A Case for Agressive Prosecution

There are times, I suppose, for some leniency in law enforcement; times, perhaps, where forgiveness and rehabilitation is in order.

This is NOT one of those times.

LEFT FOR DEAD: "A middle-aged bay gelding, along with three other horses, were used by two Georgia men, Curtis Heyden, 37, and his father, Craig Heyden, 71, to ride and pack in the [Montana Wilderness] for two months during the summer of 2008. Obviously deprived of proper food and water and even shoes, the emaciated horses were forced to carry the men and their equipment while having large, open saddle sores that went bone-deep. Their story is heart-wrenching, in part because the owners have admitted no wrong.....[good samaritans were out on the trails and] they came upon [an] emaciated horse lying flat in the hot sun. They were both shocked at the sight and thought he was dead, until he nickered. He was still saddled, terribly thin, and had oozing sores covered by meat-eating bees and biting flies. The sores were open all the way to cartilage and bone on his withers, and his shoeless feet were too worn and painful to stand on." (You may read the whole story here - warning: graphic photos of severe abuse.)

It has come to my attention, through Fugly Horse of the Day, that the prosecutor in this case does not intend to be aggressive. In light of this, I have provided my letter to him, and his contact info, below. Please send him a note...


John Bell,
Prosecutor
Ravalli County Attorney's Office
205 Bedford Street, Ste C
Hamilton , MT 59840
email: rcao@ravallicounty.mt.gov

November 20, 2008

Dear Mr. Bell:

It has come to my attention that prosecutors in Montana are typically lenient on cases of animal abuse. It is my intention to encourage an aggressive prosecution of Curits and Craig Heyden, and I hope to provide you not only with a reason for this prosecution, but an argument for conviction.

Horses are creatures that have served humans all throughout history - they help us work, play, travel and compete internationally in equestrian sports. They are the only animal which is part of the Olympic games. They helped form the modern world, settle the Americas and they were instrumental in defining the most American of occupations: the American Cowboy. In short, Americans need to step up and protect horses from abuse, because horses helped form the United States that they enjoy today. Horses carried soldiers, cowboys, frontiersmen, travelers and the first mailmen (Pony Express!). Horses, like dogs, help humans in their work, their sport, their leisure time and even in therapy. They deserve respect, and at the very least, humane treatment and consideration.

With that being said and dually understood, I can sympathize with the difficulty that authorities might have in drawing the line between abuse and the bare minimum of adequate care. I can understand that at times, radical animal rights activists tend to act erratically and place the needs of animals above the needs of humans; these activists give ethical, humane supporters of fair treatment for all living things a bad reputation.

Taking into account the details of the Heyden case, the line has clearly been drawn for you: there can be no argument that "perhaps the horses were just a little skinny", or that "maybe the elements had just been a bit hard on them". No, in the Heyden case, you have clear evidence of gross abuse that borders on the sadistic. This is one of the worst cases of abuse that I have ever seen. Those horses were starved, dehydrated to the point of utter exhaustion, and bore saddle sores that could not have been overlooked by any decent human being. No rational person could reason that a sore measuring about 1 square foot was nothing to worry about, and not understand the pain that would be inflicted on the equine by saddling it.

Putting a saddle on a horse with a sore like that is equivalent to putting a heavy backpack on the bare skin of a human burn victim!

It is incomprehensible to me, an avid equestrian and local government official, that the good people of Montana would not support the extensive, aggressive prosecution of the Heydens. While I can sympathize with the loss of Mrs. Heyden and the men's desire to take a trip in order to heal, I cannot condone the horrendous abuse of the horses. There is no reason good enough to allow these men to escape prosecution.

In summary, I urge you to weigh the ethical implications of your actions. While prosecution of the Heydens might not alleviate the pain and terrible suffering of the equines they mistreated, their convictions and penalties will discourage this severe abuse from happening again. As the public's prosecutor, it is your duty to uphold what is in the best interest for the society that you serve. Ask yourself: Does Montana intend to be the type of society that allows horrendous acts to go unpunished? Is Montana the type of place where humans have no respect for other living things? If your answer to these questions is 'no', then you must prosecute the Heydens to the fullest extent of the law.

Thank you for your kind consideration. I wish you the best of luck and look forward to learning of a conviction and strict sentencing.

Sincerely,

[my name here]
http://www.watchingpuddles.blogspot.com/

Your Tax Dollars at Work: My Life as a Public Servant

[Watching Puddles Note to readers: I work for a very small town in southern Florida. It's a little barrier island that's just 7 miles long and less than a 1/2 mile wide. The work I do is Quality of Life stuff - parks and recreation and a mix of random tasks that don't fit in anywhere else. The people I serve here are sometimes difficult to deal with, but they are, on the whole, a fascinatingly eclectic group of salty beach folk. Some live in multi-million dollar beach homes, some are homeless; some are shrimpers, some are artists. There is no other place quite like this epiphany of Florida island culture...]

