FGHMovie.com HomePage. FGHMovieBlog: February 2008

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Lost Dog - find Hambone!


If you are reading this... I beg of you to POST this on your blog!

The more people who know the better chance of Hambones safe return!

I have had enough loss in my life to know how crushing this is.

Please watch this YouTube Video!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2QCBbY8GVv0

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

More on Rescuers God Complex

Now let me start with saying I really have to stop this venting of rescue crap on my film website. Because really one does not have anything to do with the other. I am just grumpy and pissed.

Here is the story:

In April 07 two people emailed me about a puppy from Craigslist that needed rescue. I took on the puppy only to find out it was from a rescuer whose adoption went bad. Long LONG story short. I offered to give the dog back to the original rescue. They said to keep it. Then they wanted it back. But something was not right. The original rescue did not make any attempt to find out what happened from the people who had the dog DUMPED on them. Instead they planned on giving the dog back (UNALTERED and UNCHIPPED) to the people. My gut said LOUD and CLEAR... something is wrong do NOT give the dog back. So I did not.

Then the original rescue Sylvia from Best Buddies got her friend involved Dottie from
http://www.greatpyrrescue.org/

Who wrote me the following email.... she wrote a few others but they were all about the same. She never wanted details she just took the side of Sylvia.

Then a few months later I got an email about Best Buddies rescue being busted for hoarding or poor conditions or something. I KNEW my gut was saying something was wrong with that rescue.

Did I hear from Dottie who called me a dog thief???? NO.

So just recently I heard that Sylvia gave the IDIOT LARODGE JOHNSON WHO IS ON A DO NOT ADOPT LIST THE SISTER DOG.... AND I just found out that the female dog is STILL NOT FIXED and she (Larodge) plans on breeding the dog with a German Shepherd. First of all it will kill the dog since she is probably about 25-30 lbs. Second SYLVIA of Best Buddies was NOT a rescuer she was selling dogs for profit or else the dog would have been fixed!!!!

Oh and that sister dog... is living in a medium crate under a kitchen table and when Larodge goes away for a weekend the dog is alone and uncared for.

DOTTIE OWES ME A HUGE APOLOGY!!!!!!

I HATE and LOATH those rescuers with such a GOD COMPLEX they can do NO WRONG.
And they do not think they need to apologize when they have CLEARLY DONE WRONG!!!

As soon as Dottie knew something with up with Sylvia she should have contacted me and APOLOGIZED!!!!


>>
In a message dated 04/23/2007 03:24:18 PM, Gpascrescue writes:

Frankly, I am not interested in the chain of events-we all make bad placements at sometime in our life but that does not mean we shouldn't have the opportunity to make them right. Sylvia says she won't give the person back the puppy-it should be no one else's business.
Sylvia does a good job, we work through the same Vet and if she wants her dog back , she has a right and a contract.
Again, I do not want to hear or see anything else except that Sylvia has her puppy back, no rescuer has the right to make judgment calls about another, certainly not to withhold a dog. Be glad it isn't one of mine, we have a whole staff of attorneys.
Dottie

Friday, February 01, 2008

Rescuers are so judgemental its OBNOXIOUS!

I received this email from Jane Garcia - critters911@gmail.com
(I had heard things about Toni - and wanted to know more - so I read it.)

And the following is what followed.

Jane does some good work. She grooms a lot of shelter animals
and networks with her lists. But I find her to be incredibly judgmental...
and unwilling to be flexible with change either in tasks or her mindset. It's her
way or the highway, I had proposed some very needed changes which she shot
down... closed minded people are - vulgar.

Please read & crosspost Cathy's email below.

Please be sure to be wearing rose-tinted reading glasses when you read the testimony by LACCC Director Marcia Mayeda so you can see it in the same light as the Supervisors, who swallow everything she tells them purely for the purpose of expediency.

Why is it in the blinkered eyes of the BOS that everything Marcia Mayeda says is true, while everything her critics says is not true? Isn't it commonsense that that's the case?

