Hoarding for Dollars: Reprint of the article unfairly pulled by dog lawyer

In two days, a month will have passed since the Spindletop raid, a day which will be remembered with horror by animal lovers and rescuers across the country. Almost 300 dogs thought to have been placed with large stipends in a supposed 'refuge' were seized by the HSUS and Montgomery County officials covered in filth, urine, vomit and feces.

According to KHOU, "Many of them are in cramped cages – so cramped they can’t even turn around. They’re living in their own waste. Many of their cages have been shut for so long, we know these dogs haven’t even been out of their cages," Katie Jarl, with the Humane Society of the United States, said.

"You cannot exist living in your own urine and feces. I watched dogs – we were doing a walk-through – drinking their own urine. A lot of them had absolutely no water, food dumped on feces," Dr. Tim Harkness of the Houston Humane Society said."

Leah back in the day posing with some of her favorites

Even after almost a month, many questions still lie unanswered. What kind of individual manages a hell hole like Spindletop? In my own quest to understand, I have to believe that Leah Purcell traded in her gift with animals and the ability few on this earth possess for money. In her case, greed trumped the opportunity to save lives.

What went wrong? What causes a person to veer from being an internationally known advocate to a con artist cum rescue? Reports of her wide scale 'fundraising,' for lack of a better term, are still rolling in. Animal lovers have donated thousands and thousands of dollars in the names of dogs supposed to have been sent to Spindletop.

Many of these dogs are currently being sought by individuals and rescue groups who trusted Leah Purcell and believed the wording on her website, now closed....at least for rescue business.

These days, one hears much too often, the business of rescue. In my own case, every penny since Reunion Rescue was founded has been spent on the animals with full records published with the IRS and for public viewing on Guidestar.org. Amazingly, Leah Purcell and Zandra Anderson's attack team of 'trolls' have questioned my impeccable rescue and financial difficulties. All records are public knowledge and I have no secrets to withhold from the public or these players who seem to fear even publicizing their real names....could that possibly be a fear of disbarment? Or even worse? Of discovery of criminal activity?

Reunion Rescue and the rest of the true animal loving public would like to have some answers to our questions. We would like to know where the dogs are? In a few days, the unclaimed dogs at the holding center will be once again without rescue. After these animals have survived a fate worse than death in the most high kill shelter, reportedly stuck in filthy crates for days, weeks, months and many allegedly not being fed for days on end, they are still hoping for someone, a good person this time, to step up and help them.

What went wrong?

Facebook page Montgomery County Texas Canine Seizure Case has instructions for 501(c)(3) rescue groups to help save those unclaimed survivors. A suggestion for members of the general public would be to contact your local groups and offer foster care to help lighten their load and free up necessary space for one or two of the Spindletop refugees.

Below is a reprint of the article unjustly pulled based on fabrication by the dog lawyer, Zandra Anderson. Each false claim she put forth to the Examiner is answered in depth and truthfully in the following three blogs:

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/spindletop-dog-killers-try-to-shut-down.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/texas-dog-lawyer-rebuttal-2.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/rebuttal-texas-dog-lawyer-part-3.html

"https://www.facebook.com/VictimsOfSpindletopRaid

Willis, Texas: As the dirt begins to settle over the Willis, Texas Spindletop Refuge dog raid, people across the United States are begging for answers. Pet owners and rescuers who trusted Leah Purcell and Spindletop Refuge to take their pets for a high price are now struggling to prove the dogs belong to them and to try and get them returned. The public network is questioning whether or not Leah Purcell will face criminal charges.

According to a statement from Constable Tim Holifield of Montgomery County regarding the case, this will be a long process. Information is being gathered regarding Leah Purcell and the Spindletop affiliates and employees to decide how to approach the grand jury. Information about the Spindletop operation along with proof of monies paid to James Brewer and Leah Purcell can be sent to:

Tim Holifield tim.holifield@mctx.org

So many questions lay unanswered. What about the 38 dogs who died a horrible death in the Morgan Building, their mass gravesite filled with rotting and decomposed bodies. These were dogs Leah Purcell and James Brewer continued to collect money for their boarding and care. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are estimated to have been obtained through Paypal and other means from across the nation.

