Watch who you piss off in this town. People will apparently cut you off in an instant for even moving to see another version of the presented reality. That’s what I’ve now learned. And without a word. Good for them. When you need help and ask me, I’ll still give it. Just putting that message out there. I hope that goes both ways. But my questions remain questions. So if I’m to be condemned for seeing someone’s side who is going up against a multifaceted juggernaut, then so be it.

Truth is, it seems that with each week that goes by, almost without fail, another example is provided of how this animal welfare/rescue community is one of the most fractured and vindictive slices of work you could ever get involved in. Sad, but basically true. I hope that me being candid doesn’t serve to make others want to not get involved. Actually, the point of what I’m about to write is meant to inspire exactly the opposite. I want others to get involved, become engaged, speak your truths and try to be as decent as possible. All this is relevant when it’s of popular opinion, and same goes for when it’s not. I don’t claim ownership over all of the facts, nor do I know even remotely close to everything, but I can recognize when something doesn’t make sense and I will state as much.

I actually have to go out of my way to state that “I don’t know all of the facts” and that “I don’t know everything,” because people will actually parrot this back to me as if I’ve ever acted as though either was true. They’re not. I admit that I’m dumb and blind on more than I’m smart and sighted. But I try to pick and choose things that I deem important, and things that I find interesting, and then become as knowledgeable and open to possibility as I can be. That choice makes sense to my own heart and that is really all that matters.

With all that being said, I’ve taken some extreme heat here lately from 2 rather large organizations and their supporters. Much of this comes in public communications from people disagreeing with me, which is totally great and necessary for healthy communication, and I embrace and respect this each and every time as I’m nobody any more important than the next person. But then many times I find myself asking if some of these people actually genuinely disagree with me or are they just defending for the sake of defense? And beyond that, much more is what people don’t see, but what is ultimately being said and done in private, the hidden influence and the gossip, because that’s how most people work.

So, many of you are probably like, “Well, what the heck is this about?” A few days ago I put out a Facebook post questioning the validity of some of the storylines coming from the recent raid in Palm Springs known as “Operation Desert Dogs.” This was done by the Animal Rescue Corps, otherwise known as ARC, on a man that was caring for between 13 and 15 dogs in his home. If you watch the media clips, many which are still available (some that are not), you will hear phrases like these: “Hoarder,” “hoarding situation,” “covered in scars from fighting,” “deplorable conditions,” “animals were not cared for and neglected,” “excessive feces” and “cockroaches coming off of the dogs.” Okay. Sounds really bad. The videos don’t look ^that bad, aligned with all of those statements, even on first view. Now before anyone jumps the gun, I’m not saying that what these videos show isn’t extremely unfortunate, sad, bad, all of it. But I’ve seen “really bad,” and this doesn’t even come close to quantifying as that. Unsafe? Yeah, potentially. Overwhelming? Yeah, for sure. You can clearly see that all of the dogs are of sound weight and are displaying pretty good temperaments during this frenzy. Odd, considering what was stated.

What’s far more odd is that I was actually contacted privately by someone that I know and trust, someone who is actually in direct contact with the man in question, and there seems to be a ton more to this raid/rescue than what meets the eye. First of all, the shelter apparently adopted out an unaltered male dog to this man, while at the same time telling him he was already fixed (they even provided a neuter certificate). He had an unaltered female at home and wala, nature ran its course and by the time he realized it the deeds had already been done. Also, this man actually reached out to (and was covered by) the news back in August of 2012 after he was cited for having an “illegal kennel.” The man who cited him? The same shelter employee who adopted out the unsterilized male! He openly asked for help then, was given no options by the shelter and even turned away when the new litter came. So the guy raised them himself. They gave him 2 months to find homes for the dogs, those 2 months came and passed, they did nothing. Also, he actively tried to surrender 11 of the dogs to the shelter (due to pressure from outside areas and not getting re-homing help from the rescue community) just a week before this raid happened and they turned him away again. Why? Why? Why? Why? And why?

