SPOKANE INCIDENT STATUS REPORT
Hello all
 
I hope that everyone is helping in their own way to make a positive
difference in the horrible Spokane Incident.  Please send a donation if you
can.  If you can't send a donation (or in addition to a donation), send a
sympathy card to Jean.  She needs our support.
 
On the good news front, I made a barrage of (polite) phone calls today, and
I received the following responses:
 
Spokane Humane Society/SPCA (509-467-5236):
I spoke with a lady named Susan Canterbury who indicated that the Humane
Society/SPCA is not involved in this incident in any way.  They are not
pursuing the perpetrator or investigating the incident.  Susan claimed that
the Humane Society/SPCA had no jurisdiction over the situation.  I was
_extremely_ disappointed to receive this response.  I asked Susan who would
pursue the case, and she referred me to the Spokane County Animal Control
Office.
 
Spokane Count Animal Control (509-467-5236):
I spoke to a somewhat more friendly and helpful employee at the animal
control office.  She believed that the perpetrator was being prosecuted with
85 counts of animal cruelty, but she thought that his whereabouts were
unknown at the present time.  Again, I asked her to whom I could speak for
confirmation of this fact and/or for more information.  I was referred to
the Spokane City Police.
 
Spokane City Police (509-625-4100):
I spoke to a city police employee who said that the perpetrator was indeed
being prosecuted.  I asked her what specific charges were being filed.  She
checked and reported to me that he would be charged with 1st degree
criminal/malicious mischief.  The file went to the prosecutor's office this
morning (11/5/97).  She related to me that the malicious mischief charge was
as close as they could come to charging him with a felony.  It is a more
serious charge than animal cruelty!  This is indeed good news.  I sincerely
hope that justice is served.
 
I hope that other calls have yielded the same results and that all that has
been reported to me is indeed true.  The police department indicated to me
that they have received many calls regarding this incident.  I truly believe
that it was the ferret community acting together that brought this horrible
incident to light and to justice.  Spokane might have let this one slip by,
but we didn't!!
 
Regards,
Gina Hart/Sage Ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 2146]