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Current diary entries    I    Past diary entries Doll's Diary Account by Doll Stanley, October 25, 2006 October 25th, 2006 I can’t believe I’m sitting here with someone yanking on my string. Cell phones: when you’re on a case with an abuser storming in your face the phone won’t work. Oh, but someone wanting to unload always seems to get through. I know she has no idea what’s going on, but this is just not the moment for such trifle. I’ll deal, but oh what I’m mustering to do so.  Channel 15’s pulling in for an interview – uhh! How could anyone do that to a horse, especially Peaches, a blind, gentle mare. It just makes it that much sicker. Away images – away.  I just had to leave Jeff and Doc with the rest of the dogs from yesterday’s efforts, and we’ll (Jeff & I) head out to finish the hoarder case, and then try to get to Chickasaw County for the seizure. I know the Sheriff’s Dept. is counting on us. Some days just swallow you – misery, hope, wonderment, whatever is engulfed with you. Choice? I suppose, but how could you make any other choice. The animals I’ve seen in the last 24 hours certainly had no choice. Richard is a really a compelling personality. What in the world happened to him? He’s sweet and caring, but a mess. He’s so self conscious and fumbling that you wonder if he suffers from an emotional or mental disorder. Bless him. He really means well. The dog he wants to keep is the one the officer shot. His heart is surely talking. That poor dog is the worst of the group. This is a mess. It took us hours to catch the seven, what will it be like today? They’re nearly on the other side of the state from the horses. I really hope we can pull this off, I think as another fairly routine Project Hope day began. Jeff and I had been to the second of two hoarder cases in Quitman County in as many weeks. In both cases the dogs suffered advanced demodectic mange (demodex), also know as “The Red Mange.” In the later stages there is little to no skin left, the feet become severely swollen, and secondary infection has usually set in just from the bacteria that eases its way through the system through totally venerable raw and cracked flesh and skin. These dogs are rarely social. They are as feral as any street- or field-born dog. Either Thursday night October 5th or Friday early morning, Peaches was led from the safety of her barn through a segment of the fence that was cut by her killer(s). She was reportedly raped, roped, and pushed from a bridge to hang, employing a vehicle for the fulfillment of someone’s heinous fantasy. Her guardian had reported her suspicion that someone had entered the gate and barn recently. The interview, the reward, the stir all seemed too sedate for me. I felt the world should stop until the “perps” were apprehended and their “reasoning” known. The interview done, Jeff and Doc finished, Jeff met up with me and we headed for Quitman county and the rest of Richard’s dogs. We were able to catch all but one who scaled the fence the second he saw us coming.  Just making it back to Doc’s, where the dogs were documented and “Team Hope” scurried for Chickasaw County. A call was made and as the Sheriff was set on IDA being part of the seizure process, those participating would wait on me and Jeff. There were three horses, a burro, and a young bull to move. Their neglect had been documented, instructions carefully given to the guardian for their improvement, but they remained in peril from food deprivation. What was unexpected was that after they loaded the animals without incident, a call came in as we left the property that there was another group of horses to see to. The trailer carrying the animals to relief turned right as Deputy Adam, me and Jeff turned left towards Highway 15 and the three pastured horses.  At the fence three okay horses could be seen. A neighbor drove up to alert us that a fourth horse, the one they were most concerned for, was in the lower corner of the pasture. I was first to reach the mare. “Oh, you precious. Uh, your in horrible shape. What’s wrong with your back?” I inquired of the horse.  Projecting my voice to Adam and Jeff, I warned, “She’s following me. She’s a mess.” I can’t stand it, I thought. If she’d melted there wouldn’t be two ounces of fat. She’s gonna go down and not get back up. I don’t know if this started with a fungus, or if being a Paint she was sunburned, but her entire back, sides, and face had erupted in a massive oozing sore. How can we leave her? Adam explained that the owner of the property was in Greece and they weren’t certain who the guardian of the horses was. The next few days I obsessed over the horse calling Deputy Lee Womack, one of the deputies I usually work cases with, to see what had been learned and would be done. It was Tuesday, the 5th day when Lee gave me news that the guardian had been contacted and the horse’s condition was being addressed. All this in one day, as well as aid with the sanctuary animals, laundry and more. That’s what Team Hope does.