http://farmworldonline.com/News/ArchiveArticle.asp?newsid=5120


Michigan horses sold as owner faces more abuse allegations

By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent

EAST LANSING, Mich. — After the fourth and final auction of Matt Mercier’s horses, Mercier could be described as down, but not out.

“I sat there on Sunday and watched my life’s work being auctioned off,” Mercier said of the large auction on Nov. 4 at the Michigan State University Pavilion, which included horses from other states and even Canada. “They rode poor, old, crippled broodmares through the sale ring, because it brings them more money.”

Mercier’s 69 horses were seized earlier this year after reports that the animals looked underfed and that the ranch was in disarray. He and his business partner for the past 10 years, James Henderson Jr., were originally charged with misdemeanor animal abuse.

Later, the charge was upgraded to felony animal torture, which carries a possible four-year prison sentence.

A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 3, in which Jackson County prosecutors will try to introduce into evidence alleged animal abuse that occurred in the past, but where charges were never brought. Meanwhile, Mercier has started a website to tell his side of the story, and has gathered supporters. He and his supporters paint a picture of Jackson County Animal Control officers and Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Lamp as run amuck. One of Mercier’s claims is that Jackson County Animal Control seized the horses and moved to auction them off in order to raise money for a new animal shelter.

Chief Animal Control Officer Kimberlee Luce denied this, saying the horses were auctioned off in order to pay for expenses already incurred by the county to care for the horses.

One Mercier supporter, horse hobbyist Kathy Brown, purchased two of Mercier’s seized horses at auction on Sept. 15 in Napoleon, Mich.

The other auctions were in October, in Onsted, Mich., and Napoleon. Brown said Animal Control made her sign a statement saying she wouldn’t return the horses she bought to Mercier. She said she was going to ask her attorney if the document is legal. “Do I think Matt should have the horses back? Yeah,” she said.

As a horse owner, Brown is concerned about the precedent the horse seizures could set for anyone who owns horses for fun or profit. “I have high-dollar horses,” Brown said. “I am afraid they will come in and take everything I own.”

Dr. Robert Sray, a veterinarian in Jackson County for the past 29 years and an adjunct professor at MSU, looked at the horses at Mercier’s ranch in March before they were seized. He said although conditions could have been better, it was not a case of abuse, much less torture.

“The majority of horses were not in bad condition, considering the winter,” Sray said. “Three of the horses were very thin, but that’s not unusual after a long winter. There was good quality hay there. If you looked at the horses that day, there were horses standing next to bales of hay. The whole thing of them not being fed all winter is totally ridiculous. What I saw was not unusual.”

According to Sray, the condition of the horses did not improve under Animal Control’s care. He also said, early on – before the animals were taken off the ranch property – that Animal Control Officer Heather Wheaton would not allow Mercier to have an animal with a cut on one of its legs to be treated.

“If Matt’s guilty of torture, so are they,” he said. “My personal opinion is that weather conditions caused a lot of the problems. If Animal Control had worked with him for a month, they would have seen a tremendous difference.”

Animal Control did not include Sray’s assessment of the situation in the original police report on the Mercier ranch; why they didn’t isn’t clear. According to Sray, Jackson County Animal Control has a history of aggressively trying to seize horses from horse owners in the county.

Luce denied this, saying little except, “We approach all cases the same.”

Sray insists the county could have saved itself a lot of “money and embarrassment” if it had just worked with Mercier to improve conditions at his ranch.

Thanks to those who stand behind their words.. Dr. Sray.

Nice article. I am happy to see that he took the time to contact Sray and Luce.

Expenses? what happened to all the donations? What about the trumped up expenses for feed, etc? Jackson County probably came out in the black even before the auctions! Rediculous.

Kathy

Might I say that Dr. Sray is my new hero!

I think we all should send Dr. Sray a nice gift basket. Who wants to go in on one. I think it would be a great idea to show him a big thank you....

I absolutly would...pretty bad that we have to go out of our ways to thank someone for telling the truth!!

He has been my "HERO" for ever...GO GETUM DR. BOB...YEHAWWWWWWWWW....want to know how to **** the Black chopper pilot off?...Call my Vet. a LIER..Them is fightin words..

Yes, and because of his honesty his name will probably be dragged thru the mud again before this is all said and done. But, he believes in what he has said, and will stand up for Matt and Jim. He has been a hero to a lot of people thru out the years, even AC when they needed him. We that know him will continue to sing his praises no matter how badly AC tries to trash him.