Jane

ps: Can government officials be prosecuted for perjury? I hope so. It's a pity they can't be prosecuted for wearing blinkers, which is what the BOS is doing here.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Cathy Nguyen <cathyn3@yahoo.com>
Date: Jan 31, 2008 12:08 PM
Subject: 1/29/2008 Board of Supervisors meeting (Lancaster situation)
To: Cathy Nguyen <cathyn3@yahoo.com>


From the 1/29/2008 Board of Supervisors meeting transcript, it appears that Toni Eakes is as responsible as Marcia Mayeda for the fiasco that occured on Ivan Callais' property.

http://lacounty.info/BOS/SOP/TRANSCRIPTS/01-29-08%20Board%20Meeting%20Transcript.pdf

MARCIA MAYEDA: THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR BURKE. THE DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL ACTIVELY MONITORED THE CARE OF ANIMALS AT A RANCH ON 70TH STREET WEST IN LANCASTER FOR THE PAST YEAR. OUR OFFICERS HAVE CONDUCTED OVER 30 INSPECTIONS AT THIS PROPERTY, SOMETIMES WITH THE DEPARTMENT VETERINARIAN TO EXAMINE THE ANIMALS ON THE PROPERTY. THE DEPARTMENT DENIED THE OWNER'S APPLICATION FOR AN ANIMAL FACILITY LICENSE, ISSUED TWO CITATIONS, AND ORDERED HIM TO DEPOPULATE THE ANIMALS. WE PERMITTED HIM TO RELEASE ANIMALS TO AN ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION CALLED "A WISH FOR ANIMALS," WHOSE PRESIDENT IS TONI EAKES. MS. EAKES REGULARLY REMOVED ANIMALS FOR PLACEMENT THROUGH HER ORGANIZATION. WHENEVER OFFICERS NOTICED ANIMALS THAT WERE UNWELL, THEY ORDERED MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR THE ANIMALS AND ENSURED IT WAS PROVIDED, PERMITTED THE RELEASE OF THE ANIMALS TO MS. EAKES, OR REMOVED THE ANIMALS FROM THE PROPERTY AND INTO DEPARTMENT CUSTODY. OFFICERS ONLY SEIZED ANIMALS UNDER EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES OR PURSUANT TO A SEARCH WARRANT. WHENEVER ANIMALS IN NEED OF FURTHER CARE WERE DISCOVERED, THE OWNER WILLINGLY RELEASED THE ANIMALS TO US OR THE RESCUE ORGANIZATION, WHICH PRECLUDED THE NEED FOR SEIZING THE ANIMALS. USING A SEARCH WARRANT TO REMOVE OVER 200 ANIMALS WOULD HAVE OVERWHELMED THE LANCASTER ANIMAL SHELTER AND WAS NOT OUR PREFERRED OPTION. BY CLOSELY MONITORING THE ANIMALS ON SITE AND OVERSEEING THEIR REMOVAL, THE GOAL OF REMOVING ALL THE ANIMALS WAS BEING MET. IN MID-DECEMBER, THE OWNER RELEASED CUSTODY OF ALL ANIMALS TO A WISH FOR ANIMALS. MS. EAKES REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER RESCUE AGENCIES. SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS FELL INTO DISAGREEMENT WITH MS. EAKES AND January 29, 2008 RELEASED PRESS RELEASES THAT CONCERNED MANY PEOPLE, SOME OF WHOM MAY HAVE CONTACTED YOUR OFFICES. HOWEVER, THE DEPARTMENT WAS CLOSELY MONITORING THE CARE OF THE ANIMALS DURING THIS PROCESS. AND AS OF LAST FRIDAY, ALL OF THE ANIMALS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PROPERTY. I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT THIS SITUATION.

SUP. BURKE, CHAIR: SUPERVISOR ANTONOVICH, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS?

SUP. ANTONOVICH: HOW ARE WE REALLY GOING TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS?

