[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Climate of Fear in Maine

From: "Ginger Cleary" <cleary1414@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Showgsd-L@Freelists. Org" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:49:41 -0500
pet owner state in the USA.
    Ginger Cleary - Rome, GA www.rihadin.com
    "It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to
triumph.--Edmund Burke
    GA Director RDOE
    Member GSDCA
    please help rescue... http://lasthopesafehaven.com/
      -----Original Message-----




            We've all heard stories from across the state about harrassment
and
            intimidation from the Animal Welfare Department. I've heard
dozens
            of these stories, but they were always second-hand. Second-hand
is
            hearsay, and we can't work on that.

            Today, for the first time, someone contacted me with a
first-hand
            story that is deeply disturbing.

            Gina is a young mom with five kids in Freeport, ME. Gina's
husband
            is a commercial lobsterman. They had a family Labrador retreiver
            named "Riley". Riley meant the world to their 10 year old
daughter.

            Over the Thanksgiving holiday Riley got hold of a ham bone and
            ingested a large piece. Gina quickly took the dog to the
Freeport
            Animal Hospital. The dog was clearly in distress.

            Dr. Carolyn Radding, DVM, examined Riley. Dr. Radding was
horrified
            to discover that Riley had fleas and the allergic skin reaction
that
            some dogs get with fleas. Dr. Radding railed against Gina and
told
            her she was guilty of animal abuse because of the fleas.

            Gina was embarrassed and ashamed. Gina tried to explain to Dr.
            Radding that she would take care of the fleas, but could the Dr.
            please help Riley? Dr. Radding responded that it would cost
$5,000
            to help Riley. Gina was embarrassed and ashamed again to explain
            that she didn't have that kind of money.

            Desperate to save her dog, Gina asked Dr. Radding for
alternatives.
            Dr. Radding instructed Gina to take Riley home, feed him chicken
            broth, and call her the next day.

            Gina stayed up all night with Riley. He was getting worse.

            Gina called Dr. Radding early the next day as instructed. The
            hospital staff acted strangely when Gina called. Dr. Radding was
not
            available to talk to her. Gina was told that Dr. Radding would
get
            back to her.

            Suddenly there was a knock at Gina's door. The Freeport Police
were
            at her door with State Humane Agent Jennifer Howlett. Howlett
            demanded that Gina immediately surrender Riley or face FELONY
animal
            cruelty charges. Gina surrendered Riley to Howlett.

            Gina tried to explain to her young children.

            A day or two later Gina had another knock at her door. It was
Child
            Protection Services. They informed Gina that Jennifer Howlett
had
            filed a complaint of child abuse against Gina.

            Child Protection Services found no child abuse in Gina's home.

            Gina asked permission to visit Riley. When she saw him days
later,
            he had been given a flea bath. Riley had still not been treated
for
            the large bone he ingested. Riley had detiorated badly.

            ------------------------------------------------------
            I asked Gina if she would be comfortable talking to a reporter.
She
            said yes. I put Gina in touch with Sharon Mack of the Bangor
Daily
            News.

            Sharon Mack needs to know that Gina's story is not an isolated
            incident. I have Sharon's permission to share her contact
            information:

            Sharon Mack, Reporter, Bangor Daily News
            207-487-3187 office
            207-631-4904 cell
            email: bdnpittsfield@xxxxxxxxxxx

            If you know someone who has experienced anything like this from
the
            Animal Wefare Department, please encourage that person to
contact
            Sharon Mack directly. These must be first-hand accounts. No
hearsay.

            If you know someone who has experienced something like this, but
they
            are not comfortable talking to a reporter, please encourage that
            person to call me. I'll talk to them anytime.

            Permission is granted to cross-post.

            Jay Kitchener




            ------------------------------------





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[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Climate of Fear in Maine

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