EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Texas Outreach
May 15, 2015
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It's Crunch Time At the Texas Legislature.
FORWARD FROM: TEXAS DOG COMMISSION

*HB 234: BAD BILL for Texas Animal Owners
NO to HB 234: Texans' Property Rights in their Animals at Stake:
Ever Been Accused of Something You Didn't Do?

(Bill Makes Appeal Bonds Too Expensive so No Appeals in Animal Seizures) The
Government Does not Always Get it Right. If animals are seized that does not
always mean the owner was cruel. These are property cases and can divest you
of your animals forever.
Hearing, Not a Trial & Not a Jury. In civil animal seizures an owner gets a
hearing before a judge that is oftentimes not even an attorney (JP Courts do
not require judge to be a lawyer).

Hearings are Stacked Against the Owner. The hearing occurs very quickly and
can be the next day after the animals are taken so the owner often does not
have an attorney. He alone facing a county attorney, investigators,
sometimes vets, peace officer who got the warrant, and all of them will
testify against the owner.
Appeal is the ONLY way to get a Trial & Jury. The ONLY way an owner gets a
trial and a jury is if he can appeal the order from the hearing.
Animal Control & Shelters Receiving Seized Animals Do NOT Want Appeals. They
do not want you to have an appeal because justice can be inconvenient and
diminishes their power to take animals.

The Right to an Appeal & Jury Prevents Unbridled Government Power to Seize
Property: The "Fat" Horse Case. For a while in Texas, there were no appeals
and some far reaching seizures took place. A prime example of the abuse that
occurred was the case of the "fat" horse. The alleged "fat" horse was taken
from a man's property with NO notice when he was NOT there, NO seizure
warrant, and because the hearing was a couple of days later, he showed up in
court with NO attorney (could not find one), and faced all these witnesses
against him ALONE scared and embarrassed with NO witnesses for him. The
allegation was he was cruel because his mare was too fat. She was about to
deliver a foal. The owner tried to tell the judge to no avail so he lost his
registered, beautiful Quarter Horse forever.

How to Prevent Appeals: Make them too Expensive. HB 234 tacks on the
Government's attorney fees (unheard of) to appeal bonds so that they will be
too costly and no one can get an appeal.
Appeal Bonds in Seizures: NOT a % of the Bond. The owner has to pay the full
bond to appeal, not a percentage of it like in criminal cases. Murderers can
get a criminal bond easier that an animal owner in a civil property case.
Your Rights are at Stake. Call & Email the Texas Senate and tell them NO to
HB 234!! Make sure any emails state your opposition in the subject title!!
Link to find out who your SENATOR is:
http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx

Send to ALL Texas Senators!
List of Senators and some Staffers:
Paul.Bettencourt@senate.state.tx.us
Stacie.Bennett@senate.state.tx.us
Konni.Burton@senate.state.tx.us
Brian.Birdwell@senate.state.tx.us
Matt.Cope@senate.state.tx.us
Donna.Campbell@senate.state.tx.us
Philip.Hayes@senate.state.tx.us
Brandon.Creighton@senate.state.tx.us
Kevin.Eltife@senate.state.tx.us
Craig.Estes@senate.state.tx.us
John.Bennett@senate.state.tx.us
Troy.Fraser@senate.state.tx.us
Quinn.qian_sc@senate.state.tx.us
Sylvia.Garcia@senate.state.tx.us
Isabel.Longoria@senate.state.tx.us
Bob.Hall@senate.state.tx.us
Amy.Jones@senate.state.tx.us
Kelly.Hancock@senate.state.tx.us
Kyle.Jackson@senate.state.tx.us
Juan.Hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us
Josh.Reyna@senate.state.tx.us
Don.Huffines@senate.state.tx.us
Joan.Huffman@senate.state.tx.us
Lois.Kolkhorst@senate.state.tx.us
Eddie.Lucio@senate.state.tx.us
Louie.Sanchez@senate.state.tx.us
Jose.Menendez@senate.state.tx.us
Jessica.Castelleja@senate.state.tx.us
Lisa.Leal@senate.state.tx.us
Jane.Nelson@senate.state.tx.us
Robert.Nichols@senate.state.tx.us
Cristina.Ojibway@senate.state.tx.us
Charles.Perry@senate.state.tx.us
Jose.Rodriguez@senate.state.tx.us
Charles.Schwertner@senate.state.tx.us
Kel.Seliger@senate.state.tx.us
Rusty.Smith@senate.state.tx.us
Larry.Taylor@senate.state.tx.us
Nicole.Sunstrum@senate.state.tx.us
Van.Taylor@senate.state.tx.us
Carlos.Uresti@senate.state.tx.us
Jerry.Needham@senate.state.tx.us
Kirk.Watson@senate.state.tx.us
Royce.West@senate.state.tx.us
Judith.Zaffirini@senate.state.tx.us
Krista.Kyle@senate.state.tx.us

Telephone Numbers of Texas Senators:
Paul.Bettencourt@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0107
Konni.Burton@senate.state.tx.us
512) 463-0110
Brian.Birdwell@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0122
Donna.Campbell@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0125
Brandon.Creighton@senate.state.tx.us
512) 463-0104
Kevin.Eltife@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0101
Craig.Estes@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0130
Troy.Fraser@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0124
Sylvia.Garcia@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0106
Bob.Hall@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0102
Kelly.Hancock@senate.state.tx.us
512) 463-0109
Juan.Hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0120
Don.Huffines@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0116
Joan.Huffman@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0117
Lois.Kolkhorst@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0118
Eddie.Lucio@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0127
Jose.Menendez@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0126
Jane.Nelson@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0112
Robert.Nichols@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0103
Charles.Perry@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0128
Jose.Rodriguez@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0129
Charles.Schwertner@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0105
Kel.Seliger@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0131
Larry.Taylor@senate.state.tx.us
512) 463-0111
Van.Taylor@senate.state.tx.us
512) 463-0108
Carlos.Uresti@senate.state.tx.us
512) 463-0119
Kirk.Watson@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0114
Royce.West@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0123
Judith.Zaffirini@senate.state.tx.us
(512) 463-0121

  man I am going to have to hire me a secretary to do my correspondence in the future they just keep coming at us from all around anymore .   I remember the days of no appeal from the courts in animal seizures they just came and took what they wanted and it was a done deal , you kids better get busy and fight because that was the dark ages we don't want to return  .

TXMason...I appreciate you posting as you always do...I emailed my Senator and Representative...I just about copied most of what you posted and sent that in...it should make anyone's blood boil just reading what happened to that fat horse thing...America is supposed to be a free country....our freedom is eroding away at a fast pace...