The city's animal cruelty investigator testified at a Municipal Court hearing on Oct 19 that Coastal Bend Small Breed Rescue was not providing the proper environment for dozens of animals. The hearing is to determine who should get custody of some 70 dogs and two birds seized by Corpus Christi Animal Care Services on Oct 14.
Judi Sisson, who operates the facility, spoke quietly with her lawyer and at times shook her head as the Corpus Christi Municipal Court environmental prosecutor showed video taken by Animal Care Services and questioned Cruelty Investigator Robert Smith. For about an hour people in the courtroom watched the video and heard Smith talk about feces and urine, new and old, that was ground into the floors and on newspapers on the floor.
"That's not something that can happen in one day," Smith testified.
James Saint, the environmental prosecutor for Municipal Court, also asked Smith about the smell that came from a kennel in one of the backrooms. Smith identified it coming from a dog that was suffering from a condition that made the dog bleed as well as have diarrhea.
"You can see him nosing it away," Smith said of the bloody sheet in the kennel with the dog. "Dogs don't like to lie in their own filth."
But Sisson had many supporters in the courtroom, praising her efforts to shelter the animals.
Catherine Endress, a friend of Sisson's, testified that Sisson wakes up about 9 a.m. and spends most of the day picking up after the animals. Endress said Sisson often takes in dogs that are injured or sick and nurses them back to health.
And DeLayne Young, who had two dogs boarded during the seizure, said the conditions shown on the video were not common and she never saw the facility in an unsafe condition.
"I think (the condition of the facility on the day the animals were seized) was temporary," Young testified. "I've visited at least half a dozen times. It was reasonably sanitary to my eyes and the dogs respond to Judi's voice."
About 60 people wearing orange ribbons or orange plastic dog bones on their lapels waiting around the courtroom most of the day to show their support for Sisson.
David Sibley, Sisson's attorney, said he expected to call several witnesses on his client's behalf but could not go into details because of a type of gag order by Judge John A. Rank III. Rank told the attorneys and all witnesses and potential witnesses they could not talk about the case until the trial was over.
The trial is expected to continue at 8:30 a.m. on Oct 20. Case UpdatesOn January 18, 2006, a municipal judge awarded custody of several dogs impounded from a Flour Bluff residence serving as a rescue shelter to the City of Corpus Christi. Municipal Judge John A. Rank III decided in a hearing this morning that the dogs, which were already impounded from Coastal Bend Small Breed Rescue operated by Judi Sisson at her residence, should remain in the care of the city. Three people will be given a chance to prove ownership of a few of the dogs.
Sisson's attorney says Rank's decision will be appealed to a district court. | Source: The Caller Times - January 18, 2006
Update posted on Jan 22, 2006 - 11:37PM |
After being shut down by city officials, one woman began cleaning up her animal rescue in Flour Bluff. The Coastal Bend Small Breed Rescue made headlines back in October 2005. As you may remember, the city removed nearly 70 animals from the property because of unsanitary conditions.
Then a municipal court judge ruled the animals could not be returned to the facility. But things are changing. The Coastal Bend Small Breed Rescue is closed for remodeling. But operator Judi Sisson said, "I think we have 23 dogs, and about 15 cats." She added, "I don't know how many chickens. There's a couple of turkeys." Judi Sisson still keeps dozens of animals here.
She wants to house more, but she can't because her property is not in compliance with city codes.
You can find debris like a junked car everywhere. Now volunteers are helping to clean up. "They have to rack all of this here. They got to move all these metal pieces and all this stuff has to get out of here," Sisson said, pointing to things on her property.
Joyce Duvall is a graduate student from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She organized the effort to revamp the rescue. "I'm going to write their strategic plan for them. I'm working on some grant writing for them. They're our neighbors. They're trying to do a good deed. We're going to try to do a good dead," Duvall said. She admits the rescue is currently in bad condition and needs more volunteers and money, but Duvall is optimistic that the rescue will breed happiness in the future. This is just the beginning. More needs to be cleared away and volunteers plan to continue next weekend. | Source: KRISTV News - December 12, 2005
Update posted on Dec 12, 2005 - 9:24AM |
municipal court judge has ruled that 71 dogs and two birds will not be returned to a Flour Bluff woman who runs an animal rescue group.
Judi Sisson has been without her 71 dogs and two birds for almost week now. Thursday, the judge ruled those animals aren't going back to her.
"They have taken my babies. They have taken my children from me," Sisson said. The judge said, Sisson is trying to fulfill a need within our community care for animals, but because of the unsanitary conditions inside her Flour Bluff home, what she was doing amounted to cruel confinement. Sisson says the ruling amounts to a death sentence.
"I think that every one of those dogs they have might very well stand a chance of getting euthanized, yes," said Sisson.
"Unlikely," said animal cruelty investigator Robert Smith. "We are working with rescues to get all of these animals out to rescues." While those animals find new homes, Sisson said she's going to get into compliance and bring more animals to her house.
"I need money, we need funding," she said. "We need money. Money, money, money. Money will make a difference so that we can do what we need to do." Investigators will be watching. Sisson and the Coastal Bend Small Breed Rescue also have 60 days to pay $3,700 to cover the costs of the investigation and boarding the animals. | Source: KRIS-TV - Oct 20, 2005
Update posted on Oct 24, 2005 - 6:43PM |
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