Animal Guardians

An email forward from a friend

2008-08-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Forwarded from a friend, from ted@curing-canine-cancer.com

Subject: Police Brutality - It's NOT 'Just a Dog' and We can't 'Just Get Another One' (The Dog Cancer Ride Across America)

Last night, my assistant Ian showed me a video that made me sickto my stomach...

A boy and girl in Texas, both about college age, desperately rushing to the hospital to save their dog’s life. Their dog, Missy, was choking and couldn’t breathe, and they were driving 100 miles per hour on the freeway to get to the vet in time, when the police pulled them over.And what followed was a perfect example of why I ride to save dogs’ lives.

The driver got out of the car in a frenzy – panicked and screaming, “My dog is dying! My dog is dying! - Please help me, I need to get to the vet!”

But Officer Paul Stephens of the San Marcos, Texas, police department ignored his pleas, and demanded that he pull out his drivers’ license.Next came more begging – and a look of desperation in his eyes – as the driver watched his dog’s life slipping away, forever.And what did this callous, unfeeling, police officer, say to him next? Words that broke my heart wide open… “It’s just a dog,” he said, “you can get another one.”

I literally gasped with horror – not believing what I had just heard. Because you see, that’s the problem... It’s NOT “just a dog…” It’s OUR dog! A member of OUR family…. and a friend worth driving 100 miles per hour on the freeway for, if her life was at stake.A friend worth riding 4,281 miles across country on a bicycle for – if you thought you could help.

Won’t you help us show the Officer Stephens of the world that these dogs are NOT replaceable…That they’re loved and cherished family members.That, unlike him, WE care about dog owners who love their dogs so much they would drive 100 miles per hours to get them to the vet in an emergency. Or sell their only vehicle to pay for their dog’s cancer surgery. Or plead for help from charities like The Magic Bullet Fund, The Marty Miracle Fund and The Dog Cancer Ride Across America – so they can afford the treatments that can save their dog’s life.And that we will NOT stand by and watch them die. Not without a fight! I’ve sent a copy of this letter to Officer Stephens and the San Marcos, Texas, Police Department.But you can send a message too.Please visit our Dog Cancer Ride Across America website and make a donation to help us save dogs’ lives.

Help us make a difference.

Sincerely,Ted Schneck

in Knoxville, Tennessee along
The Dog Cancer Ride Across America www.DogCancerRide.com

P.S. The police video Ian sent me has been broadcast across the country, but in case you haven’t seen it, here’s the link so you can watch and see for yourself why we do what we do.http://www.dogcancerride.com/texas-police-video.html

P.P.S. There are 3 ways you can donate to help The Dog Cancer RideAcross America save dogs' lives...

1) Visit our main DogCancerRide.com donation page (this is thepage where most people register to have their dog's tribute addedto the Map of Heroes) You can find the main donation page at http://www.DogCancerRide.com/donation-options.html - or -

2) Visit our 'FirstGiving' charity fundraising page to make asecure credit card donation of any amount... http://www.FirstGiving.com/dogcancerride - or -

3) You can always mail a check to Giving Globally (the charitythat sponsors the ride and helps us collect and distribute thedonations we receive)

Make you check out for any amount to'Giving Globally - Dog Cancer Ride' And mail your check to...Giving Globally6443 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy.Suite 370Portland, OR 97221 (Note: Giving Globally is a U.S. non-profit 501(c)(3) charityorganization and donations are tax deductible)And of course, if you have any questions or need any help pleasefeel free call me at 503-998-3880 or e-mail me at ted@dogcancerride.com.

Thank you

Sad Dog Cruelty Development near Green River, WY

2008-08-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since our last post.

It's been brought to my attention that about 6 dogs, all of the same breed, were found dumped in a pile off of Blue Rim Road just west of Green River, WY.

Click HERE for a map link to the general area.

Does anyone have any further information on this unfortunate act of cruelty? Please post here.

Thank you,

Animal Guardians

Mouse Clicking For A Good Cause

2008-05-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

An email that was forwarded to me by a friend, and wanted to share.

It's been checked with Snopes.com to be legitimate (Click HERE for the link)

Email follows:

Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple...

Please tell ten friends to tell ten today!

The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.

It takes less than a minute (how about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'Click Here to Give ' for free.