Letterfly, you are so right about that. He has done more for my horses over the years then any vet has done for any one. He is more respected then any outher vet. that I know of. Yes I love my Dr. Bob..

Wonderful article by an actual journalist who doesn't mind getting the facts FIRST before printing! And hurray for Dr. Sray! Too bad when speaking the truth is heroism.

I saw this article and thought it might be something to refer to when visiting the issue in court of how JCAC could have handled the whole situation differently. Examples of how other jurisdictions do it should be helpful. Not much info in the article but maybe if it seems relevant someone can follow up with the persons involved?

http://www.thehorse.com/viewArticle.aspx?D=10883 (Neighbors Helping Alabama Man Care for Malnourished Horses).

You are all doing such wonderful work back there. I hope you will prevail on both issues (no torture by Jim & Matt AND major dysfunction and rights violations by JCAC).

Hang in there,your work is important to us all!
Karen

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Name and Address
Name : ROBERT J SRAY
Address : Jackson, MI 49201
Profession and License/Registration Information
Profession : Veterinary Medicine Type : Veterinarian
Permanent ID # Status Issue Date Expiration Date
6901003291 Active 12/31/2008

Complaint(s)
Open Formal Complaints
None
Disciplinary Action
Disciplinary Action Date of Action Date of Compliance
Probation 02/26/2005 05/04/2006
Fine Imposed 02/26/2005 02/26/2005

hmm!!!!

Show me one vet. that has not had his hand slaped and I will show you a vet. that don't give a hoot about aniamals. 1 You may want to check your facts before your bull gets away from you..Have a great day

Wow... 1. That looks awful familiar. Kinda like what Prosecutor Jennifer Lamp is trying to introduce Monday.

Did you read the actual complaint??? I know you did because you are on the inside. I have it in full thanks to the Prosecutor's office. 1 complaint in 32 years as a vet. His disciplinary action was because he did not properly document a c-section in a dog because he did not charge the woman for the procedure. Did you know the woman subsequentally killed her dog because she was "tired of it wetting on the floor"?????

Can Animal Control or the Prosecutor's office say they have only had 1 complaint in 32 years of service???? I bet not!

And a fine could be for something as simple as improperly filling out a health cert.

The best vet's in the world have had their hands slapped for minor "clerical" mistakes. This is a very minor thing for Dr. Sray. I am with BCP, matt & me..very minor.

I think it's 38 years as a vet. Even better.

But did you not know...being a vet for that long makes you "out-dated" as a vet...nice one Judge. I dont know about y'all, but experince matters to me in my vets.

And I hope your lawyers grill AC long and hard as to why they would employ a vet for 29 years and call him to inspect the horses if he's not competent.

You know they only kept him employed for those 29 years because he never balked them on anything, but as soon as he goes aginst what they say...Lordy Lord, watch out, he gets the axe!! Bless their lil souls....

Ah, this is what I like to see the wagons comming in formation!!! This is the way it should be one for all and all for one. Do you see why we have to stay togeather now? This is something JCAC did not expect when all the name calling started, we have rebounded,this is scaring them once again..

Didny y'all know me & myself are long long sisters?!?!?!

1-
1- How many complaints, or should I say disciplinary actions have JCAC received? I think they have repeatedly been written up for dangerous actions that resulted in the death of animal and the refusal of other shelter to even take any dog or cat from the Jackson shelter. How many complaints have been filed against the incompetent Jennifer Lump, and Judge Flipid? I think Judge Fillip has been over turned more than any other sitting judge in Jackson County? It appears he does not like blacks, Hispanics, gays, people from Ann Arbor, etc. How many complaints have been filed against officer Wheaten and Dunlap? Those in glass houses should not throw stones.

Hey 1, we know who you are!!! You can relax in your glass house on that side of the county..But no u turns for you.Were you aware that M.S.U. sends vet. students down here to Dr. Shray to learn on Equine rotation? I guess he is not such a bad or "ouy dated" vet. after all Oh by the way you have a nice day and a wounderfull Christmas...

BCP now that was just down right mean

Well at least I wished her a Merry Christmas!!! I also wished her a good day.. I just can not waste my fuel on anyone!!!

Interesting that Luce would talk to farm world but not Trent Loos... hmmm why is that?