Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Wildlife Rehabilitation Real Estate

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Wildlife Rehabilitation Real Estate
WEBSITE       FACEBOOK       YOUTUBE        MARY CUMMINS RESUME

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Wildlife Waystation, Martine Colette, complaints, lawsuits, charges, loss of permits

wildlife waystation, martine colette, los angeles, california, usda, irs, mary cummins, wildlife, permit, CUP, conditional use permit, los angeles county health, zoning, planning, fish wildlife, department, exhibitor, sanctuary, scamtuary, closure, animals, violations, donor fraud, audits, audited, non-profit, flood, fire, deaths

UPDATE: 12/09/22 The last animal has left the Waystation. I think I wrote the original article almost 20 years ago. The one here as first posted 2012 but there was a much earlier one. The sad saga of the Waystation may finally be over. 

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/all-stranded-wildlife-waystation-chimpanzees-have-been-rescued-and-reunited/3049568/

07/06/2022 My current ten year article may be nearing the end. I think I wrote an article years earlier than 2012 and this may be a continuation of that article. Waystation was shut down. Martine is dead. Most animals have been relocated. This was all caused by Martine's horrible actions and behavior. From the California Department of Fish & Wildlife Facebook page today.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife
  · 
"Here’s how some CDFW staffers in Los Angeles spent their Fourth of July weekend – by helping to move another group of chimps from the closed Wildlife Waystation to a new and fabulous home.
Wildlife Waystation was an animal sanctuary that shut down about three years ago, leaving CDFW responsible for relocating hundreds of wild animals, including dozens of chimps that were used in the medical testing and entertainment industries.
Very late Friday night, Wildlife Waystation staff, CDFW staff and a Florida-based chimp rescue organization, Save the Chimps, carefully loaded seven chimps into a trailer and then eventually a plane at LAX for the long flight to a beautiful new home in another state.
Check back in a few days for photos showing the chimps at their new location. Many thanks to the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (www.primatesanctuaries.org), which continues to work on rehoming the final 11 chimps still living at Wildlife Waystation."

05/20/2022 I think these are the last of the Waystation chimps. FTR these were not "accidental births." Martine knew people liked seeing babies and were more likely to give her money if there were babies. Martine put the intact male, females together for the purpose of making babies. This is the same roadside zoo mentality and just one reason the Waystation is now closed. 

Because Martine is dead and the Waystation is closed I can finally state that the information in this blog came from Waystation volunteers, employees and veterinarians besides USDA inspectors, Fish & Wildlife wardens/inspectors and of course their public USDA, Fish & Wildlife and lawsuit records. The employees, volunteers, veterinarians, USDA, Fish & Wildlife wanted this information to become public so the Waystation could be closed down or be under different ownership and control. It finally happened. 

"Fort Pierce - Thursday May 19, 2022: 'Save the Chimps' has announced the rescue of seven chimpanzees from the Wildlife Waystation in California.

The chimps, known as the 'Sunrise Seven', are now in the process of being transported from California to their new home at the 'Save the Chimps' refuge on Carole Noon Lane in Fort Pierce. Some of them have a history of being used for biomedical research, others have been used for entertainment purposes.

A release from 'Save the Chimps' states that the 'Sunrise Seven' will receive "individualized medical care, nutritious meals, engaging enrichment, and the space and freedom to choose how they would like to spend their days."

The Wildlife Waystation closed its doors unexpectedly in 2018 leaving nearly 480 animals in need of homes, including 42 chimpanzees. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife stepped in to oversee the animals and the rehoming efforts. Almost all of the wildlife were quickly rehomed, except for the chimpanzees, which posed a more challenging and complex effort. With the help of the emergency fundraising campaign, Chimps in Need, led by NAPSA, 23 chimpanzees have been rehomed at accredited facilities across the country, one sadly passed away of natural causes, and placement has been confirmed for the final eighteen.

“We have the moral responsibility to protect these individuals who have endured incredible hardship in their lives,” said Ana Paula Tavares, Save the Chimps’ CEO. “These magnificent beings deserve to be at a place where they can thrive as chimpanzees. At Save the Chimps, they will have access to spacious and natural habitats and will enjoy freedom of choice and exemplary care.”

The chimpanzees coming to 'Save the Chimps' include a family of five known as Magic’s Family and a pair of males known as the Dynamic Duo.

At the age of 17, Magic is the youngest member of the group, an accidental birth at the Waystation to parents Ernesta (27) and Jeff (46). We look forward to sharing their rescue and personal stories with you as they leave the sunsets of California behind for the sunrises of our Florida sanctuary.

'Save the Chimps' has made a lifelong commitment to care for chimpanzees. The annual cost for one chimpanzee is $25,000. They often live into their 40s or 50s, making this a three to four decade long commitment to provide care."

01/24/2022 Martine Colette dead from cancer. Per her naturalization papers she was actually 83. I didn't write this obituary. It's for information purposes only. 

"Colette was a fearless, magnetic, and a natural-born leader with a quick wit and unmatched sense of humor. Her giant heart never allowed herself to turn away an animal in pain. She put the well-being and safety of the animals above everything else, even when it came at her own expense or physical safety. Her bravery inspired others who worked alongside her to do the same.  She stood her ground and fought to protect her legacy through multiple fires, severe floods, and numerous bureaucratic challenges.  She worked every day to protect the animals under her care, once saying “it’s not an option to say ‘oh well, this month I can’t do it.’  You have to go on, and you have to do it.”  That kind of determination was at the heart of who she was.
Born to a Belgian diplomat and his wife Laura in 1942, Colette developed a deep appreciation of nature during her childhood, which brought her face to face with the animals she grew to love and protect.  At a young age, she observed wildlife while traveling with her father in Africa and ventured into the villages to learn from the locals about their native fauna.  It was during these formative years of witnessing the horrors of trapping camps, hunting, and exploitation of animals that she recognized her life’s true calling.  
In 1965, after making the move to Hollywood and building a successful costume design business, Colette rescued her first animal.  Working in the entertainment industry, she was no stranger to watching exotic animals go from fashionable pets to dangerous, unwanted houseguests.  When no zoos had interest or space to take them, people would refer to her as “the girl from Africa” to surrender their exotic pets.  Once her house in Los Angeles could no longer comfortably hold her growing family of exotic species, she realized there was a surplus of animals desperately in need of sanctuary, and she needed to expand.
In 1976, Colette purchased 160 acres of land outside of Los Angeles in the Angeles National Forest and officially started the Wildlife Waystation.  Her calculations had been correct—there was a dire need for homes for the influx of surrendered exotic animals.  The sanctuary grew exponentially, rescuing animals from the pet trade, entertainment industry, and even receiving and rehabilitating native wildlife brought to her by California Fish and Wildlife.  At its peak, in the 1990s, thousands of animals were being cared for at any one time. And, under Colette’s direction, the Wildlife Waystation became internationally recognized and known.  Animals from Ireland, New Zealand, around the world and across the country sought refuge at the sanctuary.  Colette organized and led a caravan to aid in the rescue of 27 big, maltreated cats from the infamous Ligertown Game Farm in Idaho.  
In 1995, Colette was the first to accept chimpanzees from biomedical research.  After initially agreeing to take in 16 chimpanzees from LEMSIP (Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates), Colette raced against the clock to expand facilities to receive an additional 32 chimpanzees in desperate need of placement before the biomedical facility closed.  Well aware of the horrible past these primates had endured, Colette became an outspoken advocate for chimpanzees, forming some of her closest bonds with her newest sanctuary residents.  Colette was an expert in chimpanzee behavior and referred to them as her “hairy children,” while always recognizing they were not pets and respecting the chimps inherent need to integrate into their own chimpanzee family groups and hierarchy.
Martine Colette has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including being named a Designated Animal Expert for the City of Los Angeles; California Fish and Wildlife Certificate for 20 Years of Dedicated Service; and the California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition for 22 Years of Tender Loving Care to the Animal World.
To many, Colette wrote the book on how to take in and rehabilitate abandoned animals. Carol Asvestas, a board member of the American Sanctuary Assn., called Colette’s refuge “the mother of all sanctuaries.”  Colette is credited for changing the entire culture of the welfare and sanctuary of animals.  Today, other sanctuaries drawn on her model. The Wildlife Waystation was the first of its kind, offering safe haven to over 77,000 animals throughout the 43 years Colette ran it.  Wildlife Waystation became one of Los Angeles’ most iconic sites, drawing Hollywood’s most elite as it was the place whose gates were always open for the city’s abused, unwanted, forgotten and abandoned animals.
While her legacy lies in the animal lives she saved, Colette was beloved amongst those in the animal world and beyond.  She was a born storyteller, captivating her audience with colorful stories and flawless delivery.  She believed the future of the animals she loved so dearly depended on the younger generations seeing the value in nature.  She hosted class field trips, and organized outreach programs to the local schools in order to keep the “magic” of animals alive in the hearts of children everywhere.  
Even during her last weeks, as she fought valiantly against cancer, she still received phone calls from others asking for help placing animals. Colette drew from her wealth of knowledge and vast connections. The last of the animals she saved will be placed in new homes thanks to her even after she’s laid to rest. 
One of her final comments, as she was surrounded by friends, Colette said “Soon I’ll be walking with tigers.” Those of us from Wildlife Waystation know she’ll be walking with thousands of other animals, as well. "

11/18/2021 A note from Marcia Mayeda of Los Angeles County animal control. It's a list of the actual animals which were at the Waystation when they closed. Martine used to say they had 1,000 no 1,500 no 500 animals. There were actually 434 animals there when they closed.

"Marcia Mayeda | The 434 Animals Impounded from the Wildlife Waystation
Uploaded: , Tuesday, Nov 16, 2021
By Marcia Mayeda
Paging Noah . . .

In last month’s blog I listed the many unusual animals DACC has impounded throughout the years. I challenged readers to guess which two species of animals that DACC has not impounded, promising to reveal the answer in this month’s blog.

