Rachel Peel conviction overturned!!

[be positive]

Not sure if it has been posted elsewhere and I missed it.

What a travesty, the RSPCA acted appallingly in the way they handled this from the start and now they have failed to gain a successful prosecution.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-quashed-witnesses-refuse-testify-appeal.html

 

[Red-1]

I hope that there is indeed an investigation into the actions of the RSPCA.

To charge for 100 days of care of horses that were shot after just a couple of days is potentially criminal. I would also ask how the horse broke its leg in transit, whilst in the care of the RSPCA.

Given that they keep numerous coloured cobs, I also question why homes could not be found for the Arab horses, especially as people connected with their breed association were making enquiries re re-homing.

I am glad that the employee who shot the horses has spoken out, and said that he believes they could have been re-homed.

I think it is high time for an investigation. If everything is above board then no need to worry, but if there is bad practice then this needs to be raised.

A family member was thinking of giving money to the RSPCA in their will, but they have decided against, not least because they have apparently been harassing the executors of the wills (often a son/daughter of the deceased) and if the money owed has not been paid as quickly as they deem fit, they have been taking action to not only get the money, but also to claim interest!

Again, I think this needs investigation.

Such a shame, the RSPCA has such a lot of potential to do so much good. As it is, it seems very political, and not following the will of what it was set up to do.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

The horses (and the dogs) were let down twice.

First by the Peels - we must not forget that they locked some of the horses in a barn and seemed to have just left them there without even basic care as some had died by the time of discovery.

Secondly by the RSPCA.

What an utter travesty.
http://www.arabianlines.com/forum1/topic_new.asp?TOPIC_ID=56024

 

[ester]

That's awful as if that case couldn't get any worse.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Well I just read this thread. I hadn't known that the RSPCA had travelled Taragun AFTER she broke her leg.

in the process of being seized by the RSPCA, the poor thing suffered a broken leg. The brutality that horse encountered in its final hours still haunts me. It was loaded onto a lorry and with the others transported many hours to its place of execution.

http://www.arabianlines.com/forum1/topic_new.asp?TOPIC_ID=56004&whichpage=1

 

[Meowy Catkin]

If anyone doesn't know who Taragun was, read this.

http://www.waho.org/taragun-united-kingdom-2008-waho-trophy-winner/

She wasn't an unhandled, wild colt. How did she break her leg and why on earth did they travel her after that happened?

 

[Pinkvboots]

It's just so terrible and people were feeling sorry for Mrs peel on the daily mail, I just hope she never owns another horse or dog some of those horses she slung in a barn were top competition horses for her daughter they were tossed aside once they had served a purpose, bloody criminal how those horses life ended pointless and such a waste many of them had years left to give to someone.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Well I just read this thread. I hadn't known that the RSPCA had travelled Taragun AFTER she broke her leg.



http://www.arabianlines.com/forum1/topic_new.asp?TOPIC_ID=56004&whichpage=1

disgusting isn't it I read how that poor mare ended up some time ago.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Do you know what happened to Sydney, the arab x appaloosa (gelding?) by Calimeer? He's the one that was/is half brother to my grey.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I don't know about him there was a lady that was in court and had a list of all the horses that were seized, I can't remember her name I will see if I can find it on Al.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I can't cut and paste the thread but if you search Rachel peel on Al then go onto thread titled does anyone have a date Sydney is mentioned on page 15, sorry it seems he was one that was seized you should read the whole thread it's shocking.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

This post?

Christine's distressing court report , Rui you can remove this is you want to but I want people to know exactly what happened at the Peel farm and why people want the truth out of that woman and her family

right this is the list I got in court listening to the vets evidence

Border Collie displaying signs of aggression but calmed down when spoken to
Cleveland Bay cross TB gelding...... that was William
Mouse...........collapsed fetlocks
Delilah .
all in reasonable condition

Mouse had mud rash
Delilah was rugged but she was thin but reasonable

Harley good condition and was well shod

Joules warmblood gelding
George

Millie
was in good condition in spite of being covered in faeces
Neville
Sydney/Sidney
Legs
all on good condition but were again v covered in faeces

Red setter and Gordon setter in cages in horsebox showed significant aggression but again were calm on being spoken to

Border Collie in very poor condition
Taz
Eve
in field not a lot of grazing and both were rugged

