Property Rights and Right and Wrong

I had some questions asked following my post yesterday about ARC and Scotlund Haisley. There's lots of information about Mr. Haisley online. I particularly like Blue Dog State's write-up about him in 2010 where there are some details about Mr. Haisley's employment history, complete with photos of him kicking in doors and mishandling dogs. Haisley has worked for In Defense of Animals and HSUS, though he was let go from both places, perhaps because of the lawsuits that followed his raids.

You can also read about Haisley in an earlier San Francisco Gate article which provides some personal background.

As for ARC (Animal Rescue Corps), Haisley formed them last year. They are funded by radical animal rights groups like Ady Gil World Conservation group, the same people who fund the Sea Shepherd Foundation and anti-whaling activities, and who aren't afraid to get violent. They are also funded by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation which funds lots of animal rights groups. These financial backers are not secret. They routinely put out press releases when ARC conducts one of their animal seizures. I would imagine that anyone who sues ARC and Haisley for illegal animal seizures can expect to be paid lots of money if they win their case. Or perhaps they can accept a big payoff to make the case go away with such rich friends.

I was also contacted by the person who originally posted ARC's plea for donations. She wanted to know what I had against an animal group raising money for a roof. I have to admit that I literally laughed out loud. I don't have anything against animal groups raising money for roofs or for any legitimate purposes. However, I DO have a big problem with dishonesty and with trying to personally benefit by seizing someone else's animals.

Whether or not this situation involved a "dog fighting ring" or any other kind of animal activity that people don't approve of is for the courts to decide. It should not be left up to a group of animal rights vigilantes to come in and take someone's animals. Once those animals were in ARC's custody, ARC is a very well-funded organization and they do not need money from the public to care for the dogs. It is disingenuous for them to solicit money from the public to care for the dogs and then for someone to say, "We're going to use this money to put a roof on a building for this animal group."

You can't just seize someone's animals in order to use them to raise money for your own plans. By all means, let the animal group have a fundraiser or do other things to raise money for their roof. Go for it! But, you can't take money under false pretenses (i.e., we need the money to "care" for the dogs). You can't seize animals just because you don't approve of the owners or how they care for the dogs if they are not actually breaking the law. And at this point the owners have not had their day in court. All too often, not just in Tennessee but everywhere, dogs are seized and spayed/neutered, and even adopted out to new owners before the owners even make a court appearance or see a judge. Dogs and other animals are PROPERTY. They have financial value. No one should be able to do anything permanent with these animals before an owner has due process in a court of law. To be picky about it, the dogs are EVIDENCE. How can an owner receive any kind of justice when animal groups are busy spaying, neutering, and adopting out the animals before the owner has ever gone to court?

Unfortunately, the law is circumvented in many states and dogs are long gone before an owner can do anything to stop it, whether they are innocent or guilty, no matter how they might plead in court. All that's left is for them to try to save themselves and for the animal groups to go on asking for money. And yet, the owner will be expected to pay for the care of the dogs while the seizing groups have custody of them -- in addition to the money the groups raise from the public. Is that double dipping?

But for a group to try to raise money for a roof from the seized dogs is pretty hard to swallow, especially when the main group that took the dogs is so very well-funded and does not need public money to care for them.

If there is one thing for you to understand from this situation, it is this: we ALL have rights, whether we are likable or not. It doesn't matter if you like what I do with my property, you cannot come to my house and just take it, then auction it off so you can put a roof on your building. Now, we have laws, and if someone is breaking the law, then qualified law enforcement, with a duly sworn WARRANT, should step in and take action. Then the offender can have his day in court. Due process should be followed. But that still doesn't give vigilantes the right to come on someone's property and take something they like. You don't get to decide, "Hey, I don't like what they're doing. I'm going to take their stuff." Even if their "stuff" is dogs.

I know we seem to live in a time when property rights are not respected and people don't seem to understand right and wrong anymore, but that's still the law. It seems like people understand that if one person takes your dog, it's theft. But when it's an animal group with a cute name and they say they're doing it "for the animals," people can't comprehend that it's still theft.

