I think removal is warrented!

[Tucumcari]

I can't likely do much in person, but I am willing to split costs on one if someone wants to take one. Get it into good health. Give away sell, turnover as a show horse... just a thought.

[myheartsezyes]

oh....

So the situation is that one of our members had her horses taken in by the SPCA and now some of us are turning our backs on her?

I wonder if anyone has taken the time to send her a note to ask if she needs any help? My guess is that this isn't the result of an evil person, but probably someone who got in over her head.

the horses are indeed in a bad way in some of the pictures, but I think we owe a bit more support to our own member and esp. should not kick her while she is down.

my 2 cents

I have offered my support and yes have sent her a note. she is not an evil person I think she just got in over her head. I will continue to support her and not kick her while she is down in spite of how mad it makes me as well.

[myheartsezyes]

....

That was really uncalled for. Glad I am not the moderator here but will report you anyway. We don't need that kind of bashing for whatever reason.

[NorthStar]

....

I wonder if anyone has taken the time to send her a note to ask if she needs any help?

....

Somehow, I doubt if Gerry is answering her mail. She certainly isn't answering her phone, at least according to some of the press reports. From http://www.eveningtribune.com/news/x392 ... d-or-alive:

"A call to the Blazejewski home this morning was answered by an unidentified female. When asked to speak to Gerry Trupia, she responded, “I can tell you that everything is being handled through her attorney.”

The woman said that Trupia’s attorney is Tim Embser in Wellsville.

A call to Embser was not returned this morning."

That link didn't work. But this is an interesting story on the matter:
"By Lynn Brennan
The Evening Tribune
Sat Sep 06, 2008, 09:22 PM EDT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Troupsburg, N.Y. -

SPCA officials say they did not mistreat any of the animals they seized from the Norcrest/Middle Creek Farm in Troupsburg during an Aug. 29 raid on the farm.

The allegations that horses were mistreated and injured while being loaded into trailers at the farm came from a conversation between horse owner Anne Cray’s boyfriend and Gerry Trupia, who runs the farm owned by her mother, Mary Ann Blazejewski.

continued http://www.eveningtribune.com/state_new ... zed-horses

[NorthStar]

CNG, none of us are perfect and none of us are in the position of judger here.

We do not know the story yet... and it's premature and inappropriate to pass any type of harsh judgement.

Honestly, where is the compassion for this situation? This is one tough bunch... the rest of you never ever made a mistake?

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

You apparently haven't been around when several here have pulled together to save a horse or help a person. What is rather ironic here, is this individual, on more than one occasion transported some rescues and even brought them to her farm to live, or find temporary safe harbor, while folks sang her praises to the angels.

Don't know fact from fiction here, except there are a lot of horses in a very bad way.

But hey, if Bankers and Insurance companies can't keep it together when they are rolling in money, a little perspective might go a long way.

Some people really just don't *think* ahead even one split second when making decisions and others plan their escape long before the s**t hits the fan. Knowing the why's of this won't change much for the horses. I'm just thankful the SPCA actually acted to help. Too often they don't.

[NorthStar]

I can't likely do much in person, but I am willing to split costs on one if someone wants to take one. Get it into good health. Give away sell, turnover as a show horse... just a thought.

Even well fed horses aren't in demand in this economy. I'd say these horses will need long term safe homes.

[Linda_d]

oh....

So the situation is that one of our members had her horses taken in by the SPCA and now some of us are turning our backs on her?

I wonder if anyone has taken the time to send her a note to ask if she needs any help? My guess is that this isn't the result of an evil person, but probably someone who got in over her head.

the horses are indeed in a bad way in some of the pictures, but I think we owe a bit more support to our own member and esp. should not kick her while she is down.

my 2 cents

I have offered my support and yes have sent her a note. she is not an evil person I think she just got in over her head. I will continue to support her and not kick her while she is down in spite of how mad it makes me as well.

Sorry, but I have no sympathy for Gerry or her mother. I hope they get the book thrown at them, and end up serving jail time. I also hope that attorney fees, fines, and civil suits from the mare owners take every last dime this pair has so that they never have the wherewithal to acquire another horse to starve. That may sound harsh, but I don't have any tolerance for people who abuse children or animals, even if it were supposedly "unintentional".