How much did Zandra Anderson, Texas Dog Lawyer, know? She continues to post on Facebook that Stella, on of the identified 38 dead dogs is 'adopted'. What is the position of the Texas Bar Association on members of the bar insinuating themselves in a criminal investigation with knowledge of criminal activity? We understand she needs to make a good living, but this is extreme. Surely there is money to be made in some other branch of legal representation.

The process of reclaiming our dogs has been long and arduous. Calls to the HSUS and Animal Farm Foundation to check status muck up the process and slow down the ability for the representatives to function.

If anyone has information they would like to submit regarding a dog thought to be part of this investigation, please send all proof of identification such as photographs, descriptions with unusual markings and scars, receipts for payment, rabies and other certification, Petfinder and Facebook pages to:

tim.holifield@mctx.org

info@animalfarmfoundation.org

The official site to learn about any updates regarding the case is:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Montgomery-County-Texas-Canine-Seizure-Case-July-2012/377304362336833

Please contact this page to keep up with current updates and progress reports.

The HSUS is heading the process of making certain all of the dogs confiscated in the raid are getting proper care, many for the first time in years.

According to the HSUS, the first round of microchipped dogs are being scanned with attempts to reunite them with their legal owners. The dogs without microchips will be addressed in the next stage which has currently been undertaken. Submitted proof of ownership is presently being compared to physical identification of the dogs. As this process is being completed, dog owners are being notified by email so that they may reclaim their pets.

The last and most heartbreaking other than those of us whose dogs were killed will be the identification of the dogs no one claims. The HSUS and Animal Farm Foundation is asking that personal applications not be submitted as this will cause undue confusion and none of these dogs will be released to the general public.

Several rescue groups in other states have already contacted the HSUS and Animal Farm Foundation to take the dogs no one claims. If you are an individual who would like to adopt one of these dogs, please contact your local 501©(3) pit bull rescue that you trust and support, hopefully one that is active in pulling dogs from your own shelter. Suggest to your group to become involved and submit an application with HSUS and Animal Farm to be considered. News about this process will be released much later down the line and published on the official Montgomery County Texas Canine Seizure Case Facebook page.

Pit bull and other rescue groups are urged to submit their offers to Animal Farm Foundation and HSUS to be considered as rescue for the unclaimed animals. Some of the California groups already claiming to be taking the Spindletop dogs have a history of euthanizing 'problem' dogs which came from Katrina and other disasters and fighting rings. Efforts are being made to try and create a safety net for the unclaimed dogs.

Victims of the Spindletop Raid may post their photos and updates to the Victims Facebook page where more good news is appreciated.

https://www.facebook.com/VictimsOfSpindletopRaid

The people at Spindletop have their own dogs back and have reopened their doors for boarding. Many of us were fooled by this operation and trusted Leah Purcell and those who work with her and represent her. Some of our dogs died a horrible death like Reunion Rescue's Stella. Many others are yet to be found. Hopefully, others will read our story and not entrust their pets to the killing field of Spindletop Refuge.

Cindy Marabito: I have written several articles about Spindletop and Leah Purcell. I have been taken in as have so many hundreds of others. I personally feel guilty for any dog I helped people send there and must live with that the rest of my life. Stella had her ears butchered off and was chained up to a vacant lot in the hot Houston sun. I sent her to Spindletop where she was robbed of her life. Her face will haunt me until the day I die.

I'm receiving a ton of hate mail beneath my article posted on the Victims of Spindletop Facebook page. Nothing anyone can say, though can make me feel more guilt for having written articles to try and help the dogs who were sent to Spindletop. I have almost $10,000 in receipts for the Reunion dogs that suffered at Spindletop. To consider the dogs we could have saved with that money is incredibly hard to bear.

Please share this story and follow the American Pit Bull Examiner for details about this situation.

