Earlier this month, I read this in the Marshall News Messenger: “Don't mess with the Bill of Rights. It is patently dangerous and once one amendment is abridged then it lays the foundation to follow that example on the others.” Now, I would have said “Don’t mess with the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights” but I agree with the sentiment in the a the Marshall News Messenger.
The article was on the Supreme Court Case about metro areas that are abridging gun rights but goes on to mention the possibility for “illegal searches and seizures”. Well, guys, it looks to me like you’ve already got that going on in your own back yards and “once you step on the slippery slope, climbing back out can be difficult” is absolutely correct. So, in addition to paying attention to what’s going on in the big metros, maybe you should take those blinders off and see what’s right around the corner.
Marshall’s animal control supervisor, Evelyn Sepulvado, for the last five years was recently fired. In addition to her job where she was trying apparently trying to establish a “no kill” policy for the City shelter, Evelyn has run her own pet rescue operations for much longer than she had this job. The City didn’t explain the firing and the Messenger didn’t speculate. However, there was a bit of follow up in the Messenger.
Laverne Hughey of the Humane Society of Harrison County had rather glowing things to say about Evelyn and, from her reports, it would seem that Evelyn did significantly reduce the euthanasia rate at the City shelter but, without more details, it’s impossible to say whether that’s a good thing or merely a huge burden on the City caring for animals indefinitely – at taxpayer expense. While Laverne claims not to take sides between the City of Marshall and Evelyn, sure looks to me like she did just that and the article is a backhanded slap at the City.
While the City of Marshall didn’t explain it’s firing of Evelyn, I will speculate that she was having trouble separating and segregating her personal rescue operations and philosophies with her City job as animal control supervisor. I’ll be one of the last to accuse someone of being responsible for what ends up on the internet but I wouldn’t think the City of Marshall would be happy with this: “Marshall Animal Control (Evas Old Dogs - Rescue And Transport Company*); 607 E End Blvd S, Marshall, TX 75670-5613; (903) 935-4530” and it has Evelyn shown as the “manager”. That appears to be the City’s number and address to its animal control division associated with Evelyn’s private rescue. In another place on the internet, the phone number is tied to what appears to be Evelyn’s rescue and home address. This kind of cross over and confusion is what tends to happen if one isn’t carefully separating one’s personal an business activities and doing that is particularly important and relevant is one is a governmental employee.
And one is known by the company one keeps and I don’t much like Evelyn’s choice of “company” being the Humane Society of Harrison County because I checked their website and decided I don’t much like them. My first stop on a website is their link list and this one shows both HSUS and the ASPCA. I find the HSUS particularly despicable as they raise enormous amounts of money for their own use and benefit with (well) less than a single percent going to the actual care of animals. They support the anti-tether law which is so poorly drafted that the tethering allowed is down right dangerous to dogs. (Not to mention that it is a tether restriction law and calling it an “anti-tether” law is [and was intended to be] misrepresentative.)
And then there’s the potential thievery issues. These kinds of shelters take foundlings and then adopt them out with little or, more often, NO attempt to find the original owner. That’s just straight up thievery. This page is particularly offensive to me. “Probably dumped from some backwoods puppy mill”. Where the F do they get off making such an accusation over a single dog found wandering in a yard. This poor girl could have gotten out, lost, and been on her own for quite a while and these people take her in, clean her up, make that kind of statement, and then will “adopt out” (sell) her. Talk about using animals INAPPROPRIATELY!
They’ve got the beginnings of the “rat your animal owning neighbor out” stuff on their website to encourage you to turn people in so their animals will be seized. They seem to try to stay behind the scenes on animal seizures but I’ve found a couple of references to them involved in that so clearly they have no problem with the concept of people’s private property being seized for the benefit others, probably including them.
I do know that they referred a case to Caroline Wedding over in Marion County and it certainly appears that Caroline Wedding’s “Humane Society of Marion County” is nothing but a fund raising store front with no facilities; just her going out to assist in seizing other people’s animals for the last few years.
It certainly seems that East Texas is filling up with animal rights activists who have no regard to personal property rights at all. So, if you folks over there want to protect your constitutional rights, you might want to start dealing with the hyper activists like Caroline Wedding and the other Humaniacs that have no respect for you or your property!