Why was a dog adopted out from the shelter intact, while at the same time telling the adopter that the dog had already been neutered and providing him with a certificate of the neuter to boot? Why did his media appearance from 8/2012 and subsequent requests for help go ignored by the rescue community? Why did the shelter fail to act upon their threat regarding the “illegal kennel”? Why did the shelter turn away the newborn litter? And why did the shelter turn away 11 of his dogs just a week prior to the planned raid? No one can answer any of these questions.

But oh, I have more… Why was there no feces shown laying anywhere in any of the videos or pictures? The conditions were far from ideal, granted, but the words thrown around the media don’t match the numerous visuals. Why were all of his dogs of sound weight, 2 even residing at his private vet during the raid (and they were also seized), and yet the promoted talking points were that he “didn’t care for his dogs” and “neglected” them? Why was a huge 501c3 welfare organization allowed to act under the color of law, in apparent conjunction with the shelter, animal control and the police department? Has the 4th amendment been eroded so badly that 40+ people of no legal authority can rummage through someone’s home, taking pictures and recording video, all to be used to villainize him in the media later? Why would that ever be done in such a way, and to a man that has asked for help and been both ignored and turned away? Why is this man’s personal dog, Bowser, constantly trotted out in front of the cameras as the prime example of how all of the dogs were constantly fighting? This man will tell you that Bowser was found on the streets over 2 years ago and has had those scars the length of their time together, that they came from being beat up pretty badly by multiple Dobermans. He has the vet bills that show that care was provided. Why does this man refute their constant claims that he willingly gave up all of his dogs? And if they really wanted to rescue the dogs, why didn’t they privately work with this man (at any time) in order to do just that, instead of setting all of this up and absolutely dragging him through the mud?

So I called out character assassination and started defending this man on numerous points. I also said that based on many of the things that I’ve now stated here, that it was my opinion that the shelter refused his dogs because the raid was already in the works and had he been able to surrender 11 of his 15 dogs there would have been no justification for any kind of a raid. You take what you want from that. But it’s hard to dispute, especially with the many questions that have gotten no answers. I called it an unnecessary spectacle. Yup. I stand by that.

ARC supporters started calling me a “conspiracy theorist.” They started questioning what kind of animal advocate I was if I didn’t have any problems with the condition of the home. Putting words in my mouth. Then after trying to beat back some of the more extreme judgments about the condition of this person’s home, they then started saying that I was implying that all poor people lived like hoarders. Putting more words in my mouth. Tim Woodward, COO of Animal Rescue Corps, dismissively stated that I was “not even credible enough to take seriously” and then called the points that I raised “hazy conspiracy theories.” There’s that label again. Okay.

So there’s that. And that coupled with all of the backlash that I’ve taken over the last 2 months regarding what is going on with NKLA and their “No Kill December” stuff. Good God, I’m simply asking questions and pointing out some highly legitimate shit. But no, that apparently quantifies me as a “hater” of NKLA. Really? Let me state this again, and again, and again…

I LOVE BEST FRIENDS AND THEIR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE SHELTER ADOPTIONS AND RESCUES AND TO DECREASE KILLING.

I LOVE ANIMAL RESCUE CORPS AND THEIR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS ANIMALS.

I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY. BUT IF YOU WANT TO MAKE ME OUT TO BE YOUR ENEMY SIMPLY BECAUSE I ASK SOME DAMN GOOD QUESTIONS AND ATTEMPT TO BRING FORTH SOME GENUINE POINTS, WELL, THAT’S YOUR PREROGATIVE. THAT STILL DOESN’T MAKE ME YOUR ENEMY, THAT JUST MEANS THAT YOU ARE LYING TO YOURSELF.

SO ONCE AND FOR ALL, I LOVE YOU BOTH AND AM GENUINELY YOUR ALLY IN YOUR NUMEROUS POSITIVE EFFORTS. THANK YOU FOR EXISTING. BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT I’M A ROBOT THAT DOESN’T HAVE MY OWN THOUGHTS, NOR DOES IT MEAN THAT I’LL STUMP OFF OF A PREDETERMINED SCRIPT IN ORDER TO BLINDLY DEFEND ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. IF THAT IS OFFENSIVE, OR A THREAT TO YOUR GOALS, WELL, THEN THAT’S JUST REALLY SAD. THAT IS ALL.