Shetlands Winston and Freddie
Breeze
all in the same boggy field but there was some good grass
Nancy poor condition overgrown feet
Molly
Khoomi poor condition overgrown feet
Midge
Shady.......mud covered overgrown feet

2 dead horses were also discovered with Nancy Molly and Khoomi

2 further dead horses with Shady and Midge one of those was rugged I was unrugged

red and Gordon setters int he house Finley
Logga
Simba
Bibi
all in good condition but no food or water present and the room was disgusting with faeces on the floor and up the walls

area near the boiler
6 Jack Russell Terriers found in a stone floored yard at the back of the house they were active and boisterous

Cresc
Rita Bumble (bubblegum one of Evie's eventers rehomed through HAPPA)

Coco
Frodo Cleveland Bay crosses
in boggy field scarce grazing adequate body condition standing in mud up tot heir fetlocks

Large clear ares of reasonable size used as a riding arena skeletons found of a number of horses at least 3

Pip poor body condition did have some haylage though of poor quality and mouldy had some water but again had mouldy haylage in it and not fit to drink

Anna
Heron de la Forge poor body condition mouldy haylage no water

also one dead horse later identified as Dolly

Right hand side of house towards the back at least 3 more dead horses in various stages of decomposure
later 1 more dead horse

3 more horse shaped lumps in the barn up at Tosside

the living horses were removed at once from the barn at Tossisde the last horse left from there at 9.50 pm vet left the premises at 10.20 pm 21st March other horses were removed......... they only stopped the operation at night as it was becoming increasingly unsafe to move the horses but they were given feed and fresh water overnight
On arrival at various welfare centres the horses had their feet trimmed back to give them comfort and they were given food and fresh water
I know it makes unpleasant reading but that's the evidence notes I have from that first day when I saw the video of that hell hole

The odds that he wasn't shot after rescue don't sound good.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I know as far as I am aware only 2 were sent to happa but only one was re homed a grey pure bred gelding, the other one was pts due to a problem I don't know what's, thing is they had over 30 horses so I think more than 14 were seized but whatever happened to them, I know some were dead already but it's still not accounted for them all.

They also had a warmblood gelding that was a half brother to my mare they were the image of each other, she expressed an interest in her for breeding quite some years back so glad I didn't take it further it wouldn't have been a happy ending.

 

[Wella]

Sydney is not on the list of 11 shot dead by the RSPCA.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

They also had a warmblood gelding that was a half brother to my mare they were the image of each other, she expressed an interest in her for breeding quite some years back so glad I didn't take it further it wouldn't have been a happy ending.

Golly.

Sydney is not on the list of 11 shot dead by the RSPCA.

That's great.

Do you know if he's OK or not?

 

[Equi]

The whole thing at the time disgusted me. Not only did the RSPCA fail these animals, but they lied and deceived their loyal money bags.

 

[ClaretCarrot]

Very shocking read I have to say!

 

[Wella]

No idea sorry his registered name was GKJ Spotted Sensation. Sorry if you already new that.

 

[be positive]

I cannot understand how a case such as this can fail due to witnesses not being available, surely the facts of the dead horses, living conditions for the rest, speak for themselves, prosecutions succeed on far less, there will have been a backlash to the actions of the RSPCA for killing the so called rescued ones but that should not have prevented them getting a conviction.

This is why they need looking into, why the police must start to take on prosecutions in animal welfare cases and not leave it in the hands of a charity that is probably more interested raising their profile than doing right by the animals, yes they rescue many and some are better off dead than living in the homes they have been but that should be their role not getting a prosecution as their primary interest.
If they went in earlier they may have a weaker or non existent case to take to court but they would end up with less dead and dying animals being left to suffer while they wait for the situation to be bad enough for a potentially good case, they should be acting to prevent cruelty not waiting until numerous animals are beyond hope.
Horses sadly get the worst deal as they are more difficult to pick up and take away, it is far easier to collect a dog or cat, they can survive on grass and water for long periods, are extremely stoic and quiet when in a tough situation, the Peel horses were let down badly by everyone involved and it appears that only 1 survived being "rescued".
I think several are now in the "care" of Evie but as far as I know the RSPCA have still not released the list or sent the passports in to the AHS declaring which were dead, they did say it would take time to link passports to the equines but I think that as they had all the passports from day 1 they should have very easily been able to know which passport belonged to which horse, most will have been microchipped, it is not a difficult task to check each living or dead animal against the paperwork then keep a list, they are supposed to be acting in a professional way, it should have been part of the collating of evidence to take to court.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

You speak a lot of sense BP. I've always thought that all evidence gathered should be handed to the CPS for prosecution in animal cruelty cases, as is done when the police gather evidence of other crimes.

