Here is the media letter from the Grace Foundation:
Dear xxx,
I was given your name and email and wanted to contact you about reporting
this story first. The work you do is remarkable and I know if anyone can
get this story out and help these horses it would be you.
This is a story of extreme animal cruelty involving over 100 horses; 23
of these horses were found dead above ground, with dozens more presumed
dead in mass burial sites or "bone pits,” as the owner of the horses has
openly admitted.
Sadly, this story reveals the real-life impact of draconian budget cuts
and the incompetence of a small town’s government agencies, which are appointed to protect the most vulnerable in their community.
Perhaps one the most disturbing elements of this situation is how could a
man with no source of income, who is responsible for the deaths of dozens
of animals, be given custody of foster children? The answer for that may
come from his son-in-law who worked for the Lassen County agency that is
responsible for placing foster children into homes.
Fortunately this story also has a happy, human-interest component to it;
A horse named Dunbar, who was part of the first 20 horses taken from the
abusive owner in April 2011, has recently become an active duty police
horse for the Folsom Mounted Patrol and three other horses from this group
are working as therapy horses.
My name is Beth DeCaprio and I established The Grace Foundation of
Northern California, a non-profit organization founded in 2001; Grace
provides care, rehabilitation and re-homing of abused and neglected
animals. Many of these animals - specifically horses - are also
instrumental in rehabilitating and working with children from all walks of
life. Grace is located on 600 acres and is home to over 250 animals (170
of which are horses.) Each year over 6,500 children visit the ranch and
participate in various programs.
It is never our intent to get media needlessly involved, but 56 HORSES AND
18 UNBORN FOALS lives' are at-risk of going back into harm's way, and
getting their story out may be their ONLY HOPE!
I have outlined some details of the case below and I have included a link
to a story that ran in the Lassen County Times, which is the local
newspaper where these horses came from:
The story began when cell tower employees, that were working adjacent to
the property now known as "Whispering Pines Stables" in Lassen County -
Susanville, CA, witnessed a dead dog tied to a tree and many horses dead
and dying at the property. These workers had full view of the surviving
members of this emaciated herd. The 50+ starving horses were foraging for
food (only finding pine needles and bark) around the corpses of their
babies, mothers and friends.
Documents also show that citizens of Lassen County had been complaining to
Animal Control about the condition of these horses for over three years
and Animal Control was aware (for at least a year prior) that a large
number of horses were dead and dying on the property.
Animal Control made contact with Dwight A. Bennett the owner of Whispering
Pines and Bennett confirmed that he owned the horses.
We now know that one of the horses at Bennett’s ranch was actually owned
by a Lassen County Animal Control Officer named Judy Walesch; She recused
herself from the case, which is now being handled by an Assistant Director
of Public Works. This department oversees Lassen County Animal Control.
While Bennett has never denied that dozens of horses were dead and dying
on his property, he has maintained that someone was poisoning the horses.
A standard necropsy, performed on any one of the horses that had died,
could have confirmed or denied the presence of poison, but Animal Control
never investigated further.
In April 2011, Bennett agreed to give Lassen County Animal Control
ownership of 20 of the most severely emaciated horses on his property and
two dogs.
The Grace Foundation was contacted to help with the case and was asked by
Lassen County to provide the care for these horses. Grace brought in
their team of experts, including Julie McBride, a licensed therapist who
assists with hoarding and cruelty cases, and Dr. Michael W. Russell a
veterinarian that specializes in large animal veterinary care.
Lassen County officials stated that they could not afford to pay for the
care nor did they have the facilities to house these horses. The Grace
Foundation took possession of all 20 horses and agreed to cover the
majority of the costs for this initial group. The Grace Foundation was
assured that if they helped with building the case, that Lassen County
would pursue criminal charges and get the rest of the horses removed from
Bennett’s property.
The Grace Foundation experts documented the neglect, took videos and
photos of 23 dead horses, in addition to supplying Lassen County the
reports from both Russell and McBride which clearly stated their
professional opinions: ALL animals should be removed from the property.
In the months that followed, The Grace Foundation was assured numerous
times by Lassen County officials that charges would soon be filed.
Nothing happened with the case until late July when The Grace Foundation
learned that Bennett’s property was being foreclosed upon and the
remaining 36 horses were being cared for by a court appointed receiver via
the bank vested in the property.
The Grace Foundation was then asked by the receiver and Lassen County
officials to take custody of the remaining horses and provide them with
care, including medical treatment. It was also requested that The Grace
Foundation continue to provide Lassen County with the evidence needed for
the ongoing investigation of Bennett.
A grant was awarded to The Grace Foundation by Wells Fargo and Bank of
America (the banks that are foreclosing on Bennett’s property) in August
2011, in order to help cover some of the costs for the temporary care of
these horses.
In the kind of plot-twist that would strike moviegoers as implausible,
Bennett filed chapter 11 bankruptcy and placed the horses in the
bankruptcy as "assets" of his estate.
Bennett is now trying to regain custody of all the surviving horses.
Although it is unclear how he would care for the horses, given that his
only reported income is from the second of two foster children; Both of
whom have now been removed from Bennett’s custody by Child Protective Services.
These 36 horses now must be held in “protective custody” for an indefinite
amount of time, as Bennett’s bankruptcy case goes through the court
system.
The Grace Foundation is now left to carry the financial burden for these
horses. The situation became that much more dire for the Grace Foundation
financially, when blood tests preformed on the female horses revealed that
at least 18 of the mares are over 45 days pregnant!
Had Lassen County upheld the California State Law regarding animal
cruelty, none of this would be happening. The Grace Foundation would have
been able to move forward with placing these horses into permanent homes
and our system of government would have insured that a man responsible for
the death of dozens of animals could not harm anymore innocent victims.
This story is bigger than the small town that these horses came from; This
story is about our government agencies insuring the protection of our most
innocent: OUR children and animals.
I have attached a link to an article that ran in the local newspaper The
Lassen Times. You will see by the six pages of comments, that this story
has struck a real nerve with the community.
I hope and pray that you will consider telling this story,
Best regards,
Beth DeCaprio
Lassen article:
http://www.lassennews.com/home/7231-county-officials-review-horse-ranch-informationThe Grace Foundation website:
www.thegracefoundationofnorcal.orgContact information:
Beth DeCaprio
Executive Director- The Grace Foundation of Northern California
(916)941-0800 ranch (916)396-2768 cell
beth@thegracefoundationofnorcal.org
5800 Latigo lane
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762