I just hung up the phone after allowing a resident to vent at me over the evils of Florida's economy. Apparently, the fact that vendors at my Farmers Market have to pay to rent their spaces each week means that I am a money-grubbing demon. Hm. Years ago, before I attained all of the "wisdom" of my 29 years [kidding], I may have argued with the man. I may have lost my temper. But - *shrug* - not today. Instead, I delicately explained that I understood his complaint, that the money I collect goes to advertise the market, and that I hoped he'd check it out next week. He hung up on me.

My little phone encounter with the angry gentleman got me thinking about the way that the public views the government and my conflicting opinions on public service. You see, I am a hard-working, optimistic government employee, but I am also a suspicious, demanding American citizen. So, sitting here with my unique perspective on how I try to serve the public, I'm going to share with you what I've learned that has shaped how I believe the government should serve me.

I am over-worked and under paid, often unappreciated and seldom recognized. But I'll tell you: I love my job. I respect and admire my boss. I see the Gulf of Mexico everyday. I learn something new with each person I meet. I have creative freedom and the confidence of my superiors. I have been entrusted by the citizens of this small town to spend their tax money, preserve their natural land, enhance their businesses and improve their quality of life. This is a position I do not take for granted; working in government is not just a job.

I believe that public service is a way of life; a mindset fine-tuned to the common good. Serving the public well is learning how to recognize the difference between personal preferences and ethical standards. It's accepting that you cannot fix everything, but trying to do it anyway. It is a humbling of yourself in recognition of the individual struggles faced by people in your charge. Becoming a steward of the land and its residents' hard-earned tax money. Public servants must realize that for comparatively little pay, they will endure the brunt of political storms, neighborhood disputes, verbal bashings and constant scrutiny. The privacy they enjoyed in the private sector will disappear with their acceptance of a government job. Their behavior outside of work will be just as important as their conduct on the job, and so will the behaviors and conduct of their families.

I wish that I had the opportunity to speak with every incoming politician and public servant to explain to them the obligations that they are about to accept. If I could impart to them the importance of our work and the implications of agreeing to work for the public, maybe the poorer attitudes in government could change, or be replaced by the positive attitudes of other people; turnover is not always a bad thing. Perhaps less of us would be considered "money-grubbing demons" by our public. I believe that those of us who live off of your tax money should be gracious for the opportunity to serve you and honor your trust by doing the best job we can for you.

I am excited by the optimism shared by the majority of Americans for our future after the election of Barack Obama. The BBC reported international joy from all over Europe and Africa. I heard a man tell one reporter "If I could ride my bicycle to America, I would go today". Regardless of who you voted for, I wonder if you are feeling what I'm feeling. I am beginning to feel as though people are daring to hope again. Change might finally be coming - accountability in government, a return to focusing on human rights and quality of life. *beaming grin* From my tiny, windowless office, I will continue to sign my emails the same way as I have for the past 2 years: POSITIVE CHANGE BEGINS WITH US. I will continue to imagine that I can influence people by example - a little positive flow going against the grain: trickle-up attitude adjustments.

In closing, I will leave you with a quote by Margaret Chase Smith that my boss hung in his office and gave me a copy of:

"My creed is that public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation with full recognition that every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration, that constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought, that smears are not only to be expected but fought, that honor is to be earned, not bought."

People Are Eating Our Horses!!

All of you non-horsey people are giving me the ol' "WTF?!" look right now, because you didn't know this was happening. Here's what you missed: currently, our horses here in the US are often shipped out to Canada and Mexico where they are slaughtered and eaten by humans all around the world. Besides the "ew" factor that most of us have when we think of chowing down on Mr. Ed, there are some real ethical and humane issues that need to be addressed.

Please watch this video.

Okay, so not only are our horses being eaten by people, they are starved, tortured and tormented on their trip to execution. Additionally, their deaths are painful and horrific. Would you allow this to happen to dogs? Cats? Then why is it okay for horses? These are creatures that have served humans all throughout history - they help us work, play, travel and compete internationally in equestrian sports. They are part of the Olympic games. They helped form the modern world, settle the Americas and they were instrumental in defining the most American of occupations: the American Cowboy.

As a summary, let me break down for you why Americans need to step up and protect these horses from being shipped away and eaten by people: horses helped form the United States that you enjoy today. They carried soldiers, cowboys, frontiersmen, travellers and the first mailmen (Pony Express!). Horses, like dogs, help humans in their work, their sport, their leisure time and even in therapy.

HORSES DESERVE A PEACEFUL END. They do not deserve to make the terrifying trip to Mexico or Canada while starving and shoved in trailers like random pieces of scrap metal only to be hacked unhumanely into bits to end up on some foreign dinner plate.

Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008 - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or prison term of up to three years for possessing, shipping, transporting, purchasing, selling, delivering, or receiving any horse, horse flesh, or carcass with the intent that it be used for human consumption. Reduces the prison term to one year if the offense involves less than five horses or less than 2,000 pounds of horse flesh or carcass and the offender has no prior conviction for this offense.

From the Animal Welfare Institute, "Despite the claims of horse slaughter supporters, horse slaughter is neither humane, nor a necessary evil. The horses — of which more than 92 percent are deemed to be healthy, adoptable and “in good condition” by the US Department of Agriculture — suffer terribly from start to finish."

Please call 202.224.3121 and tell your Representative to support H.R. 6598: Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008.