Cindy Marabito of Reunion Rescue writes the American Pit Bull Examiner stories to save lives. Every click on a story donates to the animals

Reunion Rescue: http://www.reunionrescue.com

American Pit Bull Examiner:

https://www.examiner.com/american-pit-bull-in-national/cindy-marabito

Please subscribe to and keep reading the American Pit Bull column where this and other pit bull stories are followed and the truth, made known.

Join National Examiner's American Pit Bull on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Pit-Bull-Examiner/119043764844618

Check out Pit Bulls and Other Animals blog: http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/

Author - Pit Bull Nation

Pit Bull Nation is a tell all book about rescuing pit bulls from death row for over twelve years.

Order Pit Bull Nation: http://www.pitbullnationonline.com

Now available in e-book and print."

So to all two or three stragglers feebly attempting to defend former rescue turned hoarder for dollars, please research your material before posting. 

"Condemnation prior to investigation is the height of ignorance." If these are the heights you aspire to, then you've arrived. We still have questions and will afford due process while awaiting answers. God willing, justice will be served and all the Spindletop marauders will get a a big old plateful.

Telling the truth: Republish 'Inside a Living Nightmare: Recap of Spindletop Raid

The following is the third of a series written by Cindy Marabito about the Spindletop raid. Five of the pieces were erroneously pulled by dog lawyer Zandra Anderson when she complained about the content. The American Pit Bull Examiner column stands by every single statement and has the evidence and sources to back it up.
Question for the dog lawyer and Spindletop group of regulars who seem to haunt the internet these days: do you truly believe the raid was a fairy tale created by the county and HSUS? According to pro-Spindletop internet postings, all of the dogs were well cared for and tossed into the loving arms of Leah and her Spindletop helpers by uncaring losers across the United States? It's all a big conspiracy.
The following article was printed July 23, 2012 and is being reprinted today. Whether one person reads it or a hundred makes no difference. The American Pit Bull Examiner is interested in printing the truth and saving animals. Period.

For those of you who still contend the stories are all made up fairy tales, linked below are the three rebuttals with every misspelled unfounded allegation from the dog lawyer clearly addressed.

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/spindletop-dog-killers-try-to-shut-down.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/texas-dog-lawyer-rebuttal-2.html

http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/2012/08/rebuttal-texas-dog-lawyer-part-3.html

Regarding the several trolls from Leah's camp who think this situation is humorous, some of us do not consider mass death and animal abuse a laughing matter. Hopefully, the criminal court system will address the severity of your crimes.

"Inside a Living Nightmare: Recap of Spindletop Raid

Rescuers and common people from across the United States poured into the little courtroom with pictures and documentation to try and locate the dogs they'd spent unknown thousands of dollars to board at the Spindletop Rescue in Willis, Texas. Believed by all these good people to be a reputable and kindly refuge for sometimes troubled and abused dogs, these rescue groups and citizens truly believed their dogs were being cared for and made ready for adoption.

Most of us, including Reunion Rescue, posted the dogs on our websites and adoption accounts like Petfinder to try and secure loving homes for these dogs. Many of us drove for hours to reach Judge G. Trey Spikes courtroom. We were first warned to keep our mouths shut and behave by the on charge deputy. Many of us had already begun to receive hate mail and Facebook postings suggesting we, the rescuers, were the ones to blame for this tragic and horrible abuse. The event was beginning to smack and reminiscent of how victims are treated after being raped, as if they are the criminals.

We sat in the courtroom waiting. We spent the day waiting, many of us talking about our pets at Spindletop, not knowing if they are alive or dead. Stories began to surface that were terrifyingly similar. Leah Purcell had told many a story that their dog had been 'rescued and adopted by her friend down the road who had a ranch.' I, for one, began to feel like Shelley Duval in 'The Shining' when she read her crazed husband's manuscript which repeated, "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," over and over for 500 some odd typewritten pages.

We continued to sit and wait. We saw Leah Purcell and her larger than life attorney, Texas Dog Lawyer, Zandra Anderson, parade through the room. They were followed by James 'Cowboy Mind' Brewer, the Spindletop treasurer so many of us Paypaled our monthly thousands and thousands of dollars. He sidled by us without a care in world in his Dumb and Dumber shirt. April was there, the sullen ranch hand who was supposed to help care for the animals. The hunched over mother, Louise Purcell, who had 80 dogs stacked in filthy crates throughout her house was in attendence. Looking at them was like watching rejects from 'The Hills Have Eyes' movie.