The animals were: African grey parrot, African lion, African spur thigh tortoise, Bactrian camel, badger, ball python, barn owl, bearded dragon, boa constrictor, bobcat, capybara, coachwhip snake, Cooper’s hawk, desert tortoise, dolphin, ferret, great horned owl, hedgehog, jaguar, king snake, Nile monitor lizard, nutria, okapi, pushmi pullyu, red tailed python, reticulated python, Savannah monitor lizard, sea lion, screech owl, sulfur crested cockatoo, and tiger.

Before I get to the answer, I think you will be interested in reading about another extremely unusual wild animal case we had. In 2019, we were informed that the Wildlife Waystation was closing after 43 years of operation. The Waystation, located on 160 acres in unincorporated Los Angeles County near Sylmar and Tujunga, had served as a sanctuary for unwanted or abused wild and exotic animals that had no place to go. Unfortunately, after financially struggling for many years the Waystation was unable to continue.

Many former circus animals, zoo animals, and exotic pets were there, as well as chimpanzees rescued from laboratories. The wild species were regulated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and sometimes the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). There were also domesticated animals that were under DACC’s jurisdiction.

The 434 animals present included the following wild mammals: 42 chimpanzees, 11 tigers, 10 bears (black, grizzly, and Russian brown), 8 African lions, 7 mountain lions, 13 wolves, 6 wolf hybrids, 3 spotted hyenas, 2 leopards, 3 African crested porcupines, 5 baboons, 7 capuchin monkeys, 6 kinkajous, 3 lemurs (ring-tailed and ruffed), 1 patas monkey, 3 spider monkeys, 1 jungle cat, 1 savannah cat, 4 servals, 2 bison, 4 bobcats, 2 chinchillas, 2 coatimundis, 5 coyotes, 3 ferrets, 4 foxes (gray, red, and kit), 1 groundhog, 3 hedgehogs, 3 opossums, and 4 raccoons.

The birds included 12 Amazon parrots, 8 blue and gold macaws, 12 cockatiels, 1 cockatoo, 2 eclectus parrots, 5 green wing macaws, 1 Hahn’s macaw, 4 military macaws, 5 Moluccan cockatoos, 2 nanday conures, 1 parakeet, 1 African grey parrot, 2 Senegal parrots, 2 severe macaws, 3 umbrella cockatoos, 1 yellow-crowned Amazon parrot, 1 toucan, 1 golden eagle, 1 emu, 4 roosters, 13 doves, 4 ducks of different species, 7 geese (Canada, Egyptian, snow, and Chinese), 2 red-tailed hawks, 3 owls (barn, great horned, long-eared), 2 peacocks, 8 pheasants (Chinese ring-necked, Chinese golden, chukar), 2 pigeons, 2 ravens, 3 swans, and 1 turkey vulture. And a partridge in a pear tree (just kidding).

The reptiles included 2 anacondas, 7 American alligators, 1 caiman, 1 alligator snapping turtle, 6 green iguanas, 1 Argus monitor lizard, 1 Nile monitor lizard, 1 savannah monitor lizard, 4 ball pythons, 2 Burmese pythons, 5 Colombian boas, 4 gopher snakes, 3 kingsnakes, 1 rattlesnake, 2 red-tailed boas, 1 reticulated python, 2 rock pythons, 1 Colombian tegu, 4 desert tortoises, 1 leopard tortoise, 1 ornate box tortoise, 8 Russian tortoises, 16 sulcata tortoises, 4 box turtles, 20 red-eared sliders, and 2 snapping turtles. There was also a pond containing numerous koi fish.
The domestic animal count consisted of 3 alpacas, 2 dogs, 13 pigs (large hogs as well as pygmy pigs), 7 goats of varying breeds, 3 llamas, 1 mule, 9 horses, 2 sheep, and 3 rabbits.

The CDFW stepped in to take control of the facility and ensure the wild animals were properly cared for while they identified new homes for them in sanctuaries or zoos around the country. DACC staff was there daily for ten months, assisting the CDFW and providing care for the domesticated animals.

DACC handled the rehoming of all the domestic animals, birds, and bison. The bison joined the existing bison herd at William S. Hart Park in Newhall and can be seen by visitors today. Our Equine Response Team volunteers helped with the trailering and transporting of the animals, and one volunteer (a fish specialist) handled the relocation of the koi fish. It was a very successful partnership and all the wild animals were placed with zoos or other sanctuaries, except for the chimpanzees. They will be rehomed when the receiving sanctuaries’ facilities currently under construction are finalized for their arrival."

07/05/2021 Martine Colette thinks she will reopen the Wildlife Waystation. She is allegedly teaming up with a group, probably herself, to buy the property from herself to reopen the sanctuary. She will first start a "Chimp Village at Wildlife Waystation" for the remaining chimps. She will refuse to allow the last few to leave. Then she will go back to having a ton of animals. 

This is impossible because there is no CUP conditional use permit and they will never get one. They will also never get permits with Martine involved. Sounds like a money raising scam to me. And again, the Waystation bought the property and paid Martine for it. Martine then just filed a quit claim from the Waystation to her. I see major tax and other issues for Martine. 


New group doing the funding or whatever. http://www.sectreventures.com 

06/29/2021 Six chimps were taken to "Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Washington state." 26 chimps remain. 

07162020 32 chimps remain at the Waystation. The other sanctuaries refuse to take them unless they get $6.9M ahead of time. This is how the Waystation got them. They said they wouldn't take them unless they got money. This is how some sanctuaries work. New animals are a fundraising opportunity. When Waystation took the chimps originally they were separated by sex and none were pregnant. The vet was prepared to instantly neuter them all. Martine wanted cute babies to get more donations so they she put them in together unneutered. They all got pregnant and multiplied. That's why they have so many now. Irresponsible scamtuary. 

https://www.dailynews.com/2020/07/14/homes-sought-for-chimps-still-at-sylmars-shuttered-wildlife-waystation/

05/09/2020 All animals have been placed except for chimps. They are asking for money to build enclosures for them which will take a year. Sounds like the sanctuaries will only take them if they come with money.
 
"Dear Friends of Wildlife Waystation, 

We have wonderful news! Nearly all of our beloved animals have been placed in new homes.  Everyone -- except 32 chimpanzees!

When Wildlife Waystation closed last August after 43 years, it was home to nearly 500 animals. Over four decades we cared for more than 77,000 animals.  We remain deeply committed to making sure these chimps find the best new homes to live out the rest of their lives. 

The handful of our remaining care taking staff has worked extremely hard during the last months under incredibly stressful conditions. At last, we are delighted to announce that the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance (NAPSA) has joined forces with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Four sanctuaries have offered permanent new homes for our last chimpanzees.

But, even at this extraordinarily difficult time in our world, we still need your help!

Before the chimps can move – new housing must be built at each sanctuary.  This construction will take up to a year.  In the meantime – NASPA and CDFW need help paying for their daily care -- food, water, cleaning, enrichment, medical support, and all of their day-to-day needs. While, our same keeper staff continues to care for the chimps, Wildlife Waystation cannot meet the financial needs without NAPSA and CDFW."


11/27/2019 A non-profit and Fish & Wildlife are still working to get the Waystation animals placed. Nearly half of the 500 animals have already been placed. The Waystation has assets which can pay for the animals care. A main asset is the property. Martine is trying to sell the property. Legally all funds must go to the Waystation as they paid for the property, the loans, upkeep and improvements. Other people and non-profits even donated to upgrade the property. One upgrade is the pond in front of the cabin where Martine had lived. A non-profit pond business donated the pond to the Waystation. They didn't donate it to Martine. They would not have donated it if they thought it was Martine's personal real estate.

https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2019/11/25/new-wildlife-care-fund-established-for-animals-at-wildlife-waystation/

11/22/2019 Two wolves from the Waystation went to Red Lodge wildlife sanctuary.

https://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/red-lodge-wildlife-sanctuary-get-new-wolves/article_8075ef5a-dc29-5313-af23-9a36e9a9565d.html

10/16/2019 Waystation land listed for sale for $2.2M. Correction. This is Martine Colette's property now. She is listing her own property for sale. It's in her name. She quit claimed the property to herself even though the Waystation paid for it. I see legal battles. The proceeds of sale of all of the property, real and personal, must be donated to a similar non-profit in the area per the IRS. The Waystation paid Martine Colette for salary, loans, property, legal fees... Martine owns the cash she took from the Waystation though probably not all of it. Martine also has to give back the rent she charged to the Waystation for renting their own property.

https://www.dailynews.com/2019/10/15/shuttered-wildlife-waystation-in-sylmar-lists-for-2-2-million

Here is the listing in RedFin. This is Martine's bedroom and bathroom. She even had people donate the pond in front of her house. It was donated to the Waystation but she's keeping it. So much for a write off. Martine got in trouble for using Waystation funds to fix her own house. This is the house. All of that property belongs to the Waystation and not Martine. The Waystation paid for all of it at least once it not twice. Scroll below to see the evidence that the Waystation paid for it and owns it.

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Sylmar/14831-Little-Tujunga-Canyon-Rd-91342/home/5548146

Here's a slideshow. I don't know if you can see it.

https://www.themls.com/mlslistingphoto/listing/slideshow/#/19-516714

Maybe you can see this.

https://www.themls.com/Dashboards/sharedListings/umy8HDsQE6aq9M7k45-uD1PEV3p4rxlQtrdp_q8d-m6-Vlbilz06YPygiWOSsKW6H4dyJ1JjEr41


Your Agent Contact Information

Name: Mary Cummins
Phone: 310-877-4770
Cell: 310-877-4770
CalDRE#: AR010270
E-mail Address: mmmaryinla@aol.com
Total Listings: 1

CLICK HEREto view all the properties or scroll down and view individually.
Listing Photo

14831 LITTLE TUJUNGA CANYON RD

SYLMAR, CA 91342
$2,195,000MLS#: 19-516714
2  Beds
3.00  Baths
1,200/OW  Bldg Sq Ft
More Details
Broker/Agent does not guarantee the accuracy of the square footage, lot size or other information concerning the conditions or feature of the property provided by the seller or obtained from Public Records or the other sources. Buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of all information through personal inspection and with appropriate professionals. The property may have video/surveillance devices.
MLSPLUS™ Copyright © 2019 by TheMLS™, Information deemed
reliable but not guaranteed. This email was sent by

10/11/2019 More animals relocated from the Wildlife Waystation to other better sanctuaries.