This isn't the first time that Gerry has been involved in abusing horses. She did similar things before in different states -- PA and MD, I think. Once might be a mistake, but three times??? I think not. Oh, yeah, and her attempt to "disperse" her herd just days before the manure hit the fan indicates to me an inhumane person interested in making a profit through starving animals.

As for the claims by her Mama's boyfriend that the SPCA "mistreated" the horses, I consider the source of those claims and dismiss them for the BS that they are.

[Jenny]

Linda d
How do you know about the other allegations in the other states? When I was at her place she mentioned that she used to have her horses somewhere in another state and I can't remember where. PA maybe. I totally agree with you I hope they are punished to the highest level. How can the school board even think of keeping this woman as a principal!!! Some one should find out if she has lost her job over this. How could you leave your children in her care? What sort of role model is that!!!!!

Anyone who has access to this sort of info please keep us posted on the teacher/principal situation. Or info on how we could access this sort of info ourselves. I would like to see this woman banned from teaching in any state ever!!!!!!!

[BridledObsession]

I really can't keep up with all the threads relating to this incident on this forum and others.....sorry. Unfortunately, I have first hand knowledge now since our horse had to be euthanized after her "care". She will get no sympathy or understanding here. It took her 3 months to kill a perfectly healthy horse. We would have gone up to pick her up at any time if she had not consistently indicated that our mare was "fine, happy, well adjusted".

I was interviewed for several articles, including the one quoted earlier. I have posted other places that my remarks were somewhat taken out of context and/or my next sentence to the reporter was not included. When we got a hold of Gerry after hearing about the horses being seized, she did say she saw our mare being loaded on a trailer with 18 other horses. She then went on in detail to describe how she fell, was abused, got hurt, etc. At the time my boyfriend was told this by Gerry, he was unaware of the extent to which she lies........so he was upset but waiting for me to confirm any of this. I then talked to several people who also had personal experience with Gerry who told me to not believe a thing she had to say. I then talked to the SPCA. So, long story short, after relaying to the reporter what Gerry had said, I followed that up immediately by saying that she was not to be believed. I, in no way, wanted to disparage the SPCA. I believe they did everything they possibly could and I greatly appreciate it. Who knows how much worse our mare's ending would have been without them. At least she had care and compassion in her final days.

[springboro]

Anyone who has access to this sort of info please keep us posted on the teacher/principal situation. Or info on how we could access this sort of info ourselves. I would like to see this woman banned from teaching in any state ever!!!!!!!

Jenny, again... you take this way beyond the scope of helpful conversation. Revenge and punishment seem to be at the forefront of each of your conversation points.

If there is a legal settlement, then the law will take these things under advisement. Gerry is certainly going to have her trials and tribulations, but I hope that we don't form a lynch mob online and keep having these discussions.

She made a mistake, she made bad decisions, the list of wrongs can go on and on.

You say you're losing sleep over this, and my suspicion is that you're just unable to move forward until a decision is made legally. After that is done, though... what are you going to do to ensure you're not dwelling and stewing on this situation. What is the next step, for you or for all of us, to go forward in a productive manner.

Something good must come from this. Something that doesn't involve finger pointing, name calling, ill will, retribution, or anything else that can divide our community online.

Let's make sure our posts are productive and bring us to a solution. We have to move forward.

[Linda_d]

Linda d
How do you know about the other allegations in the other states? When I was at her place she mentioned that she used to have her horses somewhere in another state and I can't remember where. PA maybe. I totally agree with you I hope they are punished to the highest level. How can the school board even think of keeping this woman as a principal!!! Some one should find out if she has lost her job over this. How could you leave your children in her care? What sort of role model is that!!!!!

Anyone who has access to this sort of info please keep us posted on the teacher/principal situation. Or info on how we could access this sort of info ourselves. I would like to see this woman banned from teaching in any state ever!!!!!!!