Constable Tim Holifield, the Montgomery County Precinct 3 adjunct spoke to us. He explained what might or might not happen. When HSUS involvement was mentioned, many of us shuddered. We'd read about other raids in which dogs had been euthanized that HSUS had a hand in. Again, when we expressed our fears, we were reminded that we placed the dogs in harm's way.

After several weddings and an excruciatingly long recess, we were herded back into the courtroom. Constable Holifield spoke to us again and explained what could happen. The entire time, Leah Purcell and her attorney, Zandra Anderson, Texas Dog Lawyer, were negotiating to lessen the charges. This is the same attorney who stood on the ground where our dogs, like Reunion Rescue's Stella were buried attempting to negotiate release of her dogs and Leah Purcell's personal dogs.

The DA assistant appeared and read the agreement. Leah Purcell will never again be able to operate a rescue in Mongomery County. She gets her own dogs and her family dogs back while the rest of us will have to wait to find out if our dogs are even alive or dead.

I received a call late last night that Batgirl is safe and I am waiting to hear from Animal Farm Foundation when I may drive to Conroe to the 'undisclosed site' and pick her up. Disturbingly, the group had notified another agency about Reunion Rescue's Batgirl one hour before I finally received an email.

With other big name pit bull groups already using this situation to network their organizations, this was alarming. We have witnessed many of these disasters go wrong with dogs as in the Katrina situation, being 'humanely euthanized' once the fundraising dried up.

While in the courtroom awaiting judgement, we heard hours of dialogue regarding how well the dogs were being cared for. Donations from national pet stores, money from giant HSUS, and other support was listed and applauded. I stood up at that point with a small reminder.

When our dogs were on death rows across the United States, taken from horrible abuse situations and off the mean streets of cities spanning the nation to be sent to Spindletop, nobody offered to help us save them. These dogs only had us, the people in this courtroom and their small supporters to help them get these dogs saved and into boarding.

While we much appreciate the kindness now that the nation's eyes are on the dogs and certainly do not want to belittle these acts, I have to ask where was all this support when these dogs were in distress and only had us? Where is the support for the millions in shelters right now who need our help?

This horrible event should be a huge wake up call for all of us. We, as I've stated ad nauseum in my articles, must begin to support our local rescue groups who are doing the work and saving the animals. We must think about where our dollars are going that are intended to save lives. Are they going to huge salaries, trips to talk about dogs at conferences with meals and plane rides, big ranches in lush California real estate and other frivolous and unnecessary interests? While somewhere between 6 and 9 million animals are being killed in our shelters, it is time for a huge wake up call.

Please share this story and follow the American Pit Bull Examiner for updates about Batgirl, Amber, Angel and all the other dogs confiscated and hoped to have survived through a living Texas nightmare.

Today, Leah Purcell picked up her own unaltered pit bulls and other dogs to take them 'home' with her. While she reunites with her own un-abused pets, the rest us us continue to wait for word whether our dogs are alive or dead.

Please email doggirl1@earthlink.net if you have a dog boarded at Spindletop. We are working to organize so that all dogs will be carefully tracked with photographs and proof of ownership.

Follow and 'like' Victims of Spindletop Raid on Facebook where our stories and dogs affected by this incident can be shared:

https://www.facebook.com/VictimsOfSpindletopRaid?ref=ts

Please share this story and follow the American Pit Bull Examiner for details about this situation.

Cindy Marabito of Reunion Rescue writes the American Pit Bull Examiner stories to save lives. Every click on a story donates to the animals

Reunion Rescue: http://www.reunionrescue.com

American Pit Bull Examiner:

http://www.examiner.com/american-pit-bull-in-national/cindy-marabito

Please subscribe to and keep reading the American Pit Bull column where this and other pit bull stories are followed and the truth, made known.