"Domino is one of three hyenas recently rehomed to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado from the Wildlife Waystation in California. With the hyenas also came six grizzly bears, four black bears, two tigers and a mountain lion, also known as a cougar or puma."

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rescued-hyena-has-joyful-first-swim-300936869.html

10/05/2019 The Waystation has never had a breeders permit ever. Three of their lions were born at the Waystation a mere two years ago! They were not allowed to let animals breed in the Waystation. Martine didn't care. She violated the rules and regs all the time. Those three young lions now live in Cedarhill.

https://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=76435

09/29/2019 It appears all the big cats at WW are now at other sanctuaries.

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Wylie-Wildlife-Rescue-Part-of-Effort-to-Re-Home-Nearly-500-Exotic-Animals-561586981.html

09/10/2019 Some big cats moved to Indiana. They will live in a sanctuary not in a cage like they had for most of their life.

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/09/10/wildlife-waystation-tigers-cougars-and-lions-relocated-to-indiana-sanctuary/

Still getting attacks from alleged Waystation supporters. I have been reporting about their problems for years. I report about things they've done after they've done them. I did not cause any of their problems. All of their problems were caused by Martine Colette. These people should be mad at her but they're not. Misdirected rage. Martine Colette kills animals and destroys a wildlife sanctuary after taking lots of money and assets from the non-profit. Her "fans" attack and unrelated actual wildlife rescuer for no reason. This reminds me of the fans of other scamtuaries like the Gentle Barn, Rowdy Girl and others. Their fans attack people who merely show them facts which prove they're a scamtuary.

08/24/2019 Some animals have been moved to Arizona.

https://www.azfamily.com/shows/good_morning_arizona/pets/wildlife-relocated-to-phoenix-herpetologist-sanctuary-from-california

08/22/2019 Here's a good article about the Waystation from someone who has been following their sad saga for years. I don't support all of his work as he doesn't know other subjects too well yet writes about them.

https://www.animals24-7.org/2019/08/21/wildlife-waystation-closed-to-be-dismantled-after-43-years

08/21/2019 Waystation is again begging for money. They should sell whatever real estate, assets they have if they can. There is a clause in the deeds that states if the Waystation doesn't own the real estate, it goes to the state of California.

My article has been here for seven years. Now that the Waystation is closing for all the reasons the IRS, USDA, Fish & Wildlife, LA County Health Dept, Planning and Zoning stated a few "fans" of the Waystation are attacking me. I did not cause the Waystation to fail. I've only been reporting on it for the last seven years. They did not close because of the recent fire or flooding.  They've needed $30,000,000 in order to upgrade the roads, water system, sewage system...since at least 2003. Martine's mismanagement, wars, lawsuits with Fish & Wildlife, IRS, County...is the reason the Waystation is a shambles. Martine is the person people she be mad at. The IRS found she used the Waystation's money on herself and her property. I think the donated pond is in front of Martine's personal residence. Martine quick claimed the property deeds from the Waystation to herself.

08/17/2019 Wildlife Waystation is now saying negative things about Matthew Simmons of Lockwood Sanctuary. I know Matthew Simmons only wants what is best for the animals. I told him not to send his wolves there. He swore to me he was going to fix the Waystation. I told his wife about all the 40 years of problems. I sent her a link to this page. I told her it was impossible to fix the Waystation.

https://www.dailynews.com/2019/08/16/wildlife-waystation-board-severs-ties-with-ex-coo-alleging-non-approved-transactions-by-staff/

Just fyi the Waystation didn't rescue 77,000 animals. Let's do the math. 43 years from incorporation 1976 to today. That's 1,790 animals a year. Since 2003 they haven't been allowed to take in new animals. They never had a breeding permit so they can't allow them to breed or get pregnant. That means they took in 2,851 every year from 1976 to 2003. Because they never had a wildlife rehabilitation permit they never filed any annual reports so we will never know. I did FOIA requests to get the waystation permit data. They were not taking in that many animals.

The Waystation did at least state in the most recent article that no animals will be euthanized. There may be some animals too old, ill and disabled to find homes. We'll see what happens.

Wildlife Waystation USDA permit cancelled

Cust/Org Name (DBA): MARTINE  COLETTE(WILDLIFE WAYSTATION)
Customer No:     3621
Certificate No:    93-R-0177
Certificate Status: CANCELLED
Status Date:      Mar 16, 2000
14831 LITTLE TUJUNGA CANYON ROAD

LOS ANGELES, CA 91342
COUNTY:LOS ANGELES

08/13/2019 Hard to believe it. Waystation closes. Board voted to relinquish their permit. Fish & Wildlife will look for homes for the wildlife.

The Times article below is the most researched article about the closing.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-08-13/wildlife-waystation-angeles-national-forest-closing

Lockwood just stated they aren't working with Fish & Wildlife to place the animals. No one knows what will happen to the wolves they placed there. I warned them not to send the wolves there.

https://patch.com/california/sierramadre/s/gt5zl/wildlife-waystation-beloved-animal-rescue-abruptly-closes

Matt Simmons was voted off the board two weeks ago. I actually warned his wife about this in an email the second I heard he was taking over. I sent her all of my research. I told them not to give them those wolves.

https://www.dailynews.com/2019/08/13/financial-woes-shut-down-sylmars-wildlife-waystation-ending-four-decades-as-a-sanctuary-for-exotic-animals

I will start posting redacted versions of all the complaints Waystation volunteers,  board members, veterinarians... sent to me over the last 15 years.

Video of a wolf at Wildlife Waystation. Wolf was in this condition for days. This is from February 2016.

"Juneau the wolf got weak in the rear end. He finally could only stand on a small flat area in his enclosure. They put him in a small flat enclosure without his mate. That enclosure was in a heavy traffic area with other animals and people. He got stressed and started pacing, trying to do laps in his cage. He started dragging his rear end so they decided it was time to euth. This was a Friday. Martine came and said it'll have to wait until Monday. Juneau dragged himself in a stressful manner until Monday then he was euth'd. Here's a video of Friday. Obviously he was worse over the weekend but there's no video."



Martine still owns the real estate. She took mortgages out on the real estate. She took loans of $591,000 on one property and $480,000 on the other.

COLETTE MARTINE D
14831 LITTLE TUJUNGA CANYON RD
SYLMAR CA 91342
APN: 2581-018-018
Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 1
Square Feet: 8,016 SF Lot Size: 11.308 AC
Year Built: 1981 Garage:

COLETTE MARTINE D
14831 LITTLE TUJUNGA CANYON RD
SYLMAR CA 91342
APN: 2581-018-017
Bedrooms: Bathrooms:
Square Feet: Lot Size: 4.759 AC
Year Built: Garage:

Below is Martine Colette's real estate in LA County.

Below is the Waystations real estate in LA County. There is a deed restriction. If the property is transferred to anyone, any entity other than the Waystation, it becomes the property of the state.


05/23/2019 I don't believe this. She lied and said she stepped down twice before for legal reasons but never did. The Waystation paid for all that land and Martine quit claimed it into her name. She charges the Waystation rent for their own land. Matthew Simmons of Lockwood is now the CEO? The Planning Commission said a decade ago the Waystation needed $30M just to cure health code, building, planning violations. They lost their last application for a CUP. Planning stated they will never give them the permit. They admitted their are located in a ravine?

https://www.dailynews.com/2019/05/22/wildlife-waystation-in-sylmar-shakes-up-top-management-as-founder-martine-colette-steps-down/

As of March 2019 Martine is still the CEO and President. May 21, 2019 Waystation's FB page said Simmons is the COO not the CEO. Their website says Martine is still in charge.



Another day another "oops" birth. Three lion cubs born at the Waystation. They aren't allowed to let their animals breed. They don't have a breeding permit. I'm sure this was intentional so they could have cute babies which people want to see so they'll give donations.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-lion-cubs-20180117-story.html

12/05/2016 I just spoke with LA County Planning. There is a CUP application for the Wildlife Waystation. The case number is RCUP 201500106. Please contact our Zoning Permits Section for more information, 213-974-6443 (Project number R2015-02578). Anthony Curvi is in charge of it.

This is just an application. There are no online documents. The last application was 2005 which was denied. I spoke with the planning person about that application. They said it was denied and they will never ever give the Wildlife Waystation a CUP. As a previous expert stated the Waystation would need $30,000,000 worth of improvements to comply with just the County violations, mandatory improvements to the property. That estimate was in 2003 so it would be more expensive today.

I believe that Martine filed the application just as a way to raise money. She knows she will never get the CUP after 40 years of complaints. Since the very beginning in 1976 Martine has not been in compliance. Martine has been viciously attacking, suing, threatening USDA, Fish & Wildlife, County... They will never ever give her a CUP. In fact the planning person said "we will never, ever give her a CUP."

After the application only is formally accepted, there will be public notice. All the files will then be available on the planning dept website. You will then be able to search and find the file here http://planning.lacounty.gov/case At that point all the neighbors and concerned entities will be able to voice their concerns. If one neighbor is against the CUP, the Waystation will never get the permit. Public comments will be allowed after the application is public. After the Planning Commission and public investigate and comment on the project, the Planning Commission and Commissioners will vote to approve or deny it. I would bet every penny I have that they will again deny the permit. There are already many people and organizations that will speak against the permit. Notice they have not had a CUP for many, many years. The County could shut them down any day. They won't because Martine said that if USDA, Fish & Game, County...shuts them down, she will kill all the animals. Other times she said she will dump all the animals on USDA, Fish & Game, County...

Just pulled up the last time the Wildlife Waystation sued Los Angeles County. Here's the case from 2003 when they were trying to get a CUP and were denied. The Waystation dismissed the case. Martine was trying to get a temporary injunction to stop the County from shutting down the Waystation. The commission will never give her a permit especially after this. This application as a ruse to raise funds will end up hurting the Waystation even more.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxE8KfVPjYF4NFRodUFnanhENUE/view?usp=sharing

_________________

12/02/2016 Today someone emailed me and said that the Waystation didn't lose their permits... Here is what the Wildlife Waystation emailed to them which was sent to me. This is totally false.

