Colorado animal sanctuaries are hoping for action after reports of a Weld County woman with dozens of farm animals kept in poor conditions around decaying animals in a small enclosure resulted in no criminal charges from the sheriff’s office.
Weld County animal control officers on Jan. 31 responded to a property in the 5400 block of F Street, where someone reported several farm animals were sharing a pen with dead and decaying animals. The reporting party added that the living animals were being neglected and not receiving adequate food, water or shelter.
Despite confirming at least seven dead animals at varying stages of decomposition were inside the enclosure with more than two dozen living animals, officers were unable to find evidence to support criminal charges, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office. On Friday, officers met with the owner of the animals to seek consent to have a necropsy performed on one of the dead animals, but she declined. Probable cause for a search warrant could not be established.
A state veterinarian, responding to the property at the request of the sheriff’s office, determined Friday that the living animals had “acceptable body condition and were not in immediate danger of starvation,” according to the statement. Though the living conditions weren’t desirable, the veterinarian found the enclosure was of adequate size for the number of animals on the property.
The sheriff’s office also contacted county health officials, as well as planning and zoning officials, but representatives from both agencies determined there were no violations regarding the living conditions of the animals.
A west Greeley resident who has a plain view of the property from her backyard said she’s had concerns for animals on the property over the past year, sometimes calling law enforcement to have the animals checked on. She asked not to be named due to concerns of retaliation. She said the remaining animals are eating the carcasses of the dead animals, spurring concerns not just for the animals’ welfare, but the potential for disease.
Other neighbors with a view of the property are starting to speak out, according to the resident. She expressed extra concern for the animals with the upcoming cold weather this week. She said she wants a second, hands-on assessment by a veterinarian, saying that the state veterinarian who visited Friday didn’t even enter the pen.
The property owner filed to evict the owner of the animals in early November, but the eviction is being appealed, according to online court records. A review is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 11 before Weld County Judge Todd Taylor. Court records for the owner of the animals show she was convicted in 2014 of third-degree assault. She has an ongoing court case involving financial matters against a mobile home park. Twice in 2020, the property owner sought a temporary restraining order against the owner of the animals, but both cases were dismissed.
The property owner eventually contacted Floss Blackburn, founder and president of the Denkai Animal Sanctuary, to try getting help for the animals. Blackburn said she’s worked with the sheriff’s office on similar cases in the past and was surprised by the agency’s determination that there was no probable cause. Blackburn cited a number of concerns about the property, including signs of malnourishment and health concerns and inadequate food, water and shelter.
“I have been called in with the sheriff’s department for cases that were very similar to this, or they weren’t even quite as bad as this, that they have seized animals from. So I’m having a hard time understanding what the reasoning is,” Blackburn said.
Amy Smith, a co-founder of Rescued Friends Animal Sanctuary, said she started to get involved after Blackburn contacted other sanctuaries about the issues. Rescued Friends is a sanctuary for abused and neglected farm animals.
“We’ve been doing this four years, so I feel very comfortable and familiar with farm animals, and as soon as I saw the situation, I was appalled at the space they were in,” Smith said.
Smith described pot-bellied pigs emaciated to the point of being able to see each vertebrae on them, sheep and goats with collars that were too tight and a very sick dog. She and Blackburn also described legs from the dead animals tied to the fencing.
First Gentleman Marlon Reis shared a news story about the property to his Facebook, calling on the state legislature to remedy the “largely nonexistent” laws protecting animals raised for food.
“It’s clear to me that the Weld County Sheriff explored multiple avenues for more thorough investigation, but our current laws won’t allow the office to go any further in helping animals that are enclosed in a pen with other animals that are dead and decaying,” he wrote in another post about the property.
Blackburn, Smith and the unnamed Greeley resident all agreed the case highlights a need for stronger laws to protect animals, especially farm animals. Blackburn said the legislation would have to be realistic and not risk the livelihoods of ranchers and farmers. A distinction between hobby farmers and actual ranchers could be a step on that path, she said.
The three also agreed on the need to keep efforts to help the animals within legal bounds, something the sheriff’s office emphasized in its statement.
“The sheriff’s office is aware of social media chatter advocating for the removal of the animals from the property by any means necessary. We would like to remind the public that anyone who is caught taking an animal from the property will be arrested and could face criminal charges,” the statement reads.
Next steps for the trio aren’t clear. The Greeley resident hopes more neighbors will work with the community to try finding a solution, but the fact the affected residents are in the city while the offending property is in the county complicates matters, she said. Smith and Blackburn said they hope to continue elevating the issue, through possibly more law enforcement, different agencies or even the governor’s office.
“It’s heartbreaking. The only good thing that I’ve seen come out of it is there are so many people coming together trying to help the animals,” Smith said. “That gives me hope. Not only for the animals, but for the world we’re in right now.”
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February 08, 2021 at 09:01AM
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Greeley resident describes severe mistreatment of animals at Weld property as sanctuaries hope for action - Greeley Tribune
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