Join National Examiner's American Pit Bull on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Pit-Bull-Examiner/119043764844618

Check out Pit Bulls and Other Animals blog: http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/

Author - Pit Bull Nation

Pit Bull Nation is a tell all book about rescuing pit bulls from death row for over twelve years.

Order Pit Bull Nation: http://www.pitbullnationonline.com

Now available in e-book and print."

According to one of the dog lawyer's complaints, the unaltered dogs picked up by Leah Purcell including Austin, Asia and Cooper, each pit bull breeds, were altered before the raid. Please furnish the date and vet records of the dogs' sterilizations and this article will be corrected. The American Pit Bull Examiner always reports the truth.

Please tune in tomorrow for the reprinting of the third article pulled by the dog lawyer. Trying to shut me up is like trying to control nature....think flood. I am from Beaumont, Texas, home of the real Spindletop gusher. 


Pictorial courtesy Montgomery County Police Reporter:
                      
                                                ...all dressed up and nowhere to go...

 

Reprint: Mass Death at Spindletop Refuge: The Story of Stella

Zandra Anderson has accused me of writing articles that contain 'misinformation, half truths and out and out fabrications.' She also has put forth objections to Reunion Rescue, a 501(c)(3) in excellent standing raising money to save the dogs and other animals we have successfully been rescuing since 1998.

The Examiner pulled all of the articles written about the Spindletop raid and seizure except one, even the last piece about Nolan who luckily never wound up at Spindletop despite some frantic networking for his chip in fund by her client, Leah Purcell.

Today's entry is the first re-publishing of the articles improperly and unfairly removed due to Zandra Anderson's untruthful claims. Each comment made to the Examiner by Anderson has been addressed in the following three blog entries:

Spindletop Dog Killers Try to Shut Down Rescuer

Texas Dog Lawyer: Rebuttal Part 2

Texas Dog Lawyer: Rebuttal Part 3

Stella

Willis, TX: Stella was a pit bull. She was abandoned last summer with Amber in the hot Houston, Texas heat. Her ears had been butchered off with dried blood running down the sides of her face.

Stella and Amber were left noosed to a fenced vacant lot. After all of the horror that Stella and Amber have experienced, the worst was only yet to come.

http://www.examiner.com/article/amber-and-stella-found-butchered-and-noosed-the-hot-houston-texas-heat

A kindly Samaritan found the girls and contacted Reunion Rescue. An article was written about Stella and Amber and a Facebook page was created for them. After establishing a chip in, money was raised to board the dogs at Spindletop Rescue in Willis.

Almost $9,000 has been raised and sent to Spindletop for the care and boarding of Stella, Amber and two other dogs. Throughout the past year, Reunion Rescue was informed that Stella and Amber were ‘unadoptable’ and ‘aggressive’.

Tuesday, July 17, a raid on the Spindletop facility resulted in the confiscation of 298 dogs. Stella was not one of these dogs.

According to a former employee, Stella was one of 38 dogs who died of heat suffocation and were buried on the property. The young man confirmed her death and added, “Stella was an amazing dog. She was one of many that I looked forward to working with every day when I came to work.”

When told of Stella’s horrible death, her Samaritan broke down. “She was my little pot bellied pig.” When asked about Stella, her benefactor told about Stella playing with her little dogs. This is the same dog deemed too ‘aggressive’ to be adopted by Spindletop director, Leah Purcell.

Everything about this horrible affair is wrong. Stella and Amber could have been adopted. How many others at this place died who could have been in homes instead of literally tortured to death and secretly buried in a filthy mass grave

Legal representative Zandra Anderson known as the Texas Dog Lawyer has ‘allegedly’ advised her clients to remain quiet about this sordid and disturbing affair. Just how much of these details were known and kept secret? How many people across the country trusted these people to care for rescued and personal pets? Maybe this ‘lawyer’ and promoter needs to take a page from her own website which reads, “Promote education on responsible dog ownership through seminars, at local events and in conjunction with animal services.”

