The asshole in me wants to publish every person and every organization that has discouraged me, purposely gave me false hope with no intention of following through, thanked me for my concern for the pigs but did nothing to help their situation. The organizations in place to help animals but don't. Authorities who swore to enforce state code, but won't.
On the other hand I want to encourage the people who take no for an answer. I've been told no more Times than I care to count. I've been made to feel ashamed or embarrassed because of my dedication and persistence.
I've been publically called a liar. A bitch. A count. Someone who shouldn't be trusted to work on farms and private properties. These words have echoed through the community I lived in for 15 years.
Add up all the pain and suffering I've experienced for speaking out for a year and a half and it isn't even a fraction of the pain and suffering a single pig experiences at Ayrshire Farm.
On March 16 Sandy Lerner will physically attend her trial.
Sandy Lerner has likely spent a similar amount on lawyers defending her and Crystal Ritenours animal abuse and neglect as she would have paying me to make this a non issue...to have a farm that is in compliance with certification standards and state code...with healthy humanely raised pigs!
Regardless of the outcome of the trial, this is just a year and a half into a lifetime journey advocating for pigs.
Every door has been not just slammed in my face but
I'm surprised that with your lovely long blonde hair anyone would call you a count instead of a countess! I'm sorry I couldn't resist.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for you that you'll have your day in court. Sending my best wishes.
Oh man, that’s a lot of work Meredith, publishing every person and every organization...blah, blah, blah... Hey girl, you got to roll with the flow! Plus, those people don’t give a shit what you say about them. Those people are assholes Meredith! And the biggest asshole-people work for the government.
ReplyDeleteI hear your pain. I know its an awful feeling. Just let the bad feeling pass with a little mediation. See the pain creep up on you, and watch what the pain does to you. Just track your feelings. Then change the channel in your mind and do something else. Read a book, lay down for awhile, pet your dogs, or enjoy a cup of green tea in your pfaltzgraff.
Otherwise, prescription medication is popular, in lieu of publishing, which some asshole may say is libel and get a lawyer.
There is no libel in the truth.
DeleteTruth is a defense to libel. Correct. But you still have to go to court and present truth as a defense; the libel claim does not just disappear.
DeleteThe last thing they what to do is highlight the abuse and neglect.
DeleteSeveral locals have asked Ayrshire Farm (on their fb page) to sue me...their response is they want to move on. Of course. If they sued me they wouldn't have a case. They would be doing me a favor.
You can't make your fight everyone else's fight. You WOULD be all those bad things you got called if you published all those names. People have different passions, different causes, and different fights to fight.
ReplyDeletePeople and organizations who raise money claiming to fight animal abuse but literally work facilitate animal abuse should be called out.
DeleteWhat did you mean by your last sentence? It wasn't finished.
ReplyDelete...that it feels like my heart and head get slammed in the door too.
DeleteWhat outcome are you hoping for? It looks like Sandy Lerner is only being charged with a misdemeanor. She isn't likely to suffer much even if she's found guilty. She already has the farm for sale and says she's ready to leave and only keep one cat.
ReplyDeleteShe just purchased retail space in Winchester VA and purchased a slaughter plant and adjacent property for staff.
DeleteLesson #1 don't believe a word that comes out of Sandy Lerner mouth.
The max penalty for livestock neglect is only a misdemeanor.
Would you stand by and allow neglect and abuse of horses because the penalty was just a misdemeanor?
When my friend who ran a rescue was still alive, there were times when we had to. She taught me that sometimes it was best to work with people to improve the animal's care and to educate the owners. She only called on law enforcement as a last resort, and they all knew her and knew she was more than reasonable, so she got results from them. She never sued anyone or charged them with a crime. She left that to the officers and the DA.
DeleteCharging this farm with a crime is the resort. I tried to work with them internally. That failed. I contacted certifies. That failed. I contacted the county. That failed.
DeleteRely on corruption isn't addressing the problem at all.
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DeleteRe "She already has the farm for sale and says she's ready to leave and only keep one cat." at 11.09 AM
DeleteWell Meredith, looks like you at least got Sandy Lerner to move out of town. That is an accomplishment. You ran that cat-loving, pig-abusing millionaire out of town. That's a feather in your cap.
Also, maybe JW is right about cat people...hum...
That article was written before I started working there.
DeleteSandy just purchased and is expanding to taker her process from A to Z with no outside assistance by purchasing her own slaughterhouse.
Okay, I see. Is Lerner's slaughterhouse operation expected to turn a profit?
DeleteThe USDA will inspect Lerner's operation, right? That will mean more inspectors to watch what goes on. Maybe.
http://reason.com/archives/2014/03/08/breaking-the-usdas-slaughterhouse-strang
The USDA is disposed to be ensuring compliance with the certified humane standards...you see how well the USDA inspects....
DeleteThis facility is not one inspected by the state.
It's dehavens custom processing.
The retail space she purchased is off I-81.
She's really expanding.
Me thinks she now has something to prove.
USDA is supposed*
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