MARCIA MAYEDA: I'M SORRY? GET A HANDLE ON ANIMAL HOARDERS IN GENERAL? WELL, ANIMAL HOARDING IS A MENTAL ILLNESS, AND IT'S OFTEN LINKED WITH OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER. IT'S A VERY CHRONIC PROBLEM. PEOPLE WHO ARE ANIMAL HOARDERS HAVE ABOUT 100 PERCENT RECIDIVISM. THE STANDARD PROCEDURE WOULD BE TO INVESTIGATE AND REMOVE THE ANIMALS, PROSECUTE WHEN POSSIBLE, BECAUSE CONVICTIONS CAN REQUIRE MANDATORY PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING. AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR GOALS, IS TO GET PEOPLE THAT HAVE THIS DISORDER INTO TREATMENT. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WITH THE RECIDIVISM RATE SO HIGH, WE CONTINUE TO SEE THEM REVERT TO THEIR OLD BEHAVIORS AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF MONITORING AND January 29, 2008 ENFORCEMENT, HOPEFULLY GETTING A STRONG PROBATION ORDER TO PREVENT THEM FROM HAVING ANIMALS.

SUP. ANTONOVICH: HAS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY BEEN HELPFUL?

MARCIA MAYEDA: THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL. THEY ESTABLISHED AN ANIMAL CRUELTY DIVISION LAST YEAR, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THAT UNIT. AND THEY HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ALL OF OUR CASES.

SUP. ANTONOVICH: AND WE ARE RAPIDLY ABLE TO RESCUE THOSE ANIMALS AND GIVE THEM THE PROPER TREATMENT AND PROCEED VERY QUICKLY WITH PROSECUTION?

MARCIA MAYEDA: YES, YES. WE'VE ALWAYS, WHEN THE NEED HAS ARISEN TO REMOVE ANIMALS, WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE THAT. SOMETIMES OVER 300 ANIMALS AT A TIME. SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE REMOVED OVER 300 CHIHUAHUAS FROM A HOME IN ACTON. ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, THERE WERE ABOUT 350 DOGS FROM A HOME EL MONTE. IT CONTINUES, UNFORTUNATELY. BUT WHEN THE NEED ARISES, WE CAN PULL OUR RESOURCES TOGETHER AND HELP THE ANIMALS.

SUP. ANTONOVICH: AND THE BEST OFFENSE FOR THIS TYPE IS TO HAVE CITIZEN REPORTING OF THESE TYPES OF ABUSES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE SO THAT THE DEPARTMENT KNOWS HOW TO RESPOND?

MARCIA MAYEDA: YES. WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REPORT ANY ANIMAL ABUSE OR NEGLECT SO THAT WE CAN REACT AND RESPOND APPROPRIATELY AND PROMPTLY.

SUP. ANTONOVICH: WHY DON'T YOU GIVE YOUR NUMBER ONCE AGAIN SO THAT PEOPLE LISTENING ON TELEVISION WILL KNOW THAT NUMBER. IF THERE IS ANIMAL ABUSE, THEY CAN CALL YOUR OFFICE.

MARCIA MAYEDA: THEY CAN CALL 562-728-4610.

SUP. ANTONOVICH: THEY CAN ALSO ADOPT AN ANIMAL BY CALLING THAT NUMBER, AS WELL.

MARCIA MAYEDA: THAT'S RIGHT.

SUP. ANTONOVICH: THANK YOU.

SUP. BURKE, CHAIR: I'D LIKE TO CALL UP TONI EAKES. WILL YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD?

TONI EAKES: HELLO.

SUP. BURKE, CHAIR: YES. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.

TONI EAKES: MY NAME IS TONI EAKES, AND I'M THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF "A WISH FOR ANIMALS."

SUP. BURKE, CHAIR: DID YOU HAVE A STATEMENT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE?

