Bloggers note:
As my blog readers know I rarely offer any opinions or commentary on the stories linked within this blog. Recently however I was moved to respond after reading and watching the video regarding the McMullen family of Spokane, Washington...I encourage you to read and view all the links below before joining the discussion: here
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Woman Defends Living Conditions Of Animals Seized By SCRAPS
Colleen O'BrienSCRAPS and the Spokane County Sheriff Office seized 75 dead animals and 120 live animals ranging from chickens to cats and guinea pigs to rabbits from a Stateline home Saturday, but the owner and her neighbor are defending the conditions in which the animals lived.
SCRAPS received an anonymous tip that animals were living in deplorable conditions and weren't being fed at a home in the 6200 block of North Idaho Road; a home they were familiar with.Carol McMullen, 68, and her now 28-year-old son James McMullen have been accused of animal neglect before, charges that have resulted in jail time. Pet-Abuse.com cites a Spokesman Review article that lays out the multiple times officers have visited their home to take away severely neglected animals.
The cases date back to 2001, and in 2011 SCRAPS details the same type of neglect is going on at the house again with hundreds of animals. Goats, chickens, guinea pigs, rabbits, ducks, cats, and dogs were all taken from the home because they had not been given ample food or water..." More & video
Feb 1, 2011: Woman denies animal abuse allegations are true
NEWMAN LAKE, Wash. -- Animal control officers seized more than 100 animals from a farm off North Idaho Road in Newman Lake, Washington Saturday. SCRAPS said they were emaciated and living in poor conditions.
Records show SCRAPS took dozens of animals from Carolyn McMullen in 2004. Neighbors said they were not surprised to hear of the new allegations of animal abuse. Carolyn's son, James, said the family pleaded guilty to 13 misdemeanors as part of a plea deal. But the family denies any truth of recent allegations of animal abuse and neglect.
James said his mother did take care of each animal.
"There's nothing wrong. Everyone was healthy, proper pens, ducks were running free, enough food for them," said James.
SCRAPS agents tell KREM 2 News Carolyn was not providing proper food, water, or living conditions for all the animals. Among the 120 animals recovered, workers also found roughly 75 dead animals including rabbits and guinea pigs. Charges for the alleged neglect and abuse have yet to be filed. Agents are still poring over evidence.." More
2 comments:
Sadly,we are only seeing one side of this story!The media and S-CRAPS only allow one side.These people have only been harrassed by SCRAPs.No one ever discloses the truth on the Carol or James side.Well here it is!Carol has been a foster parent for years and even adopted many of the mentally handicapped children she fostered(James and Margaret and a few others).She has always provided the best that she could.She has a huge heart,which is where the animals come in.She will often take in animals that otherwise would be killed for deformities or other issues.She is never inhumane to her animals often taking every means possible to save them!All of the dogs that were confiscated from the so called illegal kennel early on were spade or neuterd and several were very old!SCRAPS didn't disclose the fact that they tried to re-spay several dogs only to find that they were already fixed!Carol lost several of her dogs to infections caused by SCRAPS after they were returned to her in 2004/2005.
With the latest case the cats were all spayed and neutered prior to SCRAPS confiscating them,and they were put down due to the fact that they were old and not able to be adopted out.The goats and sheep are anywhere between 9-16 years old aside for a few.The sheep was 16 years old and was put down on the property by SCRAPS.Pretty humane so far,huh?If conditions were so poor,why were the fat cows and overweight donkey and llama allowed to stay as well as all of the "fixed"dogs??
The other thing not mentioned is the fact that all of the animals that were dead were killed and put in the freezer for snake food and human consumption!Since when did it become illiegal to kill your own animals humanely for your own use??I know of severl people that show rabbits and raise them that aren't quite so humane with theirs!One show judge turns his Netherlands loose for hawks and owls to "deal"with,and another puts baby bunnies in the freezer at two days old if they aren't marked correctly for showing.These are the same people who are stirring things up for the McMullens because they owe someone money for Cull rabbits that were sold to James on contract.Please!These people are just dumping their cull rabbits on him because they know he will buy them.They are taking advantage of his mental disability.He,by the way,has the mentality of a 12 year old,with a huge heart!
So let's get our facts straight and stop selling rabbits and other animals to him on contract!He has to feed them and the money that he would be sending these people is going to feed instead.He has even offered to give back animals after he realizes he can't afford to pay for them and feed them,but guess what?These people only care about the money and won't take their animals back!
He has had a vet out to do a farm health certificate and all checked out just fine!
I really hope their attorney goes after SCRAPS and the local rabbit club for all of the harrassment that these people have had to endure,not to mention the inhumane things that SCRAPS has done to their animals.
The other thing not mentioned in the News or SCRAPs report is that Carol is living for a short time in the fifth wheel because the property and old trailer are being cleaned up and taken to the scrap yard and dump.A nice new trailer will be in place shortly and the property will look nice.
Remember there is always two sides to every story,this is a waste of tax payers money and time.
If all of what you said is true then why was Carol and her daughter arrested again for having several dogs when they knew they were not supposed to and why is the same nasty trailor there? I don't know Carol personally but I know of her and have seen her property several times. I even took a tour of her place several years ago to see some birds she had and they were in very poor condition even then but just good enough so that I doubt anything would have been done about it at that time. It was only a few months later that the raid happened in 2004. If she is so innocent then why has this been going on since 2001. I doubt that she has been being victimized for 10 years. I went by the trailor not to long ago and it was still there and looks just as nasty as it did the last several times I have been by there. Four months later and still no new trailor. No Carol is as guilty as they say she is. I am sure that SCRAPS did do more harm than good to her animals when they took them and spayed them and neutered them but seriously do you expect me to believe that a woman with no employment and who likely lives on SSI or some other state assistance was able to afford to get all of those animals fixed? Maybe a few of them were who knows but you can't blame SCRAPS for not knowing if they were not shown any kind of proof that the animals had been fixed. Besides I know someone who bought a puppy from her years ago so at least at some point she was breeding and selling the dogs. I mean I am sure Carol is a nice person and means well but you have to draw the line somewhere and hold her responsible for her own actions. She needs a psycological evaluation and possibly to be placed in a facility for elderly because it is clear that she can't care for herself nor is she able to care for anything or anyone else at this time.
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