Tomorrow, Reunion Rescue’s Cindy Marabito will be driving to the first court hearing with paperwork for the three (hopefully) surviving dogs, Amber, Batgirl and Angel to try and re-claim them. According to the HSUS, these and the other 295 dogs will be ‘evidence’ and not available to be returned to rescues until a final decision is reached. This could take months.

Bad Rap, the group who became famous through the Vick dogs tragedy has already started networking these dogs on their Facebook page. Those of us who have dogs boarded at Spindletop and have suffered tragic losses like that of Stella are asking Bad Rap not to use our dogs as a fundraising tool. Please allow us to grieve the dogs we’ve lost and afford due process of law to have our surviving dogs returned to us. We do not want to see a re-occurrence of the Katrina dogs in which refugees were shipped to this group and other California groups, many never to be seen again.

Please take a minute to say a little prayer for Stella. Take a minute to pause and think about the others who’ve suffered. We are all angry and hurting about this horrible and tragic event. There will be a long road ahead to try and sort through the necessary bureaucracy to get our dogs back.

Many of us will be in the courtroom tomorrow to present our proof of ownership.

Friday, July 20th at 10:30am at the following location:

Justice of the Peace Precinct 2

Judge G. Trey Spikes

2241 North 1st Street Conroe, Texas 77301

Phone: 936-538-3788 Fax: 936-538-7732

Please email doggirl1@earthlink.net if you have a dog boarded at Spindletop. We are working to organize so that all dogs will be carefully tracked with photographs and proof of ownership.

Please share this story and follow the American Pit Bull Examiner for details about this situation.

Cindy Marabito of Reunion Rescue writes the American Pit Bull Examiner stories to save lives. Every click on a story donates to the animals

Reunion Rescue: http://www.reunionrescue.com

American Pit Bull Examiner:

http://www.examiner.com/american-pit-bull-in-national/cindy-marabito

Please subscribe to and keep reading the American Pit Bull column where this and other pit bull stories are followed and the truth, made known.

Join National Examiner's American Pit Bull on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Pit-Bull-Examiner/119043764844618

Check out Pit Bulls and Other Animals blog: http://doggirlpitbull.blogspot.com/

Author - Pit Bull Nation

Pit Bull Nation is a tell all book about rescuing pit bulls from death row for over twelve years.

Order Pit Bull Nation: http://www.pitbullnationonline.com

Now available in e-book and print.

One of the complaints made by Zandra Anderson, dog lawyer, was the posting of Stella on the Reunion Rescue website. Note to the dog lawyer, Stella's photograph will remain on our website. She will always be remembered and cherished as a tragic reminder that not all people in the dog business are good people.

Our hope is that we might at some point gather the remains where Stella was buried in a mass grave with 37 other dogs to place in a shrine.

Certainly these people who follow Spindletop and the dog lawyer on Facebook, who criticize and make fun of those of us who are grieving and trying to find our dogs will not understand. We do not expect someone who defends animal torture and mass murder to understand, nor do we wish to elicit any further communication with these people. However, like the giant tree roaches in the Texas heat, you really can't do much to discourage their presence. They just keep crawling along.

All unfounded complaints in which Anderson based removal of this article are addressed in the rebuttal. The next re-publish will be the July 23 piece, 'Inside a Living Nightmare: Recap of Spindletop Raid.

Please stay tuned. Just getting started for what looks to be a long ordeal.

Oh, happy day...healing at the Expo in San Antone!

The past two and a half weeks have been pure d hell for Reunion Rescue and tons of others who trusted Leah Purcell's Spindletop ranch with their dogs. Many are dead and others still have not been located. Some probably never will.

Months ago, Reunion had committed to a booth at the San Antonio Pet Expo. It was a great opportunity to share our program with other animal lovers as well as a good venue for my book, Pit Bull Nation. Many of the haters have been attacking me here lately on my style of writing. Hey, I'm guilty! I'm opinionated, blunt and honest, but I know what's worked for these dogs the last fifteen years I've been pulling pit bulls from death row and worse across the US.