They're Back, and Asking for Money Again

Please do NOT donate to this man or this organization. They have a terrible reputation among dog owners and breeders. ARC (Animal Rescue Corps) is backed by a multi-millionaire who pays for their raids, whether they are justified or not. Scotlund Haisley is being sued in multiple states and cases for illegal pet seizures. The animals are adopted out as soon as they are seized and there is never much wrong with them. They only seize them as a way to scam money from the public.

Carlotta Cooper
Sportsmen's and Animal Owner's Voting Alliance -- Tennessee Director


Seen on a dog e-mail list this morning. Here's a tip: watch the video with the sound muted and form your own conclusions instead of letting the voice over tell you what to think.

Can a brushfire be a good thing? It was on Thanksgiving! 65 Fighting Dogs
were rescued from horrendous conditions because the firemen who put out the
fire noticed the dogs wearing heavy logging chains, no food or water
available, no warm beds, no loving care. Please see the video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TMWimRE4dA&feature=youtu.be
You can donate direct through (deleted)

If you don't want to donate directly, I will take donations and send gift
cards.
They are also collecting supplies, but that is in Indy on Wed and I don't
think we can pull that off.

xxxxx

[They are asking folks to crosspost their plea for money.]

Have you heard about Operation Broken Chain?
A large-scale suspected dog fighting operation has been uncovered in
Ashland City, Tenn.
The dogs were discovered by firefighters who had responded to a brush fire
on property along Buckeye Road on Thanksgiving night.
Dozens of dogs, primarily pit bulls, and some beagles, were chained on the
property with heavy logging chains. Some puppies were behind bars in rusty,
wire cages.
Shoddy, makeshift shelters littered the property and the underweight dogs
were lacking access to food and water.
The overwhelming task of removing the dogs from the property was undertaken
on Saturday by several organizations, including support from the Tennessee
Highway Patrol, Animal Rescue Corp < http://animalrescuecorps.org/ >,
Cheatham County Animal Control, New Leash on Life, Agape Animal and the
Nashville Zoo.

ARC President Scotlund Haisley stated:

“We believe this is the largest dog fighting rescue in Tennessee history,”
“The conditions Animal Rescue Corps found on this property are the worst I
have ever seen at a dog fighting operation in my 22-year career in animal
protection.”

In the end, rescue officials were able to move 65 dogs to an emergency
shelter in Nashville.
The dogs rescued from the property will be cared for by the American Rescue
Corp. until they can be assessed for placement and transported to rescue
organizations.

But, there is a second part to this story. Many of the dogs will be placed
with our friends at Cheatham County Animal Awareness, who have their own
struggles right now. They are in the process of putting a roof on their
shelter to keep the residents out of the elements. They need to get this
roof completed in order to get as many of the former fight ring dogs moved
to their facility.

Mobile Mutts has committed to help BOTH groups....

Uh, yeah. A second part to the story. You know what it sounds like? It sounds like "Cheatham County Animal Awareness" needed a new roof and they said to their friends with ARC, "Hey, why don't you seize some dogs so we can come up with the cash?" Afterall, ARC has done so well raising money from an unsuspecting public in the past in Tennessee when they've seized dogs. All you have to do is come up with a cute name for your group and make up a sad story.

As for that oh-so-fortuitous brushfire, kind of makes you wonder if someone set it intentionally to call attention to the dogs, doesn't it? Someone sets a little fire, gets the authorities out, and then ARC is ready to spring into action so they can help their friends get a new roof, among other things. They can kill so many birds with one stone (pardon the pun), and it all sounds so very innocent. This might sound far-fetched if we weren't dealing with animal rights zealots.

ARC is funded upfront by the Ady Gil World Conservation group, best known for their support of the Sea Shepherd Foundation and anti-whaling activities, among other animal rights groups. You can find that information on their web site. Google "Ady Gil + ARC" and you'll find lots of hits about raids the organization has supported. TThey also put out press releases when ARC does raids. They're quite proud of they're financial support of the group. So, the dogs that have been seized don't need any public financial support. Any money donated is gravy. In this case if someone donates, they will probably be putting a roof on some building for a questionable "animal awareness" group that helped seize some dogs to make money for that purpose.

So, watch the video with the sound OFF. Form your own conclusions. And don't fall for the scam from ARC unless you just want to help put a roof on this building for the group in Tennessee. Personally, I think it would have been more honest if they had just had a fundraiser instead of seizing someone's animals to try to get money.