TONI EAKES: I DO. I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF COMMENT ON WHAT MARCIA WAS SAYING. WE ACTUALLY ARE THE GROUP THAT CAME UPON THIS HOARDER, PROBABLY ALMOST A YEAR AGO. AND THERE WERE WELL OVER 300 DOGS THERE AND FARM ANIMALS AND CATS. WE DID CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT. THEY WERE AWARE OF IT AND HAD BEEN WORKING WITH IT TRYING TO GET -- HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER IT. THE ANIMALS WERE NOT IN HORRIFIC SHAPE LIKE IT'S BEEN REPORTED. IT WAS ACTUALLY FAIRLY CLEAN. THEY HAD FOOD AND WATER. THERE WERE JUST WAY TOO MANY ANIMALS. SO WE STEPPED IN AND ASKED HIM AND STARTED TO GET HIM TO TRUST US AND OUR GROUP SO THAT WE COULD ADOPT OUT BECAUSE HOARDERS DO NOT ADOPT OUT. IT'S A NUMBER TO THEM. THE MORE THEY HAVE, THE MORE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE. BUT HE STARTED TO WORK WITH US AND LET US ADOPT OUT ANIMALS. AND WE WERE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENT. WITHIN TWO OR THREE MONTHS, THINGS STARTED TO GO DOWNHILL THERE, WHERE WE NEEDED TO STEP IN A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH ANIMAL CONTROL AND KEEP A VERY TIGHT -- BASICALLY WHAT WE WERE DOING IS, ANY TIME THERE WAS A SICK ANIMAL OR A HURT ANIMAL, IF HE DIDN'T LET US TAKE IT, WE WOULD CALL ANIMAL CONTROL. AND RACHEL MONTEZ-KEMP IS THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER WE WORKED WITH. AND SHE WOULD GO IN AND SEIZE THE ANIMAL IF THERE WAS A HURT OR SICK OR DYING ANIMAL THERE THAT WE WERE AWARE OF THAT WE COULDN'T GET OUT. IF WE COULD GET IT OUT, WE WOULD TAKE IT TO A VET OF OUR OWN AND CARE FOR THE ANIMAL. BUT IT WAS BEING HANDLED UNTIL HE WOULDN'T LET US IN THERE ANYMORE. AND THAT'S WHEN ANIMAL CONTROL STEPPED IN AND GAVE HIM NOTICES TO COMPLY. HE PANICKED WHEN IT WAS GETTING DOWN TO THE WIRE AND ASKED ME IF I WOULD STEP IN AND TAKE OVER OWNERSHIP OF THE ANIMALS, WHICH I DID, SPEAKING WITH MARCIA AND SPEAKING WITH RACHEL, SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T ALL GO INTO ANIMAL CONTROL. BUT WE ACTUALLY GOT THE NUMBERS DOWN TO PROBABLY JUST UNDER 200. SO WE ADOPTED OUT QUITE A FEW ANIMALS THIS YEAR. AND WE DID THAT WITH THE CONTROL AND HELP OF ANIMAL CONTROL. WE WOULD CHECK IN EVERY WEEK AND LET THEM KNOW HOW MANY ANIMALS WE'D PLACED SO THAT SHE COULD GO IN AND DO A COUNT SO THAT WE COULD KEEP A CONTROL, VERY, VERY TIGHT CONTROL OVER HIM. SO I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT THAT WE DID WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH HIM. WE DID A GREAT JOB AS FAR AS GETTING THE NUMBERS DOWN SO THAT THE DEPARTMENT WASN'T GOING TO BE STUCK WITH OVER 300 ANIMALS.

SUP. BURKE, CHAIR: WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT, TOO.

TONI EAKES: OH YOU'RE WELCOME. IT'S MY PLEASURE, JUST TO HELP THE DOGS.

SUP. BURKE, CHAIR: WE HOPE YOU CAN CONTINUE COOPERATING ON THAT.

TONI EAKES: THANK YOU.

SUP. BURKE, CHAIR: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

TONI EAKES: DOES ANYBODY -- DO YOU ASK QUESTIONS OR IS THAT IT?
SUP. ANTONOVICH: THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.

TONI EAKES: THANK YOU FOR HEARING US.

