After receiving a tip over the weekend about the alleged situation with livestock in Colorado This included hungry pigs left outside in freezing conditions, WAN did a little research and uncovered a gruesome case of animal cruelty.
Unfortunately, this complex case involves a group of 20 farm animals and other animals who have become innocent victims of brutal cruelty and neglect, presumably under supervision Halina Morley and Laurel Burchell.
One of the reasons this case differs from most livestock accumulation cases is the small “manageable” number of animals in the area. There are much more pressing problems in this case, which are being investigated by the local police and authorities.
Yesterday morning, WAN had the opportunity to speak with the founder and president of the non-profit organization, Denkai Animal Shelter, Floss Blackburn, first alerted to the situation by Mary Stevens, an 80-year-old property owner located in Weld County, Colorado. Stevens has leased a small portion of her land to Morley and Burchell, where they keep their animals.
As Blackburn notes, Stevens is trying to evict their tenants and has made an appeal for help. Blackburn visited this hotel on February 3rd.rd and found that animals tolerate freezing temperatures without proper bedding, food, and water. Live animals included pot-bellied pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, a rabbit and a dog. Blackburn noticed the suffering at the site among the already dead.
After discovering the badly neglected animals, Blackburn contacted the authorities, who reportedly said there was no evidence of wrongdoing. Blackburn then called Zackery Vaughn, an animal control officer from Weld County Sheriff’s Office demand an autopsy of animals, because then they will have the necessary evidence.
The request was denied.
According to Blackburn, who highlighted that Colorado’s animal welfare laws are severely lacking, Vaughn explained that “Morley cares for these animals at the minimum levels of the statute, so the sheriff’s department couldn’t do anything else. than continue to monitor the situation. “
“The bare minimum is not enough for animals to survive,” disappointed Blackburn told WAN.
WAN also contacted Joe Moylan, a Weld County Sheriff’s Office representative, about the situation and what can be done to save the animals in the area. Moilan stated that they studied the situation for two weeks and recently visited the property, but could not find any violations that could warrant an animal cruelty charge.
“We were considering getting a warrant,” Moylan told WAN, explaining that they “called the state veterinarian who said everything was fine.”
It seems that in this case, a lot is wrong. Blackburn explained to WAN that the people present during the visit told them that “the vet did not lay hands on the animals to make an accurate assessment.”
The Weld County Sheriff’s Office is reportedly receiving calls and emails from people and rescuers trying to help. However, they continue to claim that the law is tying their hands to the removal and safe care of animals.
Incomprehensible, according to statement published by Denkai Animal Sanctuary, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office also reportedly made it clear that people trying to help these animals are bringing food, providing water, posting site visits, and triggering “ false reports ” regarding the well – belonging to these animals will be quoted and may be arrested.
