Thyme & Sage Ranch - Jennifer Petkus

[Lesley]

http://www.answers.com/topic/ex-post-facto-la...

Thanks for words Ex post facto--it seems to say that it can only apply to criminal matters, not civil suits.

To my thinking, therefore, the county COULD sue her for not fulfilling contract or misrepresentation, Dane Co for all the costs of rehab, and so could all the harmed people with dogs dead or much $$ spent, and maybe only if tougher laws were enacted...too bad they couldn't be. State legislatures make some laws overnight if great enough outcry.

CNN/Anderson Cooper needs to cover this...Oprah too. Penny, can't you get on Oprah?

[Penny]

Lesley, I have emailed Oprah a couple of times. I don't understand why she won't at least email me back. I did send the story initially to Ellen and Dr. Phil too...

I have another idea that can possibly get the attention of one of her producers because I am sure she doesn't read all of her own emails.

If anyone reading this can think of any idea to get the attention of someone who will listen and make it a HUGE issue, I am ready and able to do whatever I can.

[Bad news]

The civil trial has been postponed with no new trial date set and the Dane County Humane Society will have to continue to hold the unsurrendered dogs for an indeterminate time. Please contact the Richland Center DA, Andrew Sharp, to encourage him to move the case along as quickly as possible and express your concerns. Topix won't let me post the phone number but you can find it on the DCHS website, www.giveshelter.org .

I'm sure he would like the case to go to trial, but there's only so much he can do. Nevertheless, it's important that the DA's office realize that a lot of people are concerned about the situation and want this case resolved.

Some of the dogs at DCHS have medical issues that need to be addressed, but cannot be at this time because Petkus still owns them officially and only emergency problems can be treated.

[Penny]

Actually one can try to contact DA Sharp but to be honest I have not gotten past the victim/witness coordinator, Andrea Fields. She has agreed to meet with the victims and try to get some answers for us but getting any information was like pulling teeth. It seems that the judge feels badly that Jennifer's side has not had adequate time to get their information together and continues to give the defendant continuances. Maybe one needs to send letters to the judge about those poor animals that need care and at some point a "good" forever home and obviously that is not with Jennifer.

I know the legal system is slow but at this point we are talking about a life. Whether that life walks on two legs or four should not matter and something should be done soon so that they can have the best life possible too.

I don't know who else to contact. Something needs to be done for these poor animals. It is heartbreaking....

[Sammie]

Have they tried billing her for housing the animals in an attempt to get her to surrender them? I think, at that point, they might be able to start adopting them out.
If not, I'd see if the shelter could sue the city for housing and care fees. Anything to move it forward to help the animals get some resolution.
And the continuances are sometimes nothing more than delays... in an attempt to stall and go to trial when the crime isn't as fresh in peoples' minds and they've moved on.

[Heather Dampf]

Has anyone heard of any updates? Just wondering...

[Penny]

She got another continuance....I feel so badly for those dogs that are still in limbo because she won't sign over the rights.

I try to stay in contact with the DA's office in case they need witnesses in court. I just wish those poor animals that are still at the Humane Society will be able to find homes once they are released. I mean the longer they hold them the older they get and therefore we know that people are reluctant to adopt older dogs.

We need people to call DA Andrew Sharp and tell them to push to get those poor animals out of the shelter and into their forever homes.

I am planning another email to Oprah but you know so far nothing from her either and I have emailed all the information including the link to the CBS affiliate about the situation.

Any other suggestions well I am open to them...We just need to get this heard by the court and keep it in the light so that we can get those laws passed.

[Angela]

Penny wrote:

She got another continuance....I feel so badly for those dogs that are still in limbo because she won't sign over the rights.
I try to stay in contact with the DA's office in case they need witnesses in court. I just wish those poor animals that are still at the Humane Society will be able to find homes once they are released. I mean the longer they hold them the older they get and therefore we know that people are reluctant to adopt older dogs.
We need people to call DA Andrew Sharp and tell them to push to get those poor animals out of the shelter and into their forever homes.
I am planning another email to Oprah but you know so far nothing from her either and I have emailed all the information including the link to the CBS affiliate about the situation.
Any other suggestions well I am open to them...We just need to get this heard by the court and keep it in the light so that we can get those laws passed.

The people fighting the pennsylvania puppy mills got oprah's attention by placing a billboard ad so that she would have to drive by it on her way to work everyday. I am unsure of the route she takes to work, but this might be an option.

[Lesley]

How about Anderson Cooper--CNN??

