Animal Rescue Group Looks Into Animal Cruelty Reports

by Trey Wilkinson

Happy Endings Animal Rescue (HEAR) is looking into recent accusations of animal cruelty in Sublette County following numerous phone calls from concerned citizens prompted by recent commentaries in the Sublette Examiner.

President of HEAR Julie Land attended Monday evening’s Pinedale Town Council meeting to request written documentation of intake and disposition statistics dealing with animal control.

Land requested adoptions, dates of, names and location of adoptive families, animals requiring euthanasia, dates of, who performed the euthanasia and how the euthanasia was done. A letter written and read to the Town Council assured all information regarding adoptive families will be held in confidence.

The letter stated this information would help HEAR determine whether any abuses have occurred. HEAR will then publish the findings so the public is aware of the inquiry and results thereof. Land said HEAR is requiring the information by the town’s next council meeting, which is set for June 23. Councilman Dave Smith asked if people making phone calls toHEAR identified themselves, to which Land replied, “No.”

“An anonymous complaint won’t do much,” Smith said.

PinedaleMayor Steve Smith suggested to Land that the people calling HEAR call him.

Councilman Smith asked Land if requesting this type of information is “common.” “I’mnot sure,”Land said.

“Are you going to ask the county for the same information?”Mayor Smith asked.

“We want to find out whatMarbleton, Big Piney, Pinedale and the county are all doing,” Land said.

The council agreed to have the information available by the June 23 meeting.

HEAR is a nonprofit companion animal-rescue and animal-advocacy group servicing all of Sublette County, including but not limited to citizens living within the city limits of Pinedale, Big Piney andMarbleton.