"HI Valerie, thank you for checking in with us and asking. It is absolutely not true that we have lost licenses, or cannot take in animals. We are renewing our licenses with the county and Fish and Wildlife, just as we do every year, we have been operating under a county Conditional Use Permit while we do some facility upgrades but it's business as usual and if we have space and there is an animal in need, we'll give them a home. We have just taken in a brown bear, a bobcat and a possum that were in need of homes. I'm not sure where the incorrect information is coming from but it's not accurate."

They have never had a wildlife rehabilitation permit ever. They are not open to the public. They can't give tours. They can't take in new animals. They do not have a conditional use permit. Even Martine admits this. In fact she says she reapplied to get the permit and will have it soon. She did not reapply. There is no application with LA County Planning commission. They purged the last application out of the system. It was from 2004 and denied. The Planning Commission said they will not give the Waystation a CUP.

This is from Animal People 2007. Go to page 16.

http://newspaper.animalpeopleforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/September-2007-pdf.pdf

"Barrett said. "Unfortunately,  there were some real logistic and physical realities that Martine could not easily solve and would not deal with realistically.  The Waystation acreage is extremely hilly and rolling and the cost to bring a piece of land like this up to current codes on road improvement,  hillside stabilization, water supplies and storage for fire protection,  sewage disposal,  etc. is just way too prohibitive for a nonprofit animal facility.  While I was involved, the estimates for infrastructure improvement,  not including any cage or habitat improvements,  were in the $30 million range,  and would likely be higher now."

"In addition to everything else,  the County and the Waystation were at a major legal juncture,"  Barrett explained.  "The Waystation's long standing conditional use permit had expired. Technically, the county could have closed the place."

The Los Angeles County administration "was rightly horrified,"  Barrett conceded,  "by the aging,  junky,  illegal mess the Waystation had evolved into.  In addition, all the government agencies that had struggled with Martine over the years were now comparing notes and sharing information.  As each agency learned more about the problems other agencies were having,  that affected each agency's willingness to work collaboratively with,  or believe or trust,  Martine.

"Additionally there was a simultaneous campaign of complaints to each of these agencies,  especially the county,  by a collection of former volunteers and others,  even a former board member."

I decided to see if there was any new news about the Waystation today. Martine said she applied for a CUP and will get it soon. She has not applied. I just checked Los Angeles County Planning. Here is the case number for the last application which was denied in 2004. 200400005.

Go here and search by case number or names "Wildlife Waystation" or "Martine Colette." Nothing pulls up. Last time I spoke with planning they said they have not and will not give the Waystation a CUP. They are illegally operating without one.

http://planning.lacounty.gov/case

While I was researching the CUP I see new videos the Waystation made to beg for money. In one a tiger is walking outside of its enclosure in the mountains. The tiger must stay in its enclosure.


I also saw a morbidly obese domestic skunk. They're illegal to have in California. That weight will kill that skunk if it's not dead already.


________________________

An anonymous person too weak to leave their name just left a comment asking to see my USDA history. The person said EVERY animal person has a violation. Guess what? Not this one. I have had perfect inspections since 2003. They don't schedule appts. They just show up at your door unannounced. I don't have a problem complying with regulations. I don't take in more animals than I can properly handle.

What I've written about Martine and the Waystation is the truth backed up by lots of documents. In fact I'll start posting more of Martine Colettes legal documents and liens.

This information has been online for at least five years unchanged. If Martine wanted to sue me for defamation, she could have but she didn't as what I posted is the truth. There is also a one year statute of limitations on defamation in California. Everything I have posted came straight from Martine Colette herself, legal documents, USDA documents, Fish & Game, Arizona Sheriff records, her naturalization papers and public records.

To the person sticking up for Martine's cruel treatment of animals, shame on you.
______________

Found some old newspaper clips. Martine Colette was breeding the animals. Here she shows off three white tiger cubs. She states they are the only ones.

Martine Colette wildlife waystation white tiger cubs

Originally the Waystation wasn't supposed to allow any visitors. They also weren't allowed to have over 200 animals max. The planning commission and neighbor were concerned about security and waste issues. Everything the planning commission and neighbors feared might happen actually happened. If someone is moving to a larger location because they have too many animals for their present location that should be a sign that they will again have too many animals.

Martine Colette Wildlife Waystation
Here is the rest of the article above. Martine Colette was breeding the animals and selling them to zoos. She also used them in movies and tv programs. She was going to let a university use her animals in a breeding study. Keep in mind she never had a breeding permit.
Martine Colette Wildlife Waystation breed sell animals to zoos use in television and movies
Another article stated that Martine Colette fed entire cows and horses to the animals. Martine said she butchered them herself on site. She didn't have a butcher license.
Martine Colette butchers horses cows on site.

In the below article a politician has stepped up to get a $300,000 grant to get the Wildlife Waystation in compliance with regulations. Notice this is soon after they opened that they had problems. They've had problems since the beginning. Instead of making plans to become compliant with regulations, Martine Colette plans a huge 10,000 person arena, gift shop, a western town, cabins...to turn the Waystation into a tourist spot. The politician finds out and is not pleased. Martine has done this since the beginning. Beg for money for animals, spend it on something else.
Martine Colette Wildlife Waystation


An article came out on July 7, 2016.

http://www.thefoothillrecord.com/news/featured/the-wildlife-waystation-a-cult-of-personality/

July 23, 2016: Wildfires are near the Wildlife Waystation. Legally all USDA, Fish & Wildlife, Calif Fish & Wildlife permit holders must have written emergency plans. They must have all the money, crates, trucks, water, food, veterinary supplies, volunteers, employees arranged and ready at all times. Obviously the Wildlife Waystation is in violation of their permits again. They are again asking everyone else to help them evacuate. I'm sure Martine Colette will be using the wildfires mainly to beg for money just like the Gentle Barn did.

I am all for saving Wildlife Waystation animals, buildings. If they really do need help, people should help. My only point is we legally must have the necessary means to care for our animals in emergency before the emergency happens. During the last fires Martine Colette stated she did not have enough crates, cages, food, water, trucks, trailers to evacuate the animals. She said paraphrased "we'll just have to sit here and let the animals die because we have no money." Then people felt sorry and donated money to Martine. They didn't have to evacuate. They didn't evacuate. They kept the money donated to evacuate. I do truly hope the animals are not in any danger.

Here is their current plea.

"A CALL TO ACTION!! WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Please...if you have a trailer, please head up to the Waystation to assist us in our evacuation!! There has been a semi-official report that they're allowing us access to continue our evacuations!! We don't know how long they'll be allowing this, so if you can help us out, please do so!! Please understand that anything can happen when you arrive, so please know that we are eternally grateful for your offer for help!

Please note: only vehicles with trailers will be allowed.

BE CAREFUL, PLEASE!

UPDATE: If you are turned away at the road, please wait at the 7-Eleven. We have many people staged there in the wait. Thank you all so much for the support you're giving during this very difficult and scary time!"

___________________

Found some more of the underlying documents. Here is the criminal case against Martine Colette in Arizona. Martine illegally brought a tiger cub into Arizona with no Arizona exotic animal exhibit permit, USDA permit or transport person. She plead innocent then changed it to guilty. This is when she tried to get a new Wildlife Waystation in Arizona on a residential property. She'd need to be on A2 zoned land and get a CUP conditional use permit which she would never get with her horrible history or not obeying the law. Notice she used her fake birth date on her ID.

Martine Colette, Wildlife Waystation

martine colette, wildlife waystation


06/16/2016 Here is a working timeline of the Waystation based on major lawsuits, loss of permits and media articles.  I will update it with more information and over write the file. Every word comes from the linked lawsuits or media articles. I didn't write any of this.

http://animaladvocates.us/wildlife%20waystation%20timeline.pdf

Martine Colette and the Wildlife Waystation's original permit was as a dealer then a researcher. They did not get an exhibit permit until 1985. A lot of people who are into exotic animals and want to own one as a pet will get an exhibit permit so they can legally have the animal. It's illegal to own an exotic or wild animal without proper permits in California. The purpose is to make sure the person knows how to properly care for the animal for the safety of the animal and public.

May 29, 2016: Big shakeout at the Wildlife Waystation again. I just saw it on the news. Volunteers have been fired. Here's the video.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/05/26/former-volunteers-at-wildlife-waystation-upset-over-being-fired/

One interesting thing is that the volunteers are "no longer" allowed to hold or walk the animals. This has to do with their permits and insurance. They were allowing "volunteers" handle the animals when they weren't permitted for such activity. They still don't have an off premise USDA exhibit permit as far as I can tell. I'll look it up again.

Julie Medrano, volunteer, Mike Rapp, animal trainer, Cassandra Tchen, volunteer talk about being fired from the Wildlife Waystation. I was fired as a volunteer at the animal shelter twice. I was asked back both times. I know how it feels. I also know the reason is generally political. The volunteer cares about the animal whereas Martine does not.

Martine Colette, Wildlife Waystation, volunteer fired


Every few years there's a big shakeup at the Wildlife Waystation. The entire board has resigned en masse twice that I know of. They generally fire lots of volunteers at once. This happens every time the Wildlife Waystation is in trouble. The BODs, volunteers want to help the animals but Martine Colette refuses to relinquish control. Martine Colette now controls the Wildlife Waystation as she put all the real estate in her name and charges then rent. She also collects a salary.

The Wildlife Waystation has been in trouble since they first started in 1976. I read a little about Martine when she did the costumes for Earth, Wind and Fire in 1975. They basically depicted her as a crazy animal hoarder with lots of large exotic animals in her house.

____________________________________

It appears things are still just as bad at the Wildlife Waystation. Animals receive poor care. Martine still takes a lot of the money in the form of salary and rent. Martine treats the board members and volunteers very poorly.

