This blog has been overdue for a long time. I know those of you who read this stuff daily would love to know how things turned out. Please feel free to add links in the comments to anything I've missed (there's plenty!). If you haven't already figured out, you can use HTML to create a neat link no matter how long the address is.
OK first off - remember crazy Aussie vet with the starving brindle horses? Check THIS out. This woman is a total bat shit crazy hoarder. She thinks the horses want to be with her. Um, NO, they want to be with someone WHO FEEDS THEM.
A VET banned from keeping animals after she was convicted of gross animal cruelty is facing jail after claiming she did not understand she couldn't keep dogs, horses and a bird.
Julie Tilbrook wept in court yesterday as she held up a photo of one of her horses, telling a magistrate it felt sad and knew welfare inspectors were coming to take it. (FHOTD in: OK just get the straitjacket...)
RSPCA officers seized two stallions, five dogs and a canary - all in good condition - from her Lara property in January.
Tilbrook yesterday faced Geelong Magistrates' Court to answer eight new charges of owning animals in violation of a court order.
The fresh charges breached a six-month suspended sentence imposed last September after she was found guilty of starving and mistreating 22 horses, some of which were near death.
She was disqualified from owning animals for five years.
The court yesterday heard that Tilbrook last year applied for a stay of an order to remove the dogs, horses and bird so she could appeal the magistrate's ruling.
But it was rejected by a County Court judge on December 20 last year, meaning she could no longer keep the animals.
On January 15 RSPCA inspectors seized a Jack Russell terrier, four kelpies, two stallions and a canary.Tilbrook, who represented herself, said she was distressed and confused by the judge's decision, and asked her daughters to feed the animals while she got legal advice.
"I told my daughter, 'I'm going to get out of town because I have a feeling they are going to lock me up'."Tilbrook said she camped "up country" with no water because she feared a set-up.
She said she was forced back to her Lara house because it was being vandalised, but claimed she did not go near the animals.
Tilbrook showed magistrate Michael Coghlan a picture of a stallion removed by the RSPCA in January.
"This is a very sad horse. That is a horse who knows he is the next one. He has seen people come to the property and take away his herd," she said, crying.
Mr Coghlan said Tilbrook organised someone else to care for the animals because she knew the ban was in effect and was trying to get around it.
He said he was satisfied the animals were in her possession.
Mr Coghlan urged Tilbrook to hire a lawyer and arrange material relating to mental health problems.
"You are facing a significant term of imprisonment. It concerns me there may be material that may put things in a different light," he said.
Prosecutor Andrew Halse said the RSPCA hoped to find the animals new owners.
Tilbrook faces court on May 29. Click here to go to the Herald Sun website for this story
Blog with updates on Scarlett - she is doing great! Featured on FHOTD here.
Blog with updates on Prince and Cricket - they are doing great! Featured on FHOTD here.
One of my loyal readers made contact with the new owner of Waterwheel and the mare got a good home and is safe! She was featured on the blog here and here's the update:
"Waterwheel is being spoiled by a WONDERFUL owner. She and the other 3 mares that were purchased from that sale all had healthy babies!
I caught her while she was feeding and she was quite fun to chat with. She explained to me that she's an Equine Vet Tech who lost a beloved horse a few years ago, a Off-the-track Standardbred. She at one time had many horses and when she decided to go look at the auction it was because she had plenty of room AND LOVE to give.
She bought all 4 mares in foal, but not for racing purposes. She mentioned she's done a bit of dressage, but doesn't show. Is ecstatic about the babies and they all have happy, comfy homes with their moms. I got the inmpression from her that she kinda knew there were horses that really needed homes and someone suggested looking at the TB sales because thats where they get 'dumped'. I didn't quite get the whole background about why she picked that one, but I guess it doesn't matter ;)
Waterwheel is a sweet mare, in her new owner's words. Very loving and happy and healthy and fed 4 times a day with about 6 hours of turn-out per day too."
Remember the awful case of Petunia? There IS a prosecution going on, HOORAY!
"You had posted a few months back about a cruelty case involving MJP Stables in Alloway, NJ , where an older grey show pony had a broken hip & was just thrown in a back stall to suffer.
Petunia was being leased to a client of MJP & the actual owners found the pony in this state, very underweight & was suffering. They had Petunia put down shortly after getting the pony back. I could not find the actual post of your site, but I figured that might jog your memory.
This is a local case. The newspaper today said that she was found indicted by a grand jury for cruelty & they are going back soon for a status hearing. This is the article.
http://www.nj.com/news/sunbeam/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1203491419151180.xml&coll=9 "
OK I'm changing my post, which I rarely do, but apparently Dean has a doppelganger and while I am suspicious as to what ANYONE is doing picking up that many horses at once at the Enumclaw sale, I have a MUCH BIGGER ISSUE to address about what happened yesterday which I will in a new post.