Don't any of you youngssters "twitter? Couldnt you somehow "tweet" Anderson/Oprah???(Personally dont know how that all works exactly, but to me this whole thing seems perfect for some of that action)

[Penny]

I love those ideas ladies...I am on Twitter but have not really worked it much...I am thinking about putting it on Facebook since I know how to do that. I will have to check to see if either of them are on Facebook. I know that HNN is on Facebook and maybe sending them something through FB would get their attention...Until someone does something I think they poor animals will be held until her trial is over and that could be quite a while since the wheels of justice don't turn very fast at all. I will work on that today. Thanks again guys...

[Penny]

So Jennifer has not learned it appears...She was charged with bail jumping on Monday of this week because she now has 30 plus domectic animals (birds, dogs, kittens...not including the non domestic animals) and many need medical attention that has not been given from one inspection in June to the most recent on the 10th of this month. Of course we are still fighting the biggest issue from day one and that is the authorities that govern Richland County. The judge says he is too busy to deal with it, the deputy said it is not real crime (he is a drug officer and cannot believe how much money was "dumped" into this case altogether), and the DA's office said the attorney generals office declined to help all along. Of course the AG's office says they were not aware and cannot help unless they were asked so hopefully with the statement "the AG's office turned us down when we asked for help" the AG's office will now get involved if still welcomed by the DA's and move this to the state courts HOPEFULLY so that something will not only be done but Jennifer will start to follow the bond stipulations. Somehow we need to explain to everyone with any power that if Jennifer's parents are going to bring dogs (9 or more) from Illinois they need to have health certificates. If you can't prove that they indeed came from Illinois then maybe just maybe Jennifer purchased more after she was told specifically not too. But the only way to stop this behavior is too enforce. I am so aggravated because it just does not seem that anyone understands that these are living, breathing things...not a car that was impounded. Of course it appears that she can sell off her property now and it is not a problem because they don't believe they can get restitution from Jennifer for the expense incurred by the DCHS. That of course I don't understand because she allowed the animals to get in that condition but the party I spoke to yesterday did not think it was possible. Of course there are still the animals still held at the DCHS too. They will be held until the hearing in October. It is a civil case against Jennifer brought on by the DA's office to get the animals relinquised and sent on to possible rescues to their forever homes. Of course all this time will pass and the dogs will get older and less likely to be adopted before a puppy is. One sad situation after another.

No one I have contacted except the AG's office will do anything. I am still hopeful but you know it gets harder and harder each day.

[Angela]

Jeff White wrote:

I think we have a group of haters on here. She has adopted more animals out with most likely a 5% or less complaint ratio. She is not a puppy broker or auction bidder as outlined above. Go check her out....one of the best "true" rescue's around......Hey Judy, didn't your friend get a refund?

Hello Jeff White, are you refering to Jennifer Petkus?

[OMG]

Penny, where do you get your information? I was directly involved in helping with the animals at DCHS and I haven't been able to find out anything about upcoming court dates. You must have some inside sources!:)
From what I understand almost all of the dogs still at DCHS have people waiting to adopt them--and at least there they are being well cared-for and in conditions much better than what that awful woman was keeping them in. But still not in a home.
How does she still have any animals? My understanding was that if she violated any court-imposed conditions at all, all of her remaining animals would be forfeit to the humane society and made available for adoption.

[Penny]

Hello again everyone...I know I have been trying to keep everyone updated. Because of some advise on another board, I started a petition to present to the judge in this case.

Please take a moment to sign this petition and if you have information to share about the circumstances in this case or a personal situation please note that in your post. You can withhold your name if you like...I would like to see as many names as possible but I understand this is probably a hot topic in your area.

I have seen Jennifer do this too many times to people and we need to make sure that she is stopped from this behavior ever again.

For her supporters, there is no need to post one of her "success" stories. I am sure for every one victim like myself she will find one that is a success. You cannot possibly still believe after reading the criminal complaint that she is doing this in the name of "rescue". Why then are there still animals held at the DCHS instead of letting them go to forever homes? They deserve a chance too.

If you don't believe that she is a woman out to break laws why then is she living day to day in violation of the conditions of her bond? Why with all her supporters, so she says, are their animals that have not gotten better but worse since the raid?

I am aware that she is cleaning up her property, but truthfully she has already posted to sell items and her "farmette", would you not clean it up if you wanted to sell it? Do you think people would be interested if they knew about all the dead animals, feces, and diseases that have been on the property so recently?

Why does she again have puppies on her property? I can only imagine how much her defense is costing her, income perhaps?

