Clean, fed, vetted, warm, dry -- and in limbo for another two months.
The trial of Linda Kapsa has been continued until July.
News report here.
You can link to the defense motion and the prosecution's response (as a PDF) from the Billings Gazette page. (I can't say enough about the caliber of the coverage that the Billings Gazette has provided. These guys are shoring up my faith in the Fourth Estate.)
Two more months of institutional life for the 250+ English shepherds (and the three pugs, the mongrels, the cockatiels, chickens and cats).
While this is not great for the adult dogs, most continue to make behavioral progress because county custody is so much better than their former lives. For the puppies -- it's all bad. Because the puppies could have had totally normal lives if they'd been released so they grew up in foster care and were placed in permanent homes at the appropriate age. Instead, they cannot be taken out of the perimeter that contains them as living evidence. Volunteers must work with them as well as they can in an environment that can only be varied so much.
For the volunteers and county workers charged with doing their best for these sentient beings qua items of evidence -- well, imagine running a marathon through rain, snow, mud, and abuse by the spectators on the sidelines, and just as you approached the finish line, depleted, exhausted, sobbing, but exhilarated -- a race official pops out of nowhere and moves the line ten miles down the road. (Oh, and there will be heat and bugs and elevated invective for the rest of the race.)
Update -- HT to Vikki in Sweden -- As if two more months was not enough: Today's Billings Gazette
And more, here.
When I first heard this news, my first thought was "Oh no! the puppies!"
ReplyDeleteI'm dismayed beyond belief.
Heather, I am sure it is going to get much worse before it gets better; as evidenced by today's Gazette article.The dogs are as most often happens, the biggest losers.
ReplyDeleteVikki (Sweden)
That is just so wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am confused by is why isn't there a bond law in place? I know that in some states, a person accused of animal cruelty has to put up a bond to pay for their care - which I think is reasonable- but in other states, the animals are seized and the person has no chance to do that. (And I agree in general that people charged with cruelty shouldn't get to keep the animals while a case is ongoing - but I also thik a law like this would have protected the LA pitbulls who got put down before the guy was found innocent and cases like that, no?)
ReplyDeleteA mess, all around.
I'm going to put out some NESR-specific pieces for sale (entire proceeds to the Save Dale fund ;P) at the pet fair I'm vending at next weekend. Good thoughts for a good outcome.
This situation just keeps getting worse. Heather, I followed your link to the Billings paper to see the article about postponing the trial. But worse yet, in my opinion, it sounds like Kapsa is starting to try to gather evidence to claim damages against her by the county, which she successfully did once before. How can she be mentally unable to stand trial on the criminal matters, yet wily enough to think of bringing a civil suit? Heather, please put all of your intellect and writing skills to use against this woman in any way that you can. Susan
ReplyDelete