Just discovered that Martine Colette lies about her age and name. In her California naturalization papers her birth date was April 30, 1939 and not 1942 which is on her other documents. She was born in mainland China. Her name was Martine-Diane Skarstedt and she didn't become a citizen until 1990. "Skarstedt" is her first husband's name. He worked on a dairy farm before becoming an actor. They were married in 1964 in Nevada and divorced 1968. She married Paul L Ridley in 1969 and divorced in 1975. She married Joseph J Dawson in 1981 and divorced in 1984. She changed her name each time. Martine Colette is not a widower. Her first husband died after they divorced. That doesn't make you a widower. Who is the fourth husband? When she married Dawson her name was "Martine D Brassinne." Is "Brassinne" her maiden name? It's related to people in the UK and Belgium. Why did she use the name of her first husband on her naturalization papers which were signed in 1990? So many stories hard to know what's real. There was a Charles Brassine born 1896 England died 1976. He was an upholsterer. Maybe that's where she learned to make costumes. Charles Louis Brassine became a US citizen then died in England. His father was a hair dresser's assistant, "hair cutter." Both the father and grandfather were British. They were not from Belgium.

Maybe Martine used her inheritance to start the Waystation which was started in 1976, 1977. Below is her naturalization document.

Martine Colette, Martine Diane Colette, Martine Skarstedt, fake name, birth date, birthday April 30, 1939, mainland China

Wildlife Waystation - Morbidly obese opossum - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

UPDATE: 09/23/2014: I just learned that the Wildlife Waystation's conditional use permit expired a long time ago. They never renewed it. They have an application to renew it but it most likely will never be approved. The case number is 200400005. They cannot have a wildlife sanctuary or run a business of any type on the property.

In summary the Wildlife Waystation has many LA County zoning, building, safety violations. They are in violation of LA County Animal Control. They are in violation of the water resources department. They have a USDA permit but they still have violations. They don't have a Fish & Game permit for the animals or the sanctuary. Their cages are not legal. They cannot have visitors or give tours of the sanctuary. They are of course still giving tours, having visitors, running a business on the property. They continue to get more animals even though Fish & Game told them they are not allowed to get new animals. They have never had a wildlife rehabilitation permit ever. The only reason this place is still in existence is because Martine Colette threatens to kill all the animals if Fish & Wildlife tries to shut them down. What a mess.

09/21/2014: The Wildlife Waystation located at 14831 Little Tujunga Canyon Road, Lake View Terrace, California 91342 has a morbidly obese opossum. When opossum eyes cross and their tail gets fat they are morbidly obese. It's illegal to exhibit an animal that is too fat or too thin as per USDA regulations. That opossum will die early. They need to feed it less and give it some exercise. This is why all our opossums and skunks are on exercise wheels if they are able. They enjoy the activity and it's good for them.






From today, September 21, 2014. The Waystation is closed to the public. How do they get around this? They have a "volunteer" day on the weekends. You pay to be a volunteer, pay for a class. Then legally you're not a member of the public. 99% of the volunteers are just members of the public. One woman just posted an article about her "tour" of the facility. I bet Waystation gets even more donations with this sob story. 
Here are recent USDA violations that I just pulled up for 2013 and 2014.


Martine Colette, Wildlife Waystation, USDA violations


Martine Colette, Wildlife Waystation, USDA animal inventory


Martine Colette, Wildlife Waystation, USDA violations
USDA violations, Martine Colette, Wildlife Waystation
IRS, Attorney General, 990, tax returns, Wildlife Waystation, Martine Colette

Martine Colette takes $86,000/yr salary and charges the Waystation $90,000/yr to rent ten acres from her. Originally those ten acres belonged to the Wildlife Waystation. Martine quit claimed the property to herself from the Waystation.

Charity Navigator gives them one out of four stars. If you plug in their real information, they'd get zero stars.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=5863#.VB94GPldVvk

Here they are on Guidestar

http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/95-3190812/wildlife-waystation.aspx

2009 990. Martine gets a huge salary plus rent even though Waystation paid for the property. Only 12% of donations go to animals, i.e. $333K, yet she says she needs $2.5M a year for the animals alone.
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2010/953/190/2010-953190812-07aafe8c-9.pdf

2010 990.
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2011/953/190/2011-953190812-09015da3-9.pdf

2011 990
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2012/953/190/2012-953190812-099c6ebb-9.pdf

Here is their income for last seven years or so, 2007 to 2011.


Martine Colette, Wildlife Waystation, irs, fraud, nonprofit
I pulled up their California corporation documents. They were suspended by the California State Franchise Tax Board then started a new corporation in 1984. They were formed n 1977, not 1976 as previously stated.


Martine Colette, Wildlife Waystation, corporation, documents


Martine Colette, Wildlife Waystation, corporation, suspended by franchise tax board

ORIGINAL POST FROM 2012: The Wildlife Waystation has a long and sordid history. They were sued by the USDA for many violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Martine Colette admitted to many violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Martine Colette also exhibited animals without a permit. Here is the resolution of one of the many lawsuits. FTR Robert Lorsch is a good guy who wanted to help wildlife. He did not commit the violations. Martine did.

Below is just one of the consent decrees where Martine admits the many violations. She was also fined $25,000. There are more decrees which she signed and was fined for $2,000 and $5,000. There may be even more. She promises each time not to violate the Animal Welfare Act again, yet she continues to violate the Animal Welfare Act. She didn't have a vet, didn't give proper veterinary care, she let Sammy the chimp mutilate himself out of boredom, Martine didn't handle animals properly, Martine exhibited without proper permits, didn't control insects, allowed flies to get in Sammy's wounds, kept two coyotes tethered at an animal expo while they were stressed, walked a tiger on a leash through the Playboy mansion, allowed an adult tiger to attack a juvenile tiger, Martine acted in an uncivil manner to USDA agents....

http://www.oaljdecisions.dm.usda.gov/sites/default/files/080804_AWA_03-0034D.pdf 
http://www.dm.usda.gov/oaljdecisions/AWA_03-0034_091407.pdf

http://www.dm.usda.gov/oaljdecisions/080804_AWA_03-0034D.pdf

Martine Colette admits to the many violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

http://www.dm.usda.gov/oaljdecisions/021016_AWA-00-0013.pdf

More of the many violations

http://www.dm.usda.gov/oaljdecisions/AWA_03-0034_091407.pdf

http://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/decisions/colette.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/foia/enforcement_actions/2011/December/Animal%20Welfare%20Act/Decision%20and%20Orders/AWA%2007-0175%20Martine%20Colette.pdf

Attorney General found some financial misdealings with Martine and the Waystation.

http://bestfriends.org/News-And-Features/News/Animal-sanctuary-probe-ends-with-a-fine/


RTF file by Merritt Clifton of Animal People. It goes into depth about the many problems with Martine.

http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/07/9/text/Wildlife%20Waystation%20%231D7D25.rtf

The below article talks about the many USDA violations from the 1990's.

A list of violations in a USDA inspection report
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/efoia/downloads/inspection/c/93-c-0295_01-25-2006.pdf

Waystation gets USDA permit back
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/WILDLIFE+WAYSTATION+GETS+LICENSE+BACK.-a0110973229

Waystation is still closed because of many County violations, building and safety, lack of proper roads, drainage... Martine likes to say she will have to close the Waystation and kill all her animals if people don't give her money. She's done this quite a few times. She calls a press conference then cries.

http://www.dailynews.com/20111201/wildlife-waystation-sanctuary-faces-extinction

More problems with the Waystation. Search LAtimes.com archive and you will see many articles. Attorney General investigated because Martine misspent $500K in donations. Her entire board of directors resigned. This has actually happened twice. Fish & Game told the Waystation they can't take in any more animals yet they are still doing that.

http://articles.latimes.com/2000/apr/26/local/me-23419

DA and Fish & Game after Wildlife Waystation. Criminal charges.

http://articles.latimes.com/2000/jul/26/local/me-59409

Martine agrees to step down but doesn't. Lorsch became President of the board. Martine admits to over 300 violations.
http://articles.latimes.com/2002/nov/10/local/me-waystation10

More investigations by nine different agencies
http://articles.latimes.com/2000/jun/09/local/me-39209

Waystation is a horrible mess. Feces in the water, abandoned cars, improper caging, no running water for volunteers, no bathroom...

http://articles.latimes.com/2000/apr/16/local/me-20190

Animal People wrote an article about their problems. Well known local animal activists Michael Bell and Catherine Doyle noted violations.

http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/00/6/wayStation6.00.html

1995 LA Times article. Board members resign because Martine took a lot of money for herself. Attorney General investigates. Martine says board members just have "sour grapes." Martine is not a nice person. She attacks everyone especially board members, Fish & Game, USDA, LA County...  It seems it all started when someone left $2.6M to the Waystation in their estate. Everyone said it changed Colette. 1988 to 1990 IRS made them redo the books because Martine had the Waystation paying her expenses. It's a two page article. The Waystation paid the down payment and mortgage payments on the property. The Waystation should own it. Read both pages. Michael Bell again states he has concerns.

http://articles.latimes.com/1995-02-14/local/me-31765_1_wildlife-waystation

Waystation, Colette investigated by IRS, Attorney General for fiscal improprieties. Colette takes a salary and charges the Waystation rent.

http://articles.latimes.com/2000/apr/26/local/me-23698

So many articles about all the problems at the Waystation.
http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/martine-colette

Martine tried to move to Palm Springs and Mojave but was denied because of her horrible history.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=932&dat=20011114&id=bcRPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9FIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4805,3963257

Waystation has hundreds of violations of state code

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/SHELTER+COUNSEL,+OFFICIALS+TO+MEET+WILDLIFE+WAYSTATION+WORKING+TO...-a083410999

Water violations. Waystation contaminating ground water with animal feces and urine.

http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/board_info/eo_reports/past_eo_report/eo_00_0831.shtml

Fish & Game says Waystation cannot give tours.

http://www.bizwiz.com/bizwizwire/pressrelease/1564/8f88sff7xje7kjjke84.htm

Waystation in trouble with LA County Animal Control besides all other agencies. Martine says she will euthanize the animals if people don't give her money.

http://bigcatrescue.wordpress.com/2007/08/31/wildlife-waystation-brink-of-extinction-for-sanctuary/

Video of the press conference.

http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/dnvideos/waystation.mov
Fish & Game states the Wildlife Waystation poses serious health and safety issues.