These are questions we, her human victims, have posed to the authorities. You know we get "I don't know. I will have to get back to you", "it is in the DA's hands", drugs are more important and too much money was "dumped" into this 3 day investigation, or the comment made by Judge Edward Leineweber "I'm too busy to handle this". Yep too busy to take the time to hear that Jennifer is livng in violations of the BOND STIPULATIONS he not only directed to her but made perfectly clear!

At least we are able to ask the questions. We ask because those living breathing creatures that she has killed and abused have no voices!!

So when will Jennifer follow the rules the rest of the public at large has to follow? When the county takes a stand and prosecutes her for every crime.That would include the 72 complaints from people like myself who lost a beloved family member within a week or two of bringing them home from her facility.

Jennifer will ONLY stop when the county REFUSES to turn turn their heads to this injustice but makes Jennifer an example and leads the way to reform with the legislation at the capital right now.

Please sign our petition and help us make change. Now is the time to stand up for what is happening in your community.

Here is the link...

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/see-that-jen...

I thank you so much for taking a moment and doing this for change and truly what is right.

Kasey's momma

[Casey]

Wow I bet you feel effing stupid after all the news reports about this horrible woman and the conditions she kept these poor animals in.

Robert wrote:

Myself, family and friend have adopted a total of 12 dogs from 8 weeks to 5 years of age in the past year. They are all doing great.... I would recomend her rescue to anyone that is ready to take on a animal that was neglected by the mill not her rescue. I hope some day to help adopt more of her dogs with family and friend. Jennifer keep up the amazing work that you do !!!!!!

[Stephanie Hart]

I know it's a while since the last post, but yesterday's USA Today (November 25, 2009) had an article in the Life section titled "Animal welfare groups put cooperation to work" by Sharon L. Peters. The article spoke of various groups pulling together to shut down puppy mills, hoarders, etc. In a little box in the article it says "In May, American Humane, PetSmart Charities, Emergency Relief Waggin, ASPCA, HSUS, Hooved Animal Rescue and Protection Society and UAN helped Cazenovia, Wis. agencies remove and care for horses, dogs and other animals from the Thyme and Sage Ranch; its operator is charged with animal cruelty." Above it is a full colour photo of the seizure taking place that was taken by Kathy Milani of the HSUS.

As soon as I could, I queried T&S and found 2 posts by 2 separate persons, "Lab Lady" and "DogLover" from the summer of 2008. I had to re-read the postings because at first glance, I thought the postings were from the same person...the issues and problems with T&S were almost identical. Upon my re-reading, I realised that the postings were from 2 people at 2 different times about 3 months apart!

I, too, live in Wisconsin. Wisconsin has NO puppy mill regulations/laws on the books. Every now and then when the powers that be in Madison are bored, and it's close to a recess (summer recess, Christmas recess, recess recess), someone trots out the puppy mill issue. And to make it look like they're doing something (when all they're doing is whiling away the time until that particular recess is called), they'll toss around the issues, propose some regulations, start to make some statutes, put some penalties. Then the bell rings, so to speak, and the whole thing is put on the back burner. Again.

Gerald Schultz up around Sheboygan has been on Milwaukee TV stations, written about for years. He is one of the most notorious puppy mills around. A Milwaukee TV station went up there with hidden cameras. The dogs were in the typical puppy mill wire cages in an un-heated building (almost like a lean-to). It was +7 degrees that day. Needless to say, the water bowls in the cages were now ice bowls. The reporter kept asking Schultz about the conditions and he just avoided answering them. A month or so after the newscast, Schultz had his ads in all the papers. He always had ads in the Milwaukee papers, and also listed with the Wisconsin Ad Network (WAN) that ran in many small-town papers.

There was also another puppy mill up in northern Wisconsin (I believe the woman's name was Tammy) who was selling pups in poor health and not owning up to it. Reporters from Milwaukee TV went up there and were not warmly received.

As I saw in some of the later postings that the owner of T&S jumped bail, got continuances, it became clear that the whole puppy mill issue is still not taken seriously in Wisconsin. This case is being handled as a county, not state, issue.

As far as the owner of this and all the other puppy mills, fighting dog breeders/trainers go, I take hope that when their day comes, and they go to the other side, that St. Francis is there to meet them with all the animals they mistreated and HE WILL WANT ANSWERS!

Sorry for the long post...but I couldn't resist!!

To all who read this, a wonderful Thanksgiving (today), Xmas, Hanukkah, and New Year 2010!!