HORSE OWNERS SAY SUSPECT FOOLED THEM.Byline: Melissa Schmitt Daily News Staff Writer Carmen Carmen throws over lover for another. [Fr. Lit.: Carmen; Fr. Opera: Bizet, Carmen, Westerman, 189–190] See : Faithlessness Carmen the cards repeatedly spell her death. [Fr. and Noreen Trutanich, Tifa Frost and Cathy Becker-Skaggs were among dozens of horse owners who thought they had found an equine equine Any member of the ungulate family Equidae, which includes the modern horses, zebras, and asses, all in the genus Equus, as well as more than 60 species known only from fossils. Equines descended from the dawn horse (see Eohippus). retirement home for their aging animals, only to learn Thursday that they may have unwittingly sent them into starvation, filth Filth See also Dirtiness. Augean stables held 3,000 oxen, uncleaned for 30 years; Hercules’ fifth labor: washes out dung by diverting a river. [Gk. and Rom. Myth. or worse. Impressed by Renae Ferguson's apparent knowledge of horses, reinforced by her choice in riding boots and her handling of the animals, the women donated their beloved pets to what Ferguson claimed was a riding camp for needy children. The 28-year-old Tarzana woman is accused of starving starve v. starved, starv·ing, starves v.intr. 1. To suffer or die from extreme or prolonged lack of food. 2. Informal To be hungry. 3. To suffer from deprivation. and neglecting horses - police say possibly hundreds - donated to her West Coast Riding Center. The camp didn't exist, and Ferguson allegedly sold the donated animals, often by placing classified ads in the same publications she used to solicit donations, police said. Investigators believe at least one horse ended up in a slaughterhouse slaughterhouse: see abattoir; meatpacking. . Ferguson remained jailed Thursday, charged with 13 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals cruelty to animals n. the crime of inflicting physical pain, suffering or death on an animal, usually a tame one, beyond necessity for normal discipline. It can include neglect that is so monstrous (withholding food and water) that the animal has suffered, died or , according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. police. She also awaits trial Wednesday in Ventura County on two felony counts of cruelty to animals in a separate but similar case. Ferguson's parents, Edward Reddeck, 56, and Darlene Craig, 48, were arrested on the same charges but have been released on bonds. Reddeck said Thursday night that the charges were nothing more than the latest chapter in an ongoing conspiracy by government officials against his family. ``The animals were never starved starve v. starved, starv·ing, starves v.intr. 1. To suffer or die from extreme or prolonged lack of food. 2. Informal To be hungry. 3. To suffer from deprivation. or abused while they were in our custody,'' Reddeck said. News of Ferguson's arrest jolted Becker-Skaggs, who donated a horse named Libertee. ``My husband and I rescued Libertee from a woman who had abused and neglected her,'' she said. ``She was emaciated e·ma·ci·ate tr. & intr.v. e·ma·ci·at·ed, e·ma·ci·at·ing, e·ma·ci·ates To make or become extremely thin, especially as a result of starvation. . She had sores all over her body. It took us nine months and $2,000 in vet bills to get this horse in good shape.'' Then Becker-Skaggs began looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a good home for Libertee, a 16-year-old, white thoroughbred Thoroughbred Light breed of racing and jumping horse descended from three desert stallions brought to England between 1689 and 1724. Thoroughbreds have a delicate head, slim body, broad chest, and short back. Most are bay, chestnut, brown, black, or gray. Arabian mare. A friend who had donated a horse a month earlier recommended Ferguson. ``I felt it would be good for her to go to a place where she could be brushed, petted, cared for - fed carrots by little kids who would love her,'' she said. Ferguson promised to call back with a federal tax identification number so Becker-Skaggs could deduct the donation from her taxes. She never called, but the deduction didn't really matter to Becker-Skaggs anyway. ``That was the last I heard of Libertee and Renae Ferguson until I picked up the paper'' Thursday, Becker-Skaggs said. ``We pulled her out of the depths of hell,'' she said. ``We nursed her back to health. We thought she would retire a happy children's pet, where she'd have a lot of company and hands-on attention, and here I pick up the paper and she's right back in the pits of hell again.'' As news spread Thursday of Ferguson's arrest, police phones rang off the hook. ``Everybody and their grandmother has been calling,'' said Detective Rene Lacasse. Some callers had donated to Ferguson, some had bought horses from her and others were just concerned about the animals, Lacasse said. Believing the horses would be used at a riding camp for poor kids, the Trutaniches loved the idea of Dakota, their 10-year-old paint, retiring to a 100-acre pasture, loved and needed by underprivileged children. Then the police came to their door Thursday morning with a very different story. There was no riding camp, and Dakota had been sold for $2,000 the day after the Trutaniches donated her to Ferguson. The couple were happy to learn that Dakota had been put out to pasture by the people who had bought her. But the horses that Frost, Becker-Skaggs and an undetermined number of others donated met a more uncertain fate, police said. The news was devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. for the horse lovers. ``(Becker-Skaggs) was extremely upset,'' Lacasse said. ``She wants to know where the horse ended up. She wants it back.'' Noreen Trutanich decided to donate Dakota because the horse was lame. Dakota lived with two other horses, which Trutanich said were taken out every day while Dakota had to stay behind. ``It just tore her apart,'' Trutanich said. Ferguson assured her that the horse would be loved and cared for. She gave the Trutaniches a receipt and took Dakota away. ``We only wanted her to be safe and have a good home,'' Trutanich said, shocked at Ferguson's neglect of the animals. Anyone who may have done business with Ferguson can call police at (213) 485-3795. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO FERGUSON 
Renae is at again. I felt something just not right with her and the "rescue" horse that she just dropped off at the facility that I have managed for the past 8 years.<br>She dropped the mare off when I told her that under any circumstances can she do so on Mondays. We are closed to recieve in any horses if I was not there to collect all required paper work. I ask for current vet records,A signed boarding agreement along with a rules and regulations and a waiver. In her case I also required proof of ownership. I recieved nothing. I couldn't even get a hold of her until the following night.I had left several messages letting her know that the mare needed medical attention and that she was not eating the food thae we supply.We feed oat,alfalfa mix in a cube form. Horses must be introduced to this form of feed over a week or two. I stated that to Renae before she even brought the horse in,.. that we now call "Sweetie" I asked her to bring up some hay for the horse, she never did.Animal reg is now in control of"Sweetie" however Renae has several other horses that she gets the same way she did when she was convicted. She now calls her "riding school" Valley View riding academy.If you can help us in any way that you can, Please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank You for your time. Kimberly. #8 |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion