On July 13, 1999, two KS/MO HorseAid volunteers, Becky
Burns and Angela Williams, were arrested in Ray County, MO, as they were
removing 4 ponies that were originally part of the 240 abused Stern Farm
"Miami County Pony" rescue that IGHA/HorseAid was responsible for late
last year. The ponies were being removed for failure to adhere to
several conditions of the ponies care and welfare per a signed contract
with the adopters. Both women were arrested and taken to jail (along
with Angela's two young children) when they refused to return the ponies
to the abusive adopters. They were then charged on multiple felony
counts by Roy County Prosecuting Attorney, Stanley Thompson, who has a
very poor record on animal abuse cases. This is the same P.A. Stanley
Thompson who when asked why he did not prosecute a case of severe dog
abuse declared; "I don't do dogs". Becky and Angela were scheduled to be
arraigned August 4th, but that is only the first step in a long campaign
by HorseAid and other local area animal welfare groups to change the
laws in Roy County, MO, so that animals are thought of as more than just
personal property to be used or abused as one chooses.
Please visit: http://www.igha.org/mo_abuse.html and take
the time to send a letter to all the Missouri officials listed there.
These two brave women (and the animals they represent) need your full
support and they need it now.
Go on to It Shouldn't
Happen To A Dog
Return to 11 August 1999 Issue
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