"The state Department of Fish and Game issued a cease-and-desist order on Friday, saying conditions at the 160-acre sanctuary "pose serious public health and safety and animal welfare concerns." Until further notice, the facility on the border of the Angeles National Forest cannot give tours, accept new animals or exhibit its residents off the grounds."

http://www.pet-plan.org/1-dogs/e54e1b72fb06d862.htm#.VB8aCvldVvk

Waystation has a long history of problems.

http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/ar-news/Week-of-Mon-20031201/011988.html

Officials condemn Wildlife Waystation

http://amarillo.com/stories/2000/04/10/usn_wildlife.shtml

Waystation sues LA County for freedom of speech stating they barred reporters from filming their animals. Sheeesh. Martine also sued a volunteer for blabbing about all the problems at the Waystation.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-9023198.html

Robert Lorsch was added as a defendant in the USDA lawsuit because he was on the board. Robert Lorsch only did fund raising. He never had anything to do with the animals. He sued USDA to be dismissed from the litigation and was dismissed. I agree with this decision.

http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/wildlife-waystation-supporter-files-claim-against-us-department-agriculture-arising-1599990.htm

I don't agree with this. Lorsch offered money to people if they would give him the names of people who reported the Waystation to authorities. Reports to authorities are fair and privileged. They can never be defamation. You can't sue people for making reports to government agencies.

http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsgs.aspx?subjectid=28509&msgnum=11603&batchsize=10&batchtype=Next

There are many, many more articles. I saved a lot to disc. To this day Martine Colette and the Wildlife Waystation are in violation of many regulations.

I was told that Martine's history about being born to a Belgian diplomat in Paris, France and living in Africa, Asia is phony. Someone said she fakes a French accent and can't speak French. I have not met the person so I don't know.  What I do see is she was born April 30, 1942 as per her own admission and had at least three husbands, three divorces and many names including Martine Diane Colette, Martine Diane Brassinne, Martine Dawson, Martine Skarstedt, Martine Ridley. Skarstedt is dead. He was an actor and also wrote some TV series screenplays. He was born here in the US and started acting in 1955. Martine stated she married Van in Kenya then came to the US, not true. Van was not in Kenya. They were married in the US in 1964, divorced 1968. Martine states she had a Hollywood costume design business.

There is absolutely no history for a Martine Colette before 1964 when she wed Vance in Nevada at the age of 22. Vance did serve in WWII but he has no history of leaving the country ever. Martine has no history of traveling out of the country either. I doubt Martine was born outside of the US. There are no naturalization, immigration documents or travel documents that I can find. Either Martine Colette is not her real name or her story is fake. Why is there no mention of the name of her father? I see no Colette as a Belgian diplomat. If they traveled around the world back then, I would have all their travel documents. There are none. I have no idea who Martine Colette really is. All I know for sure is that she is a big story teller and a pathological liar.


Martine Colette, Martine Diane Colette, Vance Skarstedy, Paul Ridley, Joseph Dawson


From the Waystation website. They admit they did not handle skunks, raccoons with distemper properly. They infected their big cats who died. Very sloppy quarantine and lack of proper cleaning methods.

"Disaster Strikes

One of the major disasters to strike the Wildlife Waystation was the flood of 1978. We lost our water supply, power, sheds, lumber piles and supplies. Even large oak trees were pulled up by the roots. Our little creek became a raging torrent, four or five feet deep, and we had no bridge. To get food and supplies to the animals on the other side, we had to string a rope to keep from getting swept away and carry everything across.

With a 1/2-mile section of Little Tujunga Canyon Road wiped out, we were marooned for six weeks. We had no trash pickup and food was brought in by helicopter. One sick little coyote even had to be choppered out to a vet.

Without a doubt, the most devastating blow of my life was the disastrous distemper epidemic which first struck in June, 1992. An alarming number of raccoons and skunks had been coming to us that spring already infected with canine distemper. The first we knew we had something scary in our midst was when M’toto, an 18-month-old African lion, began to show signs of illness resembling distemper. Symptoms quickly appeared in other large exotic felines.

We sought expert advice from UC Davis and Cornell University veterinary schools. It was a mystery. Canine distemper had crossed over to infect the felines and we had the dubious distinction of being the first to experience the deadly effects. (NOTE: Some two years later, this same distemper crossover began to appear in the wild lion populations of Africa.)

The Wildlife Waystation was closed to the public for nearly a year. By the time the epidemic ended, 18 of our beautiful big cats succumbed, including Reesha, the Siberian tiger, who had been sent to us from a dentist in Pennsylvania some twelve years earlier. Reesha was only four months old when he arrived here and was raised in my yard. It’s still hard to talk about this dark period. M’Toto, the first to show the symptoms, survived and with special medication to control the lasting symptoms, is living a comfortable life."

Below Martine tried to get a restraining order on a woman and lost. She was sued for debt collection. I think she was sued when someone was injured or died in 2005. Not positive.



NameCase TypeFiling DateLocationAvailable Imaged Documents
COLETTE MARTINE D.Other PI/PD/WD (Unlimited)02/24/2005San Fernando Courthouse
COLETTE MARTINE DBA WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONSmall Claims11/08/2011Van Nuys Courthouse West
COLETTE MARTINECivil Harassment (Unlimited)09/12/2007Burbank Courthouse
COLETTE MARTINECivil Petition - Other (Unlimited)01/19/2006Stanley Mosk Courthouse1
COLETTE MARTINECivil01/24/1991Stanley Mosk Courthouse
COLETTE MARTINECivil01/09/1989
COLETTE MARTINECivil02/21/1990
COLETTE MARTINECivil12/16/1987
COLETTE MARTINECivil02/01/1991
COLETTE MARTINEOther Promissory Note/Collections (Unlimited)01/26/2007San Fernando Courthouse


Case Number: BC382355
ROBERT H LORSCH VS WILDLIFE WAYSTATION
Filing Date: 12/14/2007
Case Type: Breach Contrct/Warnty (Sellr Pltf) (General Jurisdiction)
Status: Other Judgment 10/16/2008
NameCase TypeFiling DateLocationAvailable Imaged Documents
COLETTE MARTINE DBA WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONSmall Claims11/08/2011Van Nuys Courthouse West
WILDLIFE WAYSTATION INCSmall Claims02/05/1993Van Nuys Courthouse West
WILDLIFE WAYSTATION THEProbate Will-Ltrs Test11/17/2004Stanley Mosk Courthouse
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONBreach Contrct/Warnty (Sellr Pltf) (Unlimited)12/14/2007Stanley Mosk Courthouse39
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONU.D. RESIDENTAIL - UNLAWFUL DETAINER (Limited)12/07/1993Van Nuys Courthouse West
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONProbate Will-Ltrs Admin Will Annex08/20/1998Stanley Mosk Courthouse
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONProbate Will-Ltrs Test10/07/1998Stanley Mosk Courthouse
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONBREACH OF CONTRACT (Limited)12/24/2001Van Nuys Courthouse West
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONSmall Claims06/03/2002San Fernando Courthouse
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONBREACH OF CONTRACT (Limited)10/26/2007Chatsworth Courthouse
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONPI Other -DO NOT USE (Unlimited)11/23/1994Burbank Courthouse
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONProbate Will-Ltrs Test07/20/2000Stanley Mosk Courthouse
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONOther Compl-not Tort or Complex (Unlimited)09/08/2003Van Nuys Courthouse East
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONCivil Petition - Other (Unlimited)01/19/2006Stanley Mosk Courthouse1
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONCivil03/25/1985
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONCivil04/11/1983
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONCivil02/21/1990
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONCivil12/16/1987
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONCivil02/01/1991
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONU.D. RESIDENTIAL (Limited)11/19/2001Van Nuys Courthouse West
WILDLIFE WAYSTATIONBREACH OF CONTRACT/WARRANTY - CONTRACT (Limited)01/22/2008Chatsworth Courthouse
  
Martine Colette aka Martine Colete quit claimed the Waystation property purchased in 1976 to herself in 2002. There are four parcels. She tried to sell one parcel in 2007 for $2.5M. Below from the listing in 2007.


Martine Colette, Wildlife Waystation

Wildlife Waystation, Martine Colette
Some real estate and debts of Martine Colette.


Martine Colette, liens, debts, judgments

Martine Colette, real estate


Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.



Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit
Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Thursday, August 11, 2011

USDA lynx breeder dealer "Lynx Lair" Dorrie Walsh in Tehachapi, California




I first met Dorrie Walsh of the "Lynx Lair" in Tehaqchapi, California in 2007. Someone she knew told me that she saw what appeared to be a tame bobcat at her back door begging to come in. She said there was an old lady in town breeding them. She thought she would breed them release them. I said that didn't make sense but we should go check it out. The neighbor invited me over.

I was a bit shocked that all the cats were declawed. Some were declawed before the ban but some were also declawed afterward. She proudly proclaimed she knew about the ban but did it anyway.

The cats were in 6' tall cage with no enrichment. They were on cement. California Dept of Fish & Wildlife have minimum cage sizes. These were all the bare minimum breeding only cages except they were shorter than the current 8' tall minimum.

While I was there Dorrie told me she has to retire because she's too old. She broke a hip the previous year. Her family doesn't want the cats. She swore to her husband she'd never get another one. She even posted a sign to that effect at her home. I think she had 22 at the time. She didn't know what she would do with the cats. 

Some filmmakers for large production companies asked me if I knew of any large wild animals that needed help. I instantly said yes and told them about Dorrie. The people called Dorrie and asked if they could see her cats. Dorrie said yes and we set up an appt.

A group of filmmakers with permission from Dorrie took video of Dorrie Walsh and her cats. They were limping, pacing, lunging, had arthritis, limped when they walked, had no enrichment.... Dorrie admitted on tape she declawed them after it was illegal. She admitted she'd been attacked by her cats and lied to her doctor about her wounds. She admitted the females hated her because she stole their babies soon after birth. It was actually very sad video to see what appeared to be a sweet old lady admitting these horrible things. She didn't realize how incredibly cruel she was treating these animals. The females lunged at her while she walked by their cages. I have about two hours of video of all of this. The others have been more as four of us were taking video.