SUP. BURKE, CHAIR: AND THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT?


Here are the emails between Jane and me.


In a message dated 01/31/2008 12:41:15 PM, Jutzs writes:

I am confused... what is the problem?
If animal control takes those 300 into Lancaster they have to kill 300 to make room.
Was someone suggesting other options?

Judy


In a message dated 01/31/2008 01:05:24 PM, critters911@gmail.com writes:

That's not the issue. It could and should have been handled much better.

The fact is that LACCC did not prosecute Ivan in the 2004 hoarding case in Gorman. That's because the investigator they assigned made a hash of it, and never even wrote a report to submit to the DA's office.

Another fact is that LACCC went about this all the wrong way. They could have involved the coalition of rescuers who are now helping get everything in order much earlier, and worked with them to get the animals off the property, then busted Ivan.

Working with a single rescuer--especially that rescuer--was never going to work.

As for the dogs dying in the Lancaster shelter: thousands die there every years. Nobody is stopping that.

On Jan 31, 2008 1:26 PM, <Jutzs@aol.com> wrote:
I think having a point person in rescue working on it makes sense... too many cooks ya know...


In a message dated 01/31/2008 01:31:34 PM, critters911@gmail.com writes:

I agree. But this was not the appropriate rescue point person.


This is where I stepped onto the soapbox

On Feb 1, 2008 8:48 AM, <Jutzs@aol.com> wrote:
... come one... your expectations of perfection are a bit high...how would the shelter know that... or if Toni is the one who stumbled onto this... or stepped up... who is to say who is "appropriate"
at least she did something which is more than most of us would do...
Look at Cindy Bemis dogs... Best Friends would ONLY help those dogs if they
had a point person like the Noahs Ark dogs... and I saw that work Pnina did
and thought I dont have time for that... I wanted to help
but at the end of the day... she is the one who drove to Long Beach

How many times did you drive to Long Beach?

we rescuers are SO quick to judge... and judge in a harsh light
criticize and lay blame... she should have done this and that...
each person has to wrestle with own conscience at the end of the day
and we need to just do the best we can...

hey BEFORE alex was busted I tried to do something to help the situation...
Other people saw the signs... and yet... who took the blame... alex...

we KNOW when a rescuer is in over their head... when they agree to take
pretty much any animal... we KNOW the signs...

but we continue to dump and just say to ourselves... how can they always
keep saying yes and even though they are saying they are FULL they keep taking
them... make room for one more... one more...

the PROBLEM is WE rescuers need to accept some culpability here as well
I would BET that others knew what was going on and did NOT step up

but now afterwards we are so willing to point the finger...

would you take on the task of dealing with 300 animals...

so maybe the shelter did not find this rescuer... but maybe they found each other

I also tried to do something to help the Bemis dogs and got no where with the shelter...
all i asked for was a list of the animals and where they were... and saw that task
would be immense...

not something I want to handle nor do I have time to handle it...

the problem IS... that everyONE is overwhelmed... and not until it hits the spotlight
that rescuers are first to jump in unfortunately it is not to help but first to JUDGE...

and I have no idea the details of this situation...
but has scott of rescue alliance stepped in to offer help...
has best friends?
somehow i would doubt if Toni would decline help from either of them...
However I would completely understand if she declined help from those
who would judge her... who needs that headache... thats the too many cooks

Why does LA have so many non profit animal rescue groups...???
because NO ONE agrees on much in rescue... everyone wants to be
their own boss...

unless you were Toni's shadow from day one... no one really knows
truly what is happening... its all speculation and hearsay.

I am just saying it helps less to pass judgment and it helps more to roll up your sleeves

I would love to see less accusations between rescuers
and more REAL help and support of each other...


In a message dated 02/01/2008 10:28:41 AM, critters911@gmail.com writes:

Whatever.

*******************************************************************
Nice response. Needless to say I asked to be removed from her rescue list. I cannot stand TOXIC people. Who needs that toxic crap in their life.

If you are not part of the solution then you ARE part of the problem!