Clackamas County (CCSO) vs Double A Ranch
"A Letter by a 14 year old girl"
To: Deputy Robin Iverson, Deputy Juli Machado, Jody Vaughan, D.A.
I would like to say thank you for giving me back my horse. I can't tell you enough how much it means to me to have my horse again. You probably already knew how much I cared about Brownie. So I don't think I have to explain how much I have missed him. I know that I probably would not have gotten Brownie back if it was not for the people involved in getting my horse back.
Being fourteen, I haven't given a lot of thought as to what I want to be in the future. But I do know what I am interested in. I love horses! And not just like the little girls who want a pony. I love training, raising, breeding and everything business like as well as just riding, showing and owning horses. I know I love caring for animals and working with them. I've trained more horses than I can remember and have sold even more. I have worked up at my parent's feed store for years and know all about working with the public. I know a great deal about horses and caring for them. I know a lot about nutrition in all animals and have even designed my own rabbit feed formula.And I would love to help with neglected animals as a volunteer.
I also know alot about rabbits, I know how to breed and raise all kinds of rabbits, and I have shown them at Clackamas County Fairgrounds, and even received Best of Breed. I would like to know, is there anyway I or other kids like me can volunteer as a caretaker helper at one of the rescue homes?
I would love to help out some how our Clackamas County.I love training and working with animals, and I think if some of these horses were given a chance at being trained and offered love they would be able to find excellent homes with people who care more about the horses than the fact that it might have been neglected.
I think the County should be able to give these animals a second chance at being horses. I've been known to "work-miracles" on problem horses and I would absolutely love it if I could help work with some of these horses instead of having them do absolutley nothing for months and months until their Trial. I know that rehabilitating them takes along time but I would love to just groom and love on these horses. During the summer it would be so great if I could do this or something else that would help Clackamas County.
I know a couple of my friends who love horses as well and would love to be involved in a volunteer program. You know how much better the County would be looked upon if it offered youth away to care for neglected, rehab animals or horses? I feel this County would get more respect if something like this was offered so youths can help. This would help Animal Officers with a better image.Thank you for helping get my horse back and I hope you will consider my idea because I am sure you would get some great publicity for Clackamas County.
If you need any feed for any of the rescue animals or for people who can't afford to feed their animals, I am sure I can offer help because my parents own a Feed Store and process their own hay. I was also thinking of starting a fund raiser for the Clackamas County Rescue Animals. Maybe you can tell me what you need, so I can help. Maybe you should have a newsletter on how youth could help or become better educated and aware about horse or other animal neglect. If you teach the youth how to properly take care of their animals, and then if they see them neglected they could help the owners out or notify the CCSO, maybe they would learn why it is important to care for animals, and there would be less neglected animals in the future.
We have alot of education programs at my school. I can tell you right now, I would never smoke, drink or do any type of drugs because of what it does to the user's body and mind. Why not an animal neglect awareness program? It should help!If people could see what a truly emaciated horse looked like, they would be sickened and would never want to see another horse or animal like that. On top of that, they might want to jump in and get involved.
Sincerely,
Amie Belmont
P.S. I will keep you updated on my progress with Brownie.
We are an advocate for all animals and a member of PETA. We believe animal neglect, and especially animal abuse (physically hurting the animal or lab testing that causes animal pain should not be tolerated), and believe a better education system will help prevent animal neglect by discussing
proper food requirements or other health care needs of the animal. As animal right groups are constantly changing, so will our Animal Neglect Laws. It is important to work with your Livestock or Animal Control Officer to avoid misunderstandings. Try not to get defensive if you are under investigation. This may make the Law Officer defensive and real animal issues may not be resolved, maybe make matters worse. Remember your Law Officer has feelings and are Human too! They are just trying to do their job. Work with them. Explain your situation. Ask for their advise and follow their recommendations. Encourage positive change and continuing Education for Animal Law Officers. Also, remind the Law Officer to hear you out so you can offer an explanation.
