as we started to discuss whether to call APS County Central calls me on the radio.
They said that the CP from the Call I was just at called back, she said the dogs are back and there are about 10 hiding behind her front door. That must have been where they had been hiding...Uh is there anything we need to know about this CP?
Uh, yes that is affirmative, she's a 5150. No danger to herself or others but if she continues to call in might want to have SSD or APS go out and check on her.
And I got 4 more phone calls from her on my cell, just let it go to voicemail.

I entered my report in that evening being as professional as possible without ad-libbing remarks.
460 simply put in, Assisted 461 with invisible animals.
Priceless!

Hot Dogs and Big Box Stores

Our county has a Zero Tolerance policy against leaving animals in vehicles. It's also against the law in the entire state! Yet every summer we see news reports of some "Dumas" who leaves their dog in the car, and they are "shocked" when the dogs dies and they are arrested for Animal Cruelty.

Just the other day I got a call to the big W store. A dog in the car. It was still fairly early, around 10am, but the outside temperature was already 75 degrees. add 10 degrees that that means the inside of the vehicle is 85-90 and climbing. I wasn't close, within 15 minutes at the least. that's another 15 minutes for the temperature to climb. I did finally get there and met up with the sheriff who also got the call. He had just got done talking to my original call, but also pointed out a jeep that also had a dog in it that he just got a call on. The CP for that one was still on scene. I told the Deputy he could go ahead and 10-8 since I was there. I was talking to the CP who said that she confronted the jeep dog owner as he was going int he store and he blew her off. Told her he was going in the store for 10 minutes. That was five minutes ago. I checked out the dog in the jeep. He was a black lab sitting in the passenger seat. All the windows of the vehicle were rolled down. the dog appeared to be wet. I also saw there was a big bowl of water in the back and the dog wasn't panting or appearing to be in any distress. I stood there a few moments writing down the vehicle info when the owner came out. So apparently he had been in the store for only 10 minutes. Just as he showed up so did the parking lot security. I began to give him the "talk" about the dangers, the law, the fines...etc...I gave him the handouts. He was very cooperative and cordial with me. Apologetic that he was taking up my time. And that he was just returning from swimming his dog at the river and that he just didn't think that a few minutes in the store and his dog being wet would put his dog in danger.

I  was giving him the handouts regarding Hot Dog calls when I saw another vehicle that had just pulled into the space facing the jeep. A little white dog in the car. the female driver got out, slung her purse over her shoulder and clicked her car alarm/door locks. The little dog stood on the seat frantically clawing at the closed window as his owner was headed towards the store. I couldn't believe it. Really? right in front of me your going to leave your dog in the car? I got her attention and asked her to come back. already I could tell that she was  Miss Attitude. The huff and the eye roll.

I pointed at her car with her little fluffy white dog scratching at the window." Are you seriously going to leave your dog in the car right in front of me?"

She gives me this once over look and says " I'm just going in for a minute." There is that little head wagging attitude and another huff like I'm some sort of moron that should know she has important things to do. 

" Ok, you go in the store and I'll seize your dog, or you get back in your car and take your dog home, then you can come shop for as long as you want." 

Well she didn't like either of these options. She started to go off on me, I'm a "f-in' B" and that I have no right to tell her what to do.  Blah blah blah....As she was having her little tantrum I told Mr. jeep driver he could go ahead and go. Miss Attitude was still screaming at me as she got into her car and revved the engine. She said I was a nobody f-n-b and that she wasn't ever gonna shop at W store again! F! U! Slams her door and screeches out of the parking lot onto the main road.

The security guard was standing by patiently this whole time watching the scene. She commented that she wished that they could confront people like that, but they aren't allowed to. And now W store won't even make announcements over the intercom for them. They have to call the Sheriff or Us. I gave her handouts that she could post on vehicles as well. Then she tells me that there is a motor home on the other side of the store with Three dogs locked inside and none of the windows are open.

I think to myself I should just set up an office here. By now the outside temperature has climbed to about 90 degrees.

I follow her over to the motor home. Sure enough 3 little white dogs area sitting on the dashboard of this motor home barking at me like crazy. I walked all around the motor home and didn't see a single window open. The engine wasn't running and I pounded several time to see if anyone was inside. The dogs just barked. I got back in my truck and began to prepare the seizure paperwork when the elderly owner and her granddaughter ran up to the vehicle.

Is there a problem?

Yes, your dogs area locked in a enclosed vehicle.

But the air conditioner is on! She unlocked the door and entered inviting me inside. The interior of the motor home was a comfortable temperature and a small fan circulated the cool air from a rooftop air unit.

Ok. Then I went ahead and explained to her about animals locked in vehicles and that you cannot tell from the outside that there is an AC unit keeping the inside cool even with the vehicle motor off. I went ahead and gave her the handouts and let her off with a warning.

So four different vehicles in one parking lot at approximately the same time with dogs inside. And unfortunately it's not uncommon. I was told recently that one of the MALLS in our area has recently had a high number of shoppers leaving their dogs in cars and going inside the cool air conditioned mall to shop. One dog, a German Shep was recorded on security video trying desperately to get his head through the tiny space left in the window. A big hairy dog in a smallish vehicle, window only down a few inches in full sun on a triple digit day. What are people thinking? that's the problem. They Aren't!

There is NO REASON to take your dog to the store and leave it in the car. IF you cannot take your dog into where ever it is your going LEAVE IT HOME!!! I don't want to hear your lame excuse that your were only in the store for a minute. IF I get there and your still not in your vehicle leaving after the call had gone from the reporting person, to the operator, to the dispatcher, then to me, you have been in the store for more than 10 minutes. If I get there add on another 15 minutes for my travel time. That is 25 to 30 minutes that your dog has been in the car! So don't give me that old lame excuse "I was only in the store for 5-10 minutes."  I'm not the moron, you are.

Check out my blog where I show you in my own actual experiment on MYSELF in a hot vehicle.
http://tailsfromthefield.blogspot.com/2009/06/dogs-in-carsit-only-takes-10-minutes.html