This doesn't cost you a thing.

Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

New WY Blog post on Animal Cruelty!

2008-02-10T18:24:00.001-08:00

http://drewmather.blogspot.com/2008/02/stopping-animal-cruelty-in-wyoming.html

Let's get out and send some emails to our legislators!

The blog post has all the info you need!

Thanks, Drew, for posting this important information!

Horse Killer and Mutilator, Marshall Booth, from Rock Springs, to appear in court again

2008-02-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

At 10am tomorrow in Green River at the District Courthouse (80 West Flaming Gorge Way #3), a hearing for Marshall Booth, the man charged with stabbing and killing one horse, and slicing with a machete another, will take place.

A link to the original story that appeared in the Green River Star and Rocket Miner is below:

http://www.greenriverstar.com/articles/2008/01/23/regional/regional2.txt

If anyone out there is able to attend this hearing please do so.

A map showing the courthouse can be seen by clicking HERE.

Thanks to Victoria for bringing this to our attention.

The Animal Guardians

Sad AP Story Printed in the Rocket Miner This Past Week

2008-02-02T06:18:00.000-08:00

I saw this story in our local paper the other day and thought it should be brought up here in this forum: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22900994/

I can only continue to hope that all pet owners will, regardless of how tough the times are, care for their pets as if they were their own children.

I also hope we can have laws that adequately punish people willing to abandon their pets to starve to death.

Let's continue to work toward those goals!

Have a good weekend,

The Animal Guardians

Significant Improvement for the Golden Lab We Reported on Earlier!

2008-01-23T20:56:00.001-08:00

Since our last post, our laborador retriever's lot has significantly improved!

People who read this website talked to their city council persons and awareness was brought to the people who owned this animal off of Spring Drive. The message was clear: provide heating to the dog if he is to be left outside.

As of today, we have learned that said owner is providing a climate controlled storage shed behind the doghouse, as well as equipped the doghouse with a heat lamp.

Thank you all so much for your help in this regard and I hope we can continue our mission to stop animal cruelty here in Western Wyoming.

Sincerely,

The Animal Guardians

Welcome to Animal Guardians!

2008-01-05T10:23:00.000-08:00

The letter below was written this morning and tells the story of an animal that we want to help.

The letter has been submitted to the Rocket Miner newspaper, Rock Springs, WY's local media source.

Please read and respond as you see fit.

Thank you for visiting this site and we hope to hear from fellow animal lovers out there in WY (as well as elsewhere)

The Animal Guardians

Letter follows:

GOLDEN LAB's LIFE ANYTHING BUT GOLDEN

a concerned citizen in Rock Springs speaks out

Writing about animal cruelty is probably about as tired a subject as the Iowa Caucuses are to Iowans right now. Yet, I feel compelled to try and do something for a golden retriever that lives just off Springs Drive right before you make a left on Winterhawk here in the town where I live, Rock Springs, WY. I’ve driven by this dog in some of the coldest, snowiest days so far this season, and seen this unfortunate animal chained up outside a poor excuse for a doghouse (unheated and uninsulated).

I thought when I first saw this that I could just report such animal abuse to an Animal Control Officer here in town and something could be done. I talked to the Animal Control supervisor, Jim Storey (307-352-1455). He shared with me that numerous people have called to report this dog being left out in the cold with no source of heat except huddling inside the doghouse for warmth. He further stated that the person who owns this golden lab is breaking no city ordinance and therefore cannot be subjected to disciplinary action by the City.

This brings me to the issue of the current City Ordinances. Let's break them down shall we as they pertain to animals and how we treat them.

If you go to http://www.rswy.net/Ordinances/Ch_03Art_05.htm you can read for yourself the wording of Ordinance 3-532 Cruelty to Animals under Chapter 3 of Morals and Conduct as part of Article 3-5 HUMANE CONTROL AND REGULATION OF ANIMALS in the Rock Springs Code.

Unfortunately, just as Jim told me, the City Ordinances pertaining to keeping an animal are not strong enough to warrant taking the dog away from said person.

The current ordinance regarding care for a domesticated animal reads as such:

(c) Every person owning an animal shall provide it with necessary protection from extreme weather, medical attention, treatment to prevent suffering, food, water and care. The failure to do so shall be unlawful.

