I am sure you all remember the sad story of Ruby (first posting, second posting), the APHA mare in horrible condition that was in desperate need of being euthanized, not bred. Ruby was euthanized with the help of Second Chance Ranch, but - as is usually the case - she wasn't the only animal suffering at the hands of these people. The bottom-feeders' names are Richard and Maria Huffman and Michael Wopat and I'm posting today because we need your help. I just got this update over the weekend:
"Ruby's owner Maria Huffman is skating with time served! The defense and prosecution wants 90 days (they served that already) and 5 year ban on owning animals. (yeah, like THAT will work!).
There is time to call Judge Ira Uhrig. He does NOT have to accept the terms of the guilty plea. PLEASE print his number on your blog so people can call him!! 360-676-6747. That is his direct office line."
Sentencing is February 5, 2009 (this Thursday!).Here's a news story with more details:
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/onpatrol/story/774899.html
FHOTD may have broken the story about these folks, but we only scratched the tip of the iceberg - they had FIFTY-SEVEN animals suffering at their home!
In case you need a little more motivation to call, allow me to quote from the news story:
"The three were arrested on Oct. 27 and released. As part of their release, they were ordered not to possess any animals, but four dogs were found living in a kennel on the property Maria Huffman and Wopat rented, according to charging documents filed in Superior Court.
Their landlord ordered the dogs removed, and a neighbor told investigators that he saw Wopat on the property late at night Oct. 29, according to court documents. Two days later, the neighbor found the dogs with their throats slashed. Only one puppy survived, and she is now doing well."These are classic repeat offenders. They will NOT stop on their own! They need to be locked up and for long enough to think about the horrific crimes they have committed.
Time served, my you-know-what! Please call Judge Uhrig at 360-676-6747. It should go without saying that polite, succinct and profanity-free is the way to make your point. To me, the most important point is that someone who will slash the throat of a puppy is awfully close to the line of doing just that to a human being. That shows a level of depravity far beyond hoarding and starving animals (which is bad enough!)
Finally, thanks to the original person who intervened here and asked for help...there is really no telling how many lives you saved by helping publicize what was going on in that household. Probably fifty seven lives! So if you feel like reporting things to animal control or the sheriff is pointless, you're wrong. Report, report, report. You may be the only person standing between that animal and a horrible death.
P.S. If anybody has the mug shots, I'd love to put them up. I looked but couldn't find them in any news stories!
