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2001 Animals' Advoc. 1 (2001)

handle is hein.animal/aniad0020 and id is 1 raw text is: THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND SPRING 2001 #1 From Fire to Fr y in Pan How forfeiture laws mistreat abused animals soft brown eyes and a glossy, N ellie is a mixed-breed dog with brown-and-white coat. She was forced to live in a cage for over 22 months at a humane society in the Willamette Valley in Oregon until her owner was found guilty of animal neglect and sentenced to jail. Like countless other animals, she was vic- timized twice - first by her owner, and then by the legal system that's supposed to protect her. Nellie lived on a school bus with 116 other dogs, four cats and two chickens who belonged to an animal collector named Vikki Kittles. On April 15, 1993, Clatsop County Oregon Ani- mal Control Services seized the ani- mals. They were malnourished, coated with urine and feces and had sores from lying in their own filth. While Kittles' case dragged through the sys- tem, the dogs were held at various shelters throughout the state. Only when the court finally declared that Kittles had no custody rights to the dogs did they become available for adoption. Tragically, today - eight years after that shocking case - little has changed for abused animals. When animals are removed from cruel or neglectful situa- tions, they are still too frequently impounded for months or even years until the criminal case is settled or results in a conviction. Rescued animals arrive in shelters traumatized from their ordeal, which is then compounded by extended shelter stays. Nellie's guardian, Jean Kunkle, recalls the first days of owning the dog. I called her Nellie because she was such a nervous Nellie, she says. She was too afraid to go out in my back- yard by herself. She wouldn't eat or drink water when I was in the room. She shook in fear. Animal shelters and humane soci- eties are also harmed because of the high costs involved in caring for mis- treated animals over an extended peri- od. This is an egregious situation in animal collector cases, which often involve large numbers of animals. Typically, animal care agencies don't have the financial resources to care for so many animals - it means sup- plying food, housing and medical care. Most states have laws providing that a defendant's rights to animals seized in abuse and neglect cases may be forfeited after conviction. A dozen continued on page 4 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

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