There are tons of other style books like sportswriter Jim Gorant's book, the coffee table Lost Dogs as well as the Cesar Millan library. And there's Shorty's tome about an ex-con who landed a tv show. The difference between my writing and others is I'm actually pulling dogs. I'm in the trenches with the network of little rescue groups who are doing the work.

People who read Pit Bull Nation will get an earful of how to treat, train, feed and learn about homeopathy and the harmful effects of vaccines as told in Raspberry's story. It's all sewn together in potboiler form with a behind the scenes expose as to what really goes on behind the doors in a kill shelter and the big rescue corporations who claim in their marketing to save lives, but in reality are the biggest killers of all.

Pit Bull Nation is a journey through hell and the magic formula to walk out with the dog. The Reunion Rescue detox protocol is shared in the book and is being put to the test with the Spindletop dogs we've managed to get to safety.

These dogs are suffering from PTSD and literally must be handled as a dog refugee POW. Mere training will not address the deep seated effects of what these animals went through at Spindletop. Whatever condition in which they arrived at that hellhole has been amplifed and it's our job to decompress these dogs, get their bodies healthy and gently transition back to safe ground.

So yesterday, I'll admit, I was exhausted. I got up at the crack of dawn and treated, watered, pottied and exercised Angel, Amber and Batgirl. I took care of the other fosters and sanctuary dogs, cats and birds, the birds being a handful with homemade diet. I got all my gear loaded into my old car and hit the road. At times like this, I'd probably commit grand larceny for a good volunteer.

It took me three hours to set up for the event, but I liked what my old booth looked like. I have always loved the vibe in San Antonio and it was carrying me today. I amazingly felt a bit of peace and gratitude. My neighbor down the road from Huntington Beach, Cali made me two righteous signs to help raise awareness and $$ for our Spindletop dogs. I found out the other day Leah Purcell fraudulently pulled dogs under my 501(c)(3) and also trolled my American Pit Bull Examiner articles to fleece kindhearted pledge donators for more cash. I understand she has illegally been pulling under other 501(c)(3) groups as well.

I'd already committed to Feo from Alvin ACC since he'd wound up at Spindletop due to an article I wrote back in December. Was I shocked to find out he was actually pulled under Reunion Rescue. This is further proof that Leah Purcell protected by Zandra Anderson who calls herself the Texas Dog Lawyer (I call her the Texas Dog KILLER's Lawyer) is a liar and a thief. From what I know about law, this is pretty close to fraud.

Me with the Paul Mitchell girls-my all
time favorite product always cruelty-free!

But, back to getting healthy. I got my booth ready right as people started trickling in. I had a huge stack of cards which I always hand out with our website www.reunionrescue.com full of Nutrition info and training on Junior's Page. I can promise any pet owner if they follow our program they can escape every terrible pet nightmare from fleas to cancer. Where's my controlled study? Right here at the Reunion Rescue No Kill Refuge where everyone lives to a ripe old age and never goes to the vet. You'll never see Hill's Science Diet or Fort Dodge underwriting any study grants at Reunion Rescue.

I met so many people. I met rescues. I hugged other Spindletop refugees and their dogs they'd managed to get back. I met people who cried and haven't found their dogs, dogs that Leah Purcell and Zandra Anderson know the whereabouts of. If that isn't the cruelest aspect of this whole case, I don't know what is. To know where someone's pet is and keep that information secret for a future plea bargain is below low. It's, to me, as low as you can go.

To me, Leah Purcell and Zandra Anderson are worse than Michael Vick. He was a big oaf trying to show off. Not excusing his behavior in the slightest. Am I the only person not wearing Nike's or eating Subway? For someone who professes to be the end all in pit bull rescue and the other making a killing, no pun intended, in legal defense, to deceive hundreds if not thousands of animals and rescuers is beyond evil. To know where those animals are and not help people find them, to have participated in hurting and killing animals for monetary gain on the scale that Purcell and Anderson are involved is monumental in comparison to Vick's crime.

It is my commitment to make certain no one ever forgets what these people have done. When Vick's name is googled, Leah Purcell's nasty face should pop up right alongside with her sidekick Zandra. Those two have been joined at the hip for a long time. Let them continue to be joined. They're welcome to bunk together at Gainesville where they belong and I'll spring for the bus ticket.

This one was nervous and came back to show
us how wonderfully her flower essence at work!

Nothing says it better than pictures and I've snapped a few to share from the San Antonio Pet Expo to share. On a humorous note, Shorty Rossi was supposed to be the guest of honor, but Ashley his assistant appeared instead. He's probably busy tending to the four dogs in the Shorti Rossi rescue, the tv show and book tour along with collecting donations. However, a few weeks ago, his people contacted Leah for a photo op. Boy, I bet they're glad she was busy abusing dogs that day. That was a close one.

We had a little drawing for the Bissell carpet cleaner which was won by a rescue group. Katrina Dennis, director of Del Rio, Texas A Pet's Wish won the carpet cleaner.

I left tired, hungry and happy. I met a ton of San Antonio people who love their animals. I had forgotten what it felt like to be in a community of happy pets and their loving owners along with wonderful rescue groups who really do pull cats and dogs, work full time jobs and squeeze in the time to show off their pets at events like this.

Thanks to Jamie, Natasha and the Expo girls, Petsmart for the balls, Petco for the frisbees, Blue Buffalo for the treats and most of all Petfinder for the booth!\

All in all, it was a beautiful day. The good people who love their animals in San Antonio turned out and proved something to this ol' war torn rescuer. It really is a wonderful world.....

Spindletop refugees

Spindletop Refugees

Angel is here at last!

Zach former Spindletop employee who id'd Angel for us!

After much hoopla and jumping through hoops, I made it back to Austin with Angel yesterday. Stacey

at Animal Farm Foundation, Chris, Chris and Michele from HSUS and all the hardworking others involved are deeply appreciated by Reunion Rescue and the dogs they've worked to help find their legal owners.

We drove back and forth from Austin to Conroe four times to get three of our four dogs back who'd been boarded at Spindletop. We got Batgirl last week, Amber, then yesterday Angel! 

I'm deeply saddened about Stella and her terrible death with the other 37 from the Morgan Building. I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself for putting her there and for recommending this place to to others. What I can do is continue to work hard in the fight to make sure Leah Purcell and everyone who had a hand in her operation goes down and goes down hard.

Reunion Rescue 2012 Which Wich tour..the go to place for Spindletop raid recovery dogs

Animal Farm working hard to help reunite our dogs!

Angel...just glad to be alive

Here is a little video of me and Angel with one of my favorite Lucinda Williams songs playing in the

background.

Albert Schweitzer said all man's ills can be cured with music and cats. Cindy Marabito would like to add pit bulls to that equation.

Checking out his neighbors .. the cats ...

Angel after a shower

The cat enclosure

Mr. Angel is decompressing and on his herbal worm treatment as are Batgirl and Amber. They all three are dosed throughout the day with Bach flower remedies as well as Australian Bush Flower Essences.

Both Angel and Amber need to be altered, but we'll wait a couple of days to allow them to relax and sniff and get back to the business of being dogs.

On that note, Leah Purcell on top of all her other foul ups continued to kill all potential adoptions I'd lined up for Angel. She did not want to adopt dogs. I placed one of my boarded dogs along with three Spindletop dogs in the year and three months I've been boarding dogs at Spindletop.

When I finally insisted on started preparation for Angel's transport to his new home, Purcell continued to put up road blocks, saying, 'she knows he's a pit bull, right?' She spit it out as if pit bulls shouldn't be adopted.

Amber

Well, among other things, Leah, you need to go back to pit bull school. Angel is a Ridgeback/Shepherd mix. He's got the telltale black Ridgie toenails I've been looking at for years along with the Shepherd shedding. Maybe she can take a correspondence course from  Gainesville State Women's Penitentary while she waits for a spot to free up in hell.

Mid section..future home to our no kill kennels

Batgirl doin' what she do...

                                                                  Batgirl trying to chill                                                                      

Rowdy Cowgirl 14 years young

Gringo Tex our 8 year old deaf boy

Rowdy Cowgirl surveying the perimeter