The people said the situation was very sad. They decided they didn't want to do a show but they did want to help her anyway. We all got to work rounding up help. We offered free surgery to fix all of their paws which were destroyed when they were declawed. We offered free, new larger cages, enrichment items. We also offered to place them if needed.

Dorrie then out of nowhere replied on the phone she had an agreement to give them to a big cat "sanctuary" in SoCal. She was going to leave money to care for them. This other sanctuary is also a breeder, dealer. They can't afford to take sanctuary animals. They can barely care for the few they have. It costs a lot of money to care for 22 big cats. If she had a place for them, why did she tell me she didn't know what she was going to do?

Dorrie refused all help and that is how we left it. Since then every now and then someone will attack me on one of the videos of the limping lynx I took at Dorrie's house. Seems Dorrie made up a bunch of lies saying we paid for our visit with a credit card with zero balance, totally false. She then said she sent us a cease and desist letter. She said she called the cops on us. She said the cops told us to leave her alone. None of those things happened. I never heard from her again.

UPDATE: Last week 12/2015 someone allegedly by the name of Jenny Walsh who is a salesperson at Kohls started posting crap on my videos. She told me all the shit Dorrie allegedly said about me or us or whomever. She also said she reported MY videos for copyright violation. I took the video with video permission. I own the video. I am only person who can make a copyright complaint. Then she said she reported me for sharing private information. I never posted the name of the woman or her breeding permit information. YouTube said I didn't violate any TOS agreement. They dismissed her ridiculous complaints.

One post by Jenny asked for a copy of the official complaint sent to the USDA and California Department of Fish & Game. Jenny said "if it's public, why don't you post it?" Okay, here it is. I will now share this public information about Dorrie Walsh of the Lynx Lair who illegally declawed some of her big cats.

Dorrie breeds "funny cats" which are as per Dorrie mix between Canadian and Siberian lynx. The resultant cat is therefore no longer a "wild," "protected" or "threatened" animal. This is how she gets around the breeding, selling regulations. She breeds them to sell to zoos and other private individuals.

Below is public information about Dorrie Walsh of the Lynx Lair who was/is a "lynx" breeder, dealer in California. She never had an exhibit permit ever yet she exhibited her cats to the public.

BREEDER CA 1861 93-A-0106 Dorrie L Walsh The Lynx Lair 1/24/2003

If you search USDA, it shows that she never had a license. She did have a license but they since removed all records of her license. They can't allow someone who illegally declawed cats to have a license.

In the meantime Dorrie says she still has all her cats as of 12/12/2015. Is she operating without a license? Is she fibbing? If you look at Bat W*rld S@nctuary they also show up as never having a license when their permit was cancelled in 2011.

Dorrie is also a dog groomer in Tehachapi. She drives a red Hummer and her license plate has the name "Lynx" in it because she believes she is a lynx lady. Her only identity in this world is as the "Lynx Lady." She takes her most arthritic lynx to work with her when she was grooming. There are many photos which she gives to people of her lynx sitting on her car, in a holiday hat.... Dorrie put all that information out there.

I will be posting the full reports from all of us tomorrow. There were a few wildlife experts and even a lawyer in the group. Everything was coordinated by a lawyer and the production companies. When I presented to ALDF I spoke with the main person in charge of big cats in California for the Federal Dept of Fish & Wildlife Services and Attorney General for California. She agreed it was a major violation.

I later learned that the big cat rescue that she said would take her cats was actually dumping more aggressive lynx on her! Dorrie kept one in a very small cage because he said he was so violent. Who would dump an aggressive lynx on an old lady with health issues? When Dorrie dies they'll take her money and most likely euth her cats.

The below photos were given to me by Dorrie (Doris Louise Burrati Walsh February 3, 1939) who told me to share them any way I like. I am using them for non-profit comment under the fair use of copyright act.

Dorrie Walsh, Doris Louise Burrati Walsh, lynx lady, tehachapi, lynx lair, usda, permit, declaw, breeding, selling, dealing, 

Below is the public address for "Lynx Lair." You see the house with a brown roof. Then you see cages covered in green tarp. That is where 22 cats lived, live.
Dorrie Walsh, Doris Louise Burrati Walsh, lynx lady, tehachapi, lynx lair, usda, permit, declaw, breeding, selling, dealing

Dorrie Walsh, Doris Louise Burrati Walsh, lynx lady, tehachapi, lynx lair, usda, permit, declaw, breeding, selling, dealing

Dorrie Walsh, Doris Louise Burrati Walsh, lynx lady, tehachapi, lynx lair, usda, permit, declaw, breeding, selling, dealing

Dorrie Walsh, Doris Louise Burrati Walsh, lynx lady, tehachapi, lynx lair, usda, permit, declaw, breeding, selling, dealing
Here is one of the complaints to USDA and DFG. I think USDA, DFG felt bad for her because she was so old. She would act like a sweet old lady until she started telling you the horrible things she did to the mothers and cubs. Then it was frightening. Her husband Leonard Patrick Walsh was also dying at the time. He was ex-police. He's since dead. This is why we only offered to help her. Then she started spreading outrageous lies about us.

Official complaint to CADFG and USDA
(address)
Subject of complaint:
Dorrie and Pat Walsh
The Lynx Lair
USDA 93-A-0106 Cust # 1861
Facility address: 18080 Tejon Dr
Tehachapi, CA 93561
home 661 822 5616
Work Address: 20733 South St. A,
Tehachapi, CA 93561
work 661 822 6704

In 2007 I received a report of animal abuse regarding large exotic cats owned by Dorrie Walsh
of the Lynx Lair. The report came from some of her neighbors. They told me she was keeping
large cats in small cages. I was told Dorrie gave tours in exchange for cash. I asked Dorrie for
a tour and was accompanied by her neighbor. I asked for permission to take photos and Dorrie
said “yes.”

I saw approximately 22 adult large exotic cats and three lynx kittens that day. I saw Eurasian
lynx, Canadian lynx, bobcats and threatened fishing cats. They were all declawed except the
kittens. Some were limping, could barely walk, others were pacing from boredom or growling,
lunging.

None of the cats had toys or enrichment. She told us it was a hassle to clean up. They only
had plastic children furniture and an igloo in their enclosures. The fishing cats only had one
small water bowl, no water feature.

All of the cages were maybe six feet tall maximum when DFG code states they must be at
least eight feet tall. The enclosures each contained two cats when the females were not pregnant.
If the female was pregnant, she cut the cage in half to separate male and female of each
pair. The cages were not large enough. Not all enclosure areas had double doors.
Dorrie told me she had all of them declawed. I asked her "isn't it illegal to declaw big cats
nowadays?"* She said it is illegal but she does it anyway.

Dorrie then showed us and let us play with three lynx kittens. She told me they will be declawed.
One was going to a local zoo. She also let us pet and take photographs with her Eurasian
lynx.

While I was there Dorrie told me that she broke her hip while working with a bobcat the previous
year. She also admitted to being bitten many times. She showed us her scars.
I asked her what she will do when she gets older. She said her kids didn't want the cats so she
didn't know what she would do.

(I gave her a $100 bill as I left)

January 2011 some friends of mine wanted to see Dorrie's cats. They said they could help
place her cats, help her with caging and enrichment for the cats. I called up Dorrie and asked
for another tour. January 17, 2011 we all paid her a visit. I asked her if we could take photographs
and videotape. She said “yes.” We videotaped our tour.

This time there were only 22 big exotic cats. The two endangered fishing cats had died, so had
others. In the meantime she's taken in three new cats in the last two years. All of her cages
were full. All of these new cats had been declawed within the last three years. Dorrie admitted
she had declawed these cats against the law.

We witnessed the larger cats limping, having problems walking. They were laying on their
sides on the ground. The two Eurasian lynx could no longer climb up or jump. Their igloos
were on the ground. There were no ramps or cat walk for them.

Two smaller lynx were constantly pacing. They'd worn out the floor where they paced. Others
were growling, lunging at Dorrie and us through their cages. One Eurasian lynx was trying to
bite Dorrie. Dorrie told us she was bitten a day earlier and showed us the wound.

We asked Dorrie again what she will do when she can no longer care for the cats. She is 72
years old with medical conditions. Her husband is dying. She told us she stopped breeding
them this year. She said the Cat House in Rosamond agreed to take all of the cats.

Violations witnessed.

1. The cages are too short. They are maximum 6' tall when they should be at least 8' tall.
2. The cages are too small.*
3. There are no toys or enrichment.
4. Animals are showing aggressive and neurotic behavior.
5. Dorrie has a permit to breed only from the USDA. She's been exhibiting them for years without
an exhibitor permit. She's even taken them to the Cat House to give a public presentation
walking her Eurasian lynx on a leash. She lets people hold and pet them besides take photos
with them.
6. Dorrie has a permit to possess and breed only from the CADFG. She's been exhibiting them
for years without an exhibitor permit. They are not being exhibited in a safe manner.
7. Dorrie never had DFG permits for a caracal or the fishing cats. She only has permits for
Eurasian and Canadian lynx, and bobcats.
8. Dorrie has buried all of the cats that have died in the last 35 years on her residential property.
Animals may only be buried in Cemetery zones after being properly prepared for health
reasons.
9. Dorrie declawed some of the cats after the 2005 and 2006 declaw ban. She declawed at
least eight of the cats after the ban that we know of.
10. Dorrie's vet must inspect her facility every year and sign off on her USDA permit. Her vet
did not note the illegal declaws or lameness. We believe her vet may have done the surgeries.
Page 2
11. Dorrie lied to her medical doctor every time she was bitten by her cats. She told them she’d
merely fallen.
12. Dorrie can no longer safely care for these big cats. It is a threat to her safety and that of the
public.
13. Dorrie does not have a kennel permit with Kern County Animal Control.