 

[Equi]

all reminds me of the japanese whalers, pretending to do scientific research. "we are doing a good thing, unfortunately animals have to die during the process"

 

[hackneylass2]

Shocking. Although Mr Cooper, (now where have I seen his name before???) who said he was 'ordered' to kill healthy horses that in his opinion, could have been rehomed, still shot them. Quite a bit of history there.

 

[ester]

Ah but we have an equine crisis don't you know, that means that pure bred arabians, some only on loan to the keeper are not worth keeping any more than a bin end neglected cob colt that will likely never be sound - they keep enough of them when it will be a 'good' story.

I too cannot see why witnesses were so crucial, what about all the evidence collected at the time!?!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Shocking. Although Mr Cooper, (now where have I seen his name before???) who said he was 'ordered' to kill healthy horses that in his opinion, could have been rehomed, still shot them. Quite a bit of history there.

thats rhetorical right?

an interesting character-really think there must be people on here with personal experience of him.

 

[sasquatch]

I am shocked and dismayed... will the horses be released back into her care? will she press charges as some of her horses were destroyed before the case was over, for non-life ending illness/disease? will she be compensated for the loss of 'her' horses? will the owners of the horses on loan ever find out what happened, or get justice for their horses?

this is an awful situation, truly the only ones who have lost out are the horses and the owners who sold and loaned with good intentions to someone they thought was genuine, and who offered suitable knowledgable homes for these horses. They were hardly unhandled 12hh pregnant skinny cob mares being fly grazed in a field with foal at foot, but horses who in many cases just needed to be fed and receive some TLC for minor ailments and were well handled and easily could have been rehomed due to the fact they had a lot of worth to people who had once owned them, or returned to their legal owners!

I know passport isn't a bill of sale, but surely in cases such as these a proof of sale or ownership should be provided, especially if the passport and owner names don't match up?

These horses, I think, ended up going to the wrong charity. I think it speaks buckets that HAPPA were able to rehome one (I believe the other they took on coliced or had a deteriorating mental condition - just from what I have read) whilst the RSPCA seem to lack knowledge.

Was Heron one of the 11 shot? I always wondered what happened to him

 

[Wella]

Yes unfortunately Heron was on the list as shot. Like you say I wish HAPPA had taken this on.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

So do you think that Sydney is with Evie Peel?

 

[Wella]

I do not know. I noticed they got planning for 8 stables at their new place

 

[sasquatch]

Yes unfortunately Heron was on the list as shot. Like you say I wish HAPPA had taken this on.

oh poor boy he should have had a happy semi-retirement being loved by a young girl who could enjoy him and love him and pamper him. they all should have had happy endings with lots of love, not this

The more I have read/seen on HAPPA (I'm not familiar with England based charities) the more it looks like they would have been more suitable to take on the horses - they seem to take in a lot of Arabians and have experience with them, they've definitely had quite a few purebred Arabs and PBA over the past few years anyway. It seems completely selfish the RSPCA didn't ask for help, and that they are now trying to coverup and back track their own mistakes and as a result, an animal hoarder/abuser/neglecter is able to own horses again where no doubt the same will happen. I can guess none in the Arab world who know of this case will sell or loan to her, but I worry for other breeder groups and breeds she has an interest in and worms her way into.

 

[be positive]

The problem we have is that once the RSPCA are involved then any equine specific charities are behind them in the queue, none will get involved unless asked to come in by them, it comes down to money and the knowledge that if a prosecution is going to happen the RSPCA are the ones with the funds to run with it, nothing will change while they are the only ones who take on these expensive cases, the Peel case cost in excess of £200k no other charity has that kind of money to use for the purpose, I hope others spend their money on direct care.

I am shocked that RP has planning in place, in theory she should be bankrupt from defending herself and have no means to be building stables let alone buying horses to put in them, I hope no one gets duped into selling to her certainly the arab world will be on high alert but not everyone will be aware of who she is or what she has done.