Not terrible in terms of a broad statement to protect domesticated animals from cruelty, but as you and I both know in this litigious society we live in, the devil's in the details, and for this poor dog, "necessary protection" is neither defined, nor elaborated upon. The lack of details in this ordinance might even make you want to switch your cliched supernatural mascot to an angel.

These ordinances are extremely vague and lax in terms of shelter. I got the cordial brush off that Animal Control in Rock Springs had their hands tied so to speak in dealing with this particular animal.

Jim did however offer to call the person housing the dog for me, give them my phone number, and have me wait to see if they felt compelled to call me about said issue with their dog

I imagine the conversation, if it ever were to occur (odds being better than winning two lotteries in two different states on two consecutive days) going something like this:

Phone rings…

Me – “Hello”

Person with animal – “What (delete expletives) do you think you’re doing leaving your number to try and get me to take better care of my dog! He’s a dog! Go mind your own (delete expletive) business! If I find out where you live, you’ll be sorry!”

Click.

Sure, if we lived back in the Eocene (50 million years ago when Wyoming had a much more temperate climate, complete with palm trees), the kind of doghouse this owner provides to his dog would pass muster. But, last time I checked, I haven't seen anything resembling tropical plants on the sagebrush steppe, and "temperate" is not a word that trips off my lips when I describe winter to folks outside the area.

After talking with the Animal Control Supervisor, I contacted the Rock Springs Humane Society and asked them if they would be willing to contact the person with the dog, and offer to donate a bale of straw (about $5) that would be provided by us as excellent insulation to this currently uninsulated doghouse.

Unfortunately, I was told, they can’t do that. What they can do is contact Animal Control and give them their number, and wait to see if said person contacts them. The Humane Society said they would do such, and contact me if they heard anything back from said person. That was three weeks ago and I have yet to hear anything.

So, here I am, a citizen of Rock Springs, faced with limited options. I’ve thought about the surreptitious approach; go under cover of darkness, as well as fear of being bitten by the animal I am trying to help, and put some straw in the doghouse. I could even ratchet it up a notch, physically removing the animal from its current cold circumstances, and give it to someone who gives a damn about owning a mostly defenseless creature.

But, I’m a law abiding person, and I want to exercise my legal options. The first of which is what I am doing now - raising awareness of this particular issue. I believe if we all think globally, and act locally, we can affect change in our communities.

I ask you reading this, if you care about animals, and you care about trying to make a difference in this community, take the time to send a short email to the local city council persons and begin the process of affecting change.

It took me a while, but I was able to locate the council persons' email addresses, here they are by Ward:

Ward 1
Carl Demshar - carl_demshar@rswy.net
Joyce Corcoran - joyce_corcoran@rswy.net

Ward 2
Neil Kourbelas - neil_kourbelas@rswy.net and nkourbelascouncilward2@hotmail.com
Harry Horn - harry_horn@rswy.net

Ward 3
Kent Porenta - kent_porenta@rswy.net
Rob Zotti - bob_zotti@rswy.net

Ward 4
Chad Banks - chad_banks@rswy.net
David Tate - david_tate@rswy.net.

You can also by following this link http://www.rswy.net/Government/Council.htm run your mouse over the council persons' name and be able see their email address.

Couldn't find the mayor of Rock Springs' email, but the very fine, capable, and progressive mayor, Tim Kaumo, might be another person to contact by calling his office directly at 307-352-1510.

For starters, you could ask for two things:

A provision be made to define what "necessary protection" is with the caveat that whatever is defined as "necessary protection" include a heated human residence or some type of adequate insulation and/or heating unit be put inside the outside pet housing unit to provide aforementioned "necessary protection".
A provision be made to define the environmental extremes that make it necessary to provide necessary protection (i.e. temperature and wind speed specifics below or above which the pet must be adequately protected from).

Ask yourself this, how does it feel to be fumbling for your keys for only 30 seconds at your car loading groceries in minus zero temperatures, and howling 25-30 mph wind gusts? No matter how thick a domesticated animals' coat, those kind of conditions are simply uncalled for.

Let’s try and make sure our domesticated animals here in town don’t have to experience that same feeling 24/7.

Thanks for your time in reading this.

Sincerely,

The Animal Guardians