en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/311085 Comments by Relieved http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503554 I am all for owners getting their animals fixed. Even though there are MANY irresponsible pet owners who don't spay and neuter thier pets, THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS BOYS ACTIONS - he and his parents ARE. It is pointless to discuss "worse offenders" as each case is unique. What is important is that we all start supporting CONSEQUENCES FOR ACTIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:33:02 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503554 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503308 If your picking a side because you don't want to "walk the fence", compassion and empathy for all living things is ALWAYS the right side of the fence to walk on. Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:15:25 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503308 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503265 It is nice to hear people referring to their pets as "family". I only wish they could all be treated that way. Thanks. Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:12:46 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503265 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503221 There are groups that spay or neuter and then release cats back in to the environment. There are people that do this in their own neighborhoods. That's a positive idea on how to stop unwanted overpopulation without cruelty and suffering. Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:09:46 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503221 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503199 Actually, the most appropriate recipient of the brain surgery bill should be the boy's parents. If parents were teaching their kids compassion and positive ways to solve problems, we would NOT have problems like this. There are groups that spay or neuter and then release cats back in to the environment. There are people that do this in their own neighborhoods. That's a positive idea on how to stop unwanted overpopulation without cruelty and suffering. Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:08:22 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503199 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503138 If this boy had a mom like you who instilled these kind of values in to him in the first place, this whole event may have never happened in the first place. "Teaching him love for all creatures" is an awesome comment. I wish more parents did this. Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:03:41 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503138 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503072 This is not "hunting". This is animal abuse. These are "companion animals" - NOT "game". I believe in the right to carry firearms. Animal abuse has nothing to do with that. There are many people trying to implement programs and encourage people to spay and neuter their pet so they won't become a "problem". Responsible pet ownership, spay and neuter, spay and neuter and release back into the environment ARE THE ANSWERS to the unwanted pets you call a "problem" - CRUELTY is not! Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:00:44 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14503072 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14502983 As I mentioned above, if you were the one being shot through the eye...you would feel differently. Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:54:51 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14502983 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14502960 When parents of abusers and abusers themselves are required to receive consequences for their actions (i.e. paying for the vet bills incurred by “scaring” the cat), people will begin to think twice about their actions and parents will begin to change the “values” they teach their children regarding the treatment of animals. Accountability is in order and WAY PAST DUE. It is obvious that your concern for other living things does NOT extend beyond you. If you were the one being shot through the eye, I am certain you would feel differently. Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:53:31 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14502960 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14502873 It has nothing to do with a cats life being more important than a boys. Both lives are important and valuable. It is views like yours, "its just a cat who cares" that put people in a position to lobby for laws to protect those that cannot protect themselves. If people respected one another and animals, we wouldn't have these kinds of problems in the first place. Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:50:39 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14502873 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14502692 An arrow did not make its’ way through a cats eye and head “accidentally”. I have been extremely involved in advocating for animals for many years. This kind of behavior is unacceptable – PERIOD. Until we, as a society, begin to DEMAND that a stop be put to animal cruelty of all kinds…it will continue. It is no more acceptable to try and “scare” a cat with a lethal weapon than it is to do so with a human one considers a nuisance. When parents of abusers and abusers themselves are required to receive consequences for their actions (i.e. paying for the vet bills incurred by “scaring” the cat), people will begin to think twice about their actions and parents will begin to change the “values” they teach their children regarding the treatment of animals. Accountability is in order and WAY PAST DUE. Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:46:51 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38379519.html#IDComment14502692 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14500013 Yes, it is heartbreaking all the way around. Unfortunately, the cows have no choices – but the humans do! Hermis chose to allow this to continue for many years – citation after citation, complaint after complaint, court appearance after court appearance. He feels that his “rights” are being abused and “this country is not what it used to be”. He talks about how he has served in the military to preserve our rights here in America. I would dare to say that there are likely many men and women who have given their lives for our freedoms that would not agree that one of the things they DIED for was his “right” to ABUSE and STARVE animals. The papers said that this will be one of the most expensive rescues in Idaho history. It is unprecedented. All of these agencies did not just walk into this lightly. This has been MANY years in the making and MANY animals have suffered when this should have been STOPPED MANY YEARS AGO. Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:22:59 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14500013 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14499891 I do realize there is a huge difference in both cases and I am keenly aware of the differences. Regardless of the difference, an arrow did not make its’ way through a cats eye and head “accidentally”. I have been extremely involved in advocating for animals for many years. This kind of behavior is unacceptable – PERIOD. Until we, as a society, begin to DEMAND that a stop be put to animal cruelty of all kinds…it will continue. It is no more acceptable to try and “scare” a cat with a lethal weapon than it is to do so with a human one considers a nuisance. When parents of abusers and abusers themselves are required to receive consequences for their actions (i.e. paying for the vet bills incurred by “scaring” the cat), people will begin to think twice about their actions and parents will begin to change the “values” they teach their children regarding the treatment of animals. Accountability is in order and WAY PAST DUE. Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:21:48 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14499891 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14499549 PART 3 - This particular case has been gut-wrenching for me all these years. It has caused me many sleepless nights feeling helpless about the suffering going on with these cattle. They just kept going out and slapping this guy on the wrist. Giving him a measly fine and a “slap on the back” from the “good old boy system”. There will be no slaps on the back tonight. This is a big deal for Idaho….and it is WAY OVER DUE. I am PRAYING this sets the stage for the future. There are going to be changes in laws coming up here soon. I am….well, I don’t have words. I am just so relieved that we are starting to make people responsible for the pain they inflict on animals. AND, I AM SO RELIEVED THESE ANIMALS WILL HAVE A FULL BELLY TONIGHT!!! I just want to see such senseless suffering STOP. It’s a great reinforcement to continue to stand up for what I believe in and NOT be SILENT when abuse is going on. People feel like what they say and do doesn’t matter. This goes to show that it does. Our voices are finally being heard and it is the abuser instead of the abused feeling the pain – sounds right to me! Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:19:15 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14499549 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14499534 PART 2 - Here recently a friend of mine who has done a lot of work helping animals was posting on craigslist about this issue. I called a very close friend that I have done a lot of animal rescue with. He "staked out" Sparks place. He then called "the lady from The Dept. of Agriculture" who is someone we have known for quite a while and has also helped many animals over the years. She staked the place out herself and got the State Vet out there. The rest is history...____ Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:18:27 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14499534 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14499527 PART 1 - Yeah, this has been a really bad deal for a long time. When I first moved here in 2004 and saw this kind of stuff, I was in disbelief that NOTHING was being done. Driving by in 2004, I saw one of the calves choking on one of the red ropes. I slipped through the fence and tried to get the red rope out of the calves mouth...at the risk of getting trampled by the calves mother. The calf dislodged the rope before I got to it. As I started to look around, I realized there wasn't one blade of grass in this entire field. These animals were very thin and obviously hungry. IHS had given Sparks numerous citations to pick up the red ropes and he never bothered to respond. After looking around and talking to neighbors, it became very obvious the calf was eating the red rope because it was starving and there was nothing else to eat. This was in 2004 and the lady at IHS said this had been going on for 7 years back then. Do the math. That's 12 years of untold suffering and abuse on no telling how many animals.__ Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:17:40 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14499527 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14433484 PART 3 - This particular case has been gut-wrenching for me all these years. It has caused me many sleepless nights feeling helpless about the suffering going on with these cattle. They just kept going out and slapping this guy on the wrist. Giving him a measly fine and a “slap on the back” from the “good old boy system”. There will be no slaps on the back tonight. This is a big deal for Idaho….and it is WAY OVER DUE. I am PRAYING this sets the stage for the future. There are going to be changes in laws coming up here soon. I am….well, I don’t have words. I am just so relieved that we are starting to make people responsible for the pain they inflict on animals. AND, I AM SO RELIEVED THESE ANIMALS WILL HAVE A FULL BELLY TONIGHT!!! I just want to see such senseless suffering STOP. It’s a great reinforcement to continue to stand up for what I believe in and NOT be SILENT when abuse is going on. People feel like what they say and do doesn’t matter. This goes to show that it does. Our voices are finally being heard and it is the abuser instead of the abused feeling the pain – sounds right to me! Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:08:31 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14433484 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14433481 PART 2 - Here recently a friend of mine who has done a lot of work helping animals was posting on craigslist about this issue. I called a very close friend that I have done a lot of animal rescue with. He "staked out" Sparks place. He then called "the lady from The Dept. of Agriculture" who is someone we have known for quite a while and has also helped many animals over the years. She staked the place out herself and got the State Vet out there. The rest is history...____ Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:08:02 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14433481 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14433469 PART 1 - Yeah, this has been a really bad deal for a long time. When I first moved here in 2004 and saw this kind of stuff, I was in disbelief that NOTHING was being done. Driving by in 2004, I saw one of the calves choking on one of the red ropes. I slipped through the fence and tried to get the red rope out of the calves mouth...at the risk of getting trampled by the calves mother. The calf dislodged the rope before I got to it. As I started to look around, I realized there wasn't one blade of grass in this entire field. These animals were very thin and obviously hungry. IHS had given Sparks numerous citations to pick up the red ropes and he never bothered to respond. After looking around and talking to neighbors, it became very obvious the calf was eating the red rope because it was starving and there was nothing else to eat. This was in 2004 and the lady at IHS said this had been going on for 7 years back then. Do the math. That's 12 years of untold suffering and abuse on no telling how many animals.__ Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:06:30 +0000 http://www.2news.tv/news/38540547.html#IDComment14433469