If you can, offer your assistance for Rescue Help, Money, or other Donations! Clackamas County needs your help, as budget cuts continue.
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All prior references posted on this site referring to our case of improper investigation, did not include references implied to Deputy Robin Iverson. Deputy Robin Iverson had not been assigned the Damascus Horse Case, she was on vacation. Later, she was assigned to the case.
We know Deputy Robin Iverson has the necessary skills, work experience and especially
the overall understanding of animal health care issues and proper investigative techniques.
Her past, animal neglect cases, proves she is fair, objective, investigates over a period of time, gives a person a chance to correct the problem, and only then if the person does not
take her recommendations seriously, is when
she discusses the possibility of removing the animal from the care of the owner. Her past case files, shows she recommends owners to purchase de-wormers, feed, and or allows owners to make
the necessary changes she feels is needed
to improve the animals health and conditions.
Her job is not to babysit or to make sure the job, but to see if you have done the job. She can only make so many suggestions, before she too says that enough time has passed, and she can clearly see the owner of the animal is not making the necessary changes needed to care for the animal properly.
Our community, needs Deputy Robin Iverson, or someone just like her, as our Livestock Control Officer for Clackamas County. A Livestock Officer is not just about Animal
Law, or knowing a little bit about animals, it is about a complete understanding about the animal, recognizing symptoms, how an animal thinks or understanding illnesses. An Animal Investigator is more than just owning an animal or having some knowledge about animals. You have to know quite a bit, about the animal, and how to deal with people, such as, dealing with peoples emotions. No doubt people getting investigated might be a little alarmed or defensive if they feel they are accused of neglect.
It almost seems, like Deputy Iverson's job, as a Livestock Officer, is a combination of many professional occupations, which would include, pyschologist, private investigator, law expert,
farmer, pet expert, land management to list a few.
I would think CCSO would find it difficult to replace her unique and specific qualifications, which allows her to perform her job well done. Obviously, it would be hard to replace her with all her experience, and I don't think anyone looks forward to her retirement.
Let us not assume the job of a Livestock Officer is so easy. It's not!
Maybe we all learned a lesson or two when it came about our case, but that is how all of us learn. We learn and hope to improve, which hopefully benefits everyone. Maybe, everyone can give an inch or two toward positive change.
You know, everyone can stand to improve- it makes for positive change.
An area of kind suggestion to CCSO, would be when training a new recruit for Livestock Officer, we would urge recommendation for classes with the Humane Socity of United States, or at least having your Trainees watch extensive hours of
Animal Cops shown on Animal Planet. Possibly, our future Animal Cop Law Enforcement will be trained in a way to be trained in a way to best serve our community.
Over the next few years, social changes will most likely occur in Clackamas County regarding different value views of animal neglect and interpretation.
Let us prepare for these changes, by properly training new Animal Cop Law Enforcement Officers.
Let us be a proud leader, such as New York and Florida. Maybe we will have an animal cop show one day! If not, let us follow their example.
It takes alot to be an Animal/Livestock Control Officer. To be properly prepared for the job, you would have to have a complete
understanding how to raise all kinds of
livestock animals and pets first and what kind of complications might be expected.
The most important feature to be a Livestock Control Officer requires alot of investigation and documentation, and if an animal is thin does not necessarily mean neglect. There is alot of reasons why an animal may be thin, and currently the minimum care law leaves much room for
personal interpretation in the terms of neglect, especially when it pertains to food or the basic needs of for an animal.
A properly trained Animal Investigator generally first, finds out who owns the animals in question. Second, the Officer needs to find out why the animal is in the condition it is in and what can be done to possibly improve conditions, ideally offer basic education or advice. Third, give a person a period of time to comply, such as, call a veterinarian, buy more feed, wormer, etc.
If after a reasonable period of time, if the person does not comply, the person who is in charge of the animal should be cited
for failing to provide minimum care to
the animal.
Communication is always the key. If all animal neglect investigations involved good communication and provide education, surely
we would have less animal neglect cases.