*CADFG minimum caging requirements for Eurasian lynx 200 sq.ft, 8’ tall, Canadian lynx/
Bobcat 80 sq.ft. for one, 120 sq.ft. for two, 8’ tall.
**It's been illegal to declaw big cats in California since January 2005. It's been illegal for USDA
permittees to declaw any animal since 2006. If a USDA permittee is found to have declawed a
big cat after these dates, they would lose their USDA permit.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Mary Cummins
President
Animal Advocates
http://www.AnimalAdvocates.us
Rio Hondo Police Academy
San Diego Humane Academy
CADFG permitted wildlife rehabilitator
IWRC, CCWR, NWRA, EARS, HSUS NDART team"

This was one complaint I sent. Others in our group sent more. So did our veterinarians. They offered to help with the cats. Dorrie refused.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Monday, February 14, 2011

Brenda Barnette first six months by the numbers, Los Angeles Animal Services

Some have been singing Brenda Barnette's praises since she arrived. Some are saying things are much better. I thought I'd take a look at the numbers to see what's really happening at Los Angeles Animal Services.

Animals given to New Hope partners has increased. Things seem to have gotten worse in all the other categories. Most seems to be due to the increase in animals being dumped at the shelter. Most of this is due to kittens. I'm only looking at cats and dogs combined. I'm comparing Barnette's first six months (August through the end of January) to the same six months the previous year.

Adoptions are down by 986 animals (-8%), 11,799 verses 12,785.

Animals given to New Hope partners (non-profit animal rescue groups that work with the City) is up a whopping 1,162 (+40%), 4,080 verses 2,918. This is a great improvement, kudos. Unfortunately it's the only improvement based on the numbers.

Animals returned to owners is up 129 (+5%), 2,842 verses 2,743. This is due to the increase in intake. As a percentage of intake 10.54% of animals were returned to their owners in the last six months compared to 10.88% compared to last six months from previous year. The difference is actually negligible.

Animals released has increased by 166 (+35%), 633 verses 467. I've never really understood this category but I still count it as an animal released alive.

Animals that died on their own is down 23 (-6%), 368 verses 375. As a percentage of intake it's the same at 1.3% verses 1.4% year previous.

Animals that were dead on arrival (DOA) at intake increased by 62 (+8%), 827 verses 765. As a percentage of intake it's the same at 3% verses 3%.

Animals that escaped is up by 26 (+92%), 54 verses 28. The numbers involved are negligible but still something to look at.

Animals that were euthanized is up 1,189 (+13%), 10,204 verses 9,015. As a percentage of intake it's 37% verses 36% year previous. Not that much of a difference especially when you consider the increase in intake and fewer adoptions to the public.

Animals leaving the shelter alive is up 476 (+2.5%), 19,408 verses 18,941. As a percentage of intake it is actually down, 72% verses 75%. Barnette's goal is to have 85% of the animals leaving alive within the next five years. If our economy improves and we can do something about all the kittens, I see that happening.

Animals leaving the shelter dead is up 1,244 or (+12%), 11,399 verses 10,155. As a percentage of intake it's 42% verses 40% previous year. As a percentage fewer animals leaving alive, more leaving dead. (Animals leaving dead as % + animals leaving alive as % do not = 100% animals taken in during that time period. It seems more animals left the shelter dead and alive than were taken in. This could be because of the timing of baby season. This also means they are keeping higher numbers in the shelter.)

Animals that were brought into the shelters is up by 1,758 (+7%), 26,956 verses 25,198. This is the real problem. In the past five years animal intake is up 9,545 (+20%), 55,780 verses 46,235 (annual intake last 12 months). Intake had been going down for years until the recession hit. It's been going up ever since. Adoptions were increasing until 2009 when we seem to have hit a wall.

Now to look at an always troubling category, kittens. Neonate kitten intake is up 662 (+22%) over the six months year prior. Kitten intake accounted for 38% of the increase in total cat/dog intake. Neonate kitten euth is caused by people not spaying and neutering their own cats or unowned feral cats. People lie when they dump the kittens saying they are strays so they don't have to pay a fee. You can't really tell where they are coming from.

Kitten euth is up 910 (+47%) over the six months year prior. Almost all (+76%) of the increase in total cat/dog euthanasia is attributed to kitten euth, 910 kittens euth'd verses 1,189 total cats/dogs euth'd.

One problem with neonate kittens is that they legally cannot be adopted out until they are eight weeks old. If they are under eight weeks old, they must be adopted out with a mom cat and all the other siblings or through the foster bottle baby program. Because there are so many kittens eight weeks and older, people would rather not adopt an entire family (very expensive) or bottle feed a baby (time consuming). If you can't feed the neonate kitten or adopt it out, you are forced to euth it which is better than letting it starve to death.

I volunteered at the shelter for many years. We'd call five week old kittens eight weeks if they could eat wet food. We'd put solo nursing babies in with a mom cat with other babies. I'm sure the shelter is doing this already.

I believe some of the increase in adult cat/dog intake and euth is caused by our horrible economy i.e., job losses, foreclosures, people being forced to move from homes into smaller rentals that don't allow pets, people doubling up in homes and people who can't afford to spay or neuter their pets. Obviously Barnette did not cause our horrible economy. Still, it's a challenge she must face.

I think she's done a great job increasing New Hope adoptions. I don't know if she recruited more New Hope partners or just found a way to get them to take more animals. Whatever the cause, whoever deserves credit, kudos. Kudos to the actual New Hope partners as well. That's the only real improvement by the numbers. Without that improvement, things would be much worse.

Adoptions to the public are down but I'd venture to say it's because of the economy. One way to increase adoptions is to find a new source of adopters. Go after people who generally buy cats and dogs from pet stores or breeders.

The biggest problem in the shelter right now is kittens. The only way to deal with it is more spay and neuter targeted toward cats, owned and unowned. It should be cheap or free and targeted to lower income areas. Maybe a little enforcement of the mandatory spay and neuter law would help. All of these suggestions are easier said than done.

For the record I am not saying that Barnette caused the problems in the shelter today. These are just challenges she will have to conquer.

A closing note, if you see a pregnant cat or dog, get it spayed. If your friend has a pregnant cat or dog, tell them to get it spayed. Otherwise those babies will most likely end up in the shelter, dead. You can spay, neuter cats and puppies at eight weeks of age. It's easier on them and cheaper for you. They do not need to go into heat or have a litter before being spayed or neutered. Don't forget about bunnies!

Here are some fantastic charts by Sheltertrak.
http://www.sheltertrak.com/stat_laas002.php


Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Raccoon rescue from tiny cage in a boat - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

Rescuing a raccoon from a tiny, dirty cage in a boat
by Mary Cummins on Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 3:59pm
Raccoon in his tiny dirty cage. Four year old male not neutered. He was kept in this cage for four years on a boat by a mentally ill person. He only ate dry cat food. He broke his teeth chewing on his cage. They put a chain around his neck, don't know why. We removed it.
I received an email this morning from Peter Wallerstein of Marine Animal Rescue. He said the Los Angeles County Sheriff had impounded a boat that had a raccoon in it in a tiny dirty cage. I assumed someone had trapped a raccoon and just forgot about it. I drove to the Sheriff station to take a look at the boat. Peter agreed to meet me there to help.

Raccoon rescue, Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California

The raccoon lived in that 2' x 2' x 2' cage. The cage door didn't open. When we finally took off the front of the cage we realized he was living on top of four inches of feces. He had no water. The boat was impounded. Sheriff called me when they saw the raccoon.

I met Sheriff Office McSchwab who told me about the raccoon. He said it wasn't in a trap but a cage like a pet. It had a chain around its neck. He took me to the boat to take a look. This is what I found. A four year old male raccoon in a 2' x 2' x 2' cage. There were four inches of feces on the bottom of the cage and no water. There was no door as it looked like the owner never opened the cage. The cage was in an awkward spot and had been assembled in the boat which would make transfer to the carrier more difficult. Fortunately Peter Wallerstein showed up to help. Unfortunately so did the "owner" of the raccoon.

We had to take the cage apart to get the front off. Then we placed the carrier in the cage with the door off. I wedged the carrier over the raccoon and pressed it against the back wall. Peter and the Sheriff then replaced the carrier door on the other side. The raccoon was in the carrier. We went inside to wash up.

As I went to get my car to drive it around to the dock to pick up the raccoon the owner started following me. He's an older man whom I believe is mentally ill. He said "why did you put the raccoon in that small box when I had him in a big cage?" I ignored him and went to pick up the raccoon. 

Because he was a pet raccoon and could be unpredictable I thought I'd take him to Dr. Kenneth Jones in Santa Monica to get the chain off his neck and look him over. The raccoon had shown no aggression at all, just a little cage craziness. I gave him some water out of a sippy bottle because he looked dehydrated. He was very gentle and thirsty.

Raccoon rescue, Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California

At Dr. Kenneth Jones giving the raccoon anesthesia. We wrapped the pet carrier in a plastic bag. This is the safest way.

Dr. Jones' staff gave the raccoon anesthesia so we could examine him. The easiest way to anesthetize an animal like this is to wrap the carrier in a big trash bag then use gas. After he was under they removed the chain. He had a cracked canine probably from chewing on the bars of his cage. He had some matts and was dirty and smelly.


This is his new enclosure, 6' x 6' x 4'. It has a padded cage and is smaller than my other enclosures. He's never climbed or walked before so I need to start him in something small.

UPDATE: I just added a ramp in his cage. He cannot climb at all
I took him home and put him in a 6' x 6' x 4' cage with a padded floor. He came out of his carrier then I realized he couldn't really walk. He walks on the back of the "wrists" on his forelegs and on the heels of his back feet. I don't think he's ever stood up all the way. He cannot climb at all. He was relaxed and sweet. I can easily hand feed him food. I had to add a ramp to his cage so he can get to the lower level. I have him  next to the baby raccoons so he won't feel threatened by my injured adult females. He is a bit smaller than my adult females, probably from malnutrition.


This is how he walks. He walks on the back side of his wrists. He also sleeps with them in this position. Obviously some metabolic bone disease. The pads of his feet look fine.

Thanks to the Los Angeles County Sheriff http://www.lasd.org/ and  Peter Wallerstein of Marine Animal Rescuehttp://www.marspecialists.org/ I wouldn't have been able to rescue the raccoon without their help. I will add updates on his progress.

UPDATE: A member of Animal Advocates is now caring for "Harbor" the boat raccoon. He's making remarkable progress under her cage. Here he is today, January 20, 2011. Look how healthy and happy he is? This video will make you soooo happy!





Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit