From: Susan Michaels <susan@pasadosafehaven.org>
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 22:17:20 -0700

URGENT UPDATE: 10/21 10:16 pm pm PST
Your help is needed NOW!
CROSSPOST WIDELY PLEASE!
Dozens of pitbulls, who we rescued, walked, hugged, and cared for for days, were transferred to a shelter in Arkansas named EDNA (Every Dog Needs a Home) after the Humane Society of Louisiana, as well as Best Friends had sent animals there. We also had volunteers travel to EDNA and return stating that animals were well-cared for. After these credible recommendations, PasadoRescue chose to place non-aggressive pitbulls with EDNA.
From what we can tell, Ms. Hanson has been under attack for years for caring for pitbulls by various local Arkansas groups, warranted or not. Tonight, spurred on by these local groups, sheriff's deputies raided Ms. Hanson's facilities and charged her with animal cruelty. We understand they are threatening to kill dogs tomorrow.
We understand that the veterinarian who assisted the sheriff in the raid stated these animals are vicious. We know, for a fact, that the animals that we transported to this facility were on our laps, able to be hugged, loved, fed by hand. This is untrue. He also stated that none of these animals had been treated by a veterinarian prior to transport to AR. Also not true. ALL the animals transported were all under the care of licensed veterinarians. We have records to prove it.
If these animals were not well cared for by Ms. Hanson, then we agree that animals need to be removed. And PasadoRescue will gladly take care of all transport and care. But NO LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY has a right to kill these animals. These are the pets of hurricane victims. People are still trying to find their animals.
You need to call the Baxter County Arkansas Sheriff and the Arkansas State Attorney General and tell them that killing these animals is killing someone's pet. Someone's property. And they will be legally liable.
Sherrif John Montgomery: Tel 870-425-7551 or 870) 425-6222 Fax: 870-425-1669
Mike Beebe, Arkansas Attorney General Tel1-800-482-8982 E-mail: http://www.goflashgo.com/agcontactform.htm

Read the letter sent to the Arkansas State Attorney General and to Sheriff John Baxter

Date: October 21, 2005 9:06pm PST
To: Sheriff John Montgomery Baxter County, Arkansas, Mike Beebe Arkansas Attorney General
By Certified USPS mail, facsimile and electronic mail

I am writing on behalf of Pasado's Safe Haven, an authorized animal rescue group involved in Hurricane Katrina rescue work in the Gulf. We understand you and others in your state are planning to euthanize dogs rescued on behalf of residents of the State of Louisiana that have been confiscated from Tammy Hanson. We believe this would be a moral and, quite likely, a legal mistake.

The reasons are many but basically, the dogs are still owned by Louisiana residents and are being fostered Tammy Hanson. She is under contract to return them to their owners should they contact her.

We respectfully suggest that you contact local counsel before acting further. Failure to do so may subject you to personal liability. Please call with questions.

Tad Seder, Assistant Chief
Civil Division/Sno. Co. Prosecutor's
2918 Colby Ave., Everett, WA 98201

Facts regarding dogs transferred to Tammy Hanson from Pasado's Safe Haven:

PasadoRescue's priority has been to place every animal in a safe and healthy environment. Pasado's Safe Haven will not place animals without at least two references from credible sources. As you can imagine in the case of a disaster of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina, many people offered to take animals that we rescued. We would not release animals unless their history could be verified. In Tammy Hanson's case, she was recommended to us by multiple sources including veterinarians, the Humane Society of Louisiana, Best Friends, and other rescue facilities. The Humane Society of Louisiana stated that both their organization and Best Friends had sent animals to Ms. Hanson's facility.

Because we are committed to the life-long, well-being of each animal that we and other organizations rescued during the Katrina disaster, we were concerned about rumors that local groups near to Ms. Hanson had circulated about her. To further assure we were placing animals in a qualified, caring environment, two volunteers, assisting at our Raceland veterinary triage center, traveled to visit Ms. Hanson's facility. They were welcomed by her to tour the facility and they returned to Raceland, LA with nothing but good things to say about Tammy, the facility, and the condition of the animals themselves. To confirm that the animals that we would transfer continued to be kept in good condition, we arranged for one of our volunteers to visit Ms. Hanson's facility next week.

Dr. Snodgrass, the veterinarian that Sheriff Montgomery chose to assist in the seizure of the animals from Tammy Hanson stated they were all vicious animals. That they tried to "bite the hands of those trying to give them food or water". The dogs transferred by PasadoRescue to Ms. Hanson were photographed and videotaped at our Raceland facility being walked by volunteers several times a day, fed by hand, and hugged. The hundreds of volunteers who assisted PasadoRescue have absolutely no motive other than care and concern to help these animals. Several of these organizations sent certified dog trainers down to assist us with the "more aggressive" dogs, not all of which were pit bulls. Not one of the dog trainers said that any one of the animals was not "retrainable". In fact, several of the dogs are being rehabbed by one of the trainers in AR. This is evidence that will be very difficult for the sheriff to dispute if he should chose to kill these animals based on their "aggression"

Furthermore, Dr. Snodgrass noted that these animals were brought into the State of Arkansas illegally, without veterinarian inspection. This is not true. All of the animals PasadoRescue transferred to Ms. Hanson had a complete and thorough examination by a veterinarian. There are veterinary medical documents on every animal, dated and signed by a licensed veterinarian.

If, for any reason, it is proven that Ms. Hanson is indeed not caring for these animals, we will be the first to support charges of animal neglect. But we will not accept lies that are developed by Dr. Snodgrass or the sheriff regarding the behavior/temperament of the animals to support their case or the statement that these animals were not examined by a veterinarian. And above all, these animals are property of Louisiana residents and should not be euthanized under any circumstances.

Emma Devailier, the Louisiana State Assistant Attorney General who has been leading the investigation with Pasado's Safe Haven into the St. Bernard pet shootings, has been contacted to act on behalf of the owners of the pets Sheriff Montgomery threatens to kill.

Lastly, Pasado's Safe Haven will do all it can to assist the owners of these pets to pursue civil judgments against Baxter County, Arkansas, Dr. Snodgrass, and all parties involved in euthanizing these animals.

We are now preparing signed affidavits from individuals referred to above, as well as videotapes and photographs should litigation be necessary.

For the animals,
Susan Michaels
Co-Founder, Pasado's Safe Haven
www.pasadosafehaven.org <http://www.pasadosafehaven.org/>
Charity Navigator Update: Charity Navigator has now ranked Pasado's Safe Haven the only 4-Star animal charity in the Northwest. Click to see how other local and national animal charities use your donated dollars:
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/6634.htm