Let us all support Clackamas County Sheriff's Office in promoting less crime, by a better education system. Remember,we have more horses and animals in Clackamas County, then any other County in Oregon. Surely, animal neglect cases or complaint calls in this area will increase, by the mixed values of the urban growth mixing into the rural areas.
This is something CCSO Livestock Department and Humane Society Officers will continue have to face and
deal with, including the changing values of animal rights and laws.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT? Are people such as Farmers neglecting more animals today than before? Or is neglect interpreted differently by the values of people who view animal neglect? Is the way we farm and raise are animals changing? Or are peoples overall views changing? How does a person or the Law keep up with all the value changes, especially pertaining to both animal and child neglect or abuse issues.
Question? About Animal Neglect:
Do you think fleas on
Dogs should be considered neglect, mange, or hot spots? Lice is common on horses and chickens,
like fleas on a dog. Rain rot(We can't stop the rain) is common in Oregon, like hot spots and mange on dogs often caused by food allergies or flea dander.
Often horse owners are being accused or cited for neglect, due to poor hair coat, lice, or rain rot. These conditions are similiar to Dog with either fleas or food conditions.
Food allergies, such as corn meal, cause alot of skin conditions. Corn Meal and additives and other fillers added into feeds, often cause unexplained hair loss on dogs, loose stools, weight loss. Is this neglect, when you do not understand why your animal is declining in health? Many of our customers have claimed they have taken their dog or horse to the vet, and their veterinarian could not determine the nature of problem. The only solution we
suggested was to change feeds, as allergies or intolerance to certain feeds were often found to be the problem causing the condition.
When purchasing feed for your dog. Try to stay away from chicken biproducts, which
includes feathers, beaks, feets, guts. Dogs often do not do well eating animal biproducts and often develop poor skin conditions and weight loss due from loose bowels and vomiting.
Suggestions would to stay away from corn fillers, and feed chicken meal, lamb meal, beef meal, or real meat.
We have had customers inform us that corn in horse feed also have caused unexplained hair loss, welts, lack of feed consumption. For some reason, corn does not do very well in certain animals.
Many of our customers purchasing feed for livestock and grain for animals are not aware of hidden fillers that can cause negative reaction to the overall health of animals, that result in poor hair coat and weight loss.
For example, Iams increased distribution of their dog food to grocery stores. Before, the grocery stores it was only found in pet or feed stores as a premium feed.
Many customers thought this was great and noticed the price of the product also dropped. After a period of time, these customers returned to our feed store and asked why their dogs were losing their hair, coat shine, vomiting, or had loose stools and asked if we heard of other people experiencing the same concerns. We spoke to our feed representives and we were advised the product list on the label had changed somewhat in order to reduce cost in order to cost effective place the product in grocery stores.
However, our customers were not made aware of the change on the label and thought they were purchasing the same dog food as before. Even after taking the dog to the veterinarian, the customers said their vet could not identify the problem. Different Customers, were trying hot spot creams, stomach medicines, flea treatments to try to relieve the various problems.
Only later to find out, the manufacturer had altered the ingredients, which in turn, made their dog look sick. Once the Dog was switched to other brands of feed, the adverse conditons of the dog virtually disappeared.
This is one example why it is so important to investigate, "ask questions", before conclusions of an owner neglecting their animal.
Also, try to help your neighbor, offer them a hand if they need help. In the olden days, neighbors helped build each other barns, with crops and if an animal got out, they helped return it. Now, neighbors often are seen getting angry with one another, calling authorities for every complaint that could have been resolved by a little kindness. What is happening with the way we feel for our neighbors?
Please do not complain against your neighbor and their animals because you have a dispute against them, it only makes neighbor wars, and it costs tax payers money every time the animal control officer has to respond to a complaint call.
Make your animal concern complaints a valid animal concern call. Please!
Refer to Horse Abuse and Neglect,"Fact and Fiction" by Kimball Lewis.
Double A Ranch
Animal Welfare Laws & Rights "LINKS"
Boring, Oregon 97009
Miscellaneous For Sale