I saw it somewhere on-line, but I haven't found it yet. I'll look on my computer at home where I have some different links saved.

[Linda_d]

Anyone who has access to this sort of info please keep us posted on the teacher/principal situation. Or info on how we could access this sort of info ourselves. I would like to see this woman banned from teaching in any state ever!!!!!!!

Jenny, again... you take this way beyond the scope of helpful conversation. Revenge and punishment seem to be at the forefront of each of your conversation points.

If there is a legal settlement, then the law will take these things under advisement. Gerry is certainly going to have her trials and tribulations, but I hope that we don't form a lynch mob online and keep having these discussions.

She made a mistake, she made bad decisions, the list of wrongs can go on and on.

You say you're losing sleep over this, and my suspicion is that you're just unable to move forward until a decision is made legally. After that is done, though... what are you going to do to ensure you're not dwelling and stewing on this situation. What is the next step, for you or for all of us, to go forward in a productive manner.

Something good must come from this. Something that doesn't involve finger pointing, name calling, ill will, retribution, or anything else that can divide our community online.

Let's make sure our posts are productive and bring us to a solution. We have to move forward.

Springboro, I think that perhaps you might do well to show as much compassion for the horses Gerry and her mother starved and for the owners who boarded their horses there as you show for Gerry. These women were not ignorant hillbillies who didn't know any better. They weren't "hoarders" who were overwhelmed by their compassion. They were running a "business" in which they profitted by exploiting animals in the most vile way -- by starving them to death.

There is nothing good that come from "this", ie Gerry and her mother starving horses for their own profit, unless these women are forbidden from ever owning any animal again, especially horses. I say that not as "retribution" but for the protection of any and all animals that might have the misfortune of falling into either of these women's hands in the future.

[pfrsue]

I'm sure Springboro isn't making light of the horses' suffering or of Gerry's guilt. What he's saying is that it's unproductive and unhealthy for us--both as a group and as individuals--to continue to rant and rave over the situation when it doesn't serve ourselves or the horses to do so. The courts will do what they do, and penalties will be applied, but that's not our purview.

What Springboro is advocating, I think, is that we--again as a group or individually--work pro-actively in both preventing things like this from happening in the future and in helping the surviving horses who are in rescue now. He's not making light of what happened, but I think he'd like to see something positive come out of the negative, and I have no issue with that at all. (Springboro, correct me if I'm wrong, of course.)

Just my two cents, belated, but sincere.

[springboro]

Trust me, I mourn and grieve for these horses just as you do. Nothing that I do can bring these horses back, nor reverse what has been done.

However, we as humans can do a few things so that this doesn't happen again. We can help people who need help, we can promote awareness, and we can alert proper authorities when merited.

What we should stop doing to fanning the flames and speculating on what happened. We can stop plotting revenge, which is actively happening on this board. And we might try to muster just one iota of pity, however difficult, for the woman who found herself in over her head. Flame me all you want, but I'm convinced that Gerry is not an evil person. I know people who have been in very similiar circumstances ... it can spiral out of control so quickly.

I do not know what happened on that farm. I don't know Gerry, at all. I have no personal investment in this case at all. I am, however, very sad that people have been so quick and harsh in their judgements, and have used this forum to say things out loud that might be better kept to ourselves. How easy it is to hide behind your computer screen and bad mouth someone, however deserving you think your words are.

Many of us are parents here, and I know what I would never teach nor tolerate some of the behavior that has been displayed here.

Forward, people... enough of the revenge and anger. Gerry will have her day in court.

And to the two people on this forum who lost their horses at that farm: I know that this is particularly difficult for you both. I am so sorry about the horses you lost. You are in my thoughts daily. I don't have a good answer for why or how this happened.

[Tairaterces]

I have just finished reading all the posts of this thread. Have also read previously the articles online from The Horse.

Springboro, I think that you are assuming that these 2 things are human.

If, let's assume, they were in over their heads the human and humane thing to do would be to contact the owners of the horses whose lives were intrusted to them to be taken care of and have the owners take them to a safe place . . . . .

These "humans" chose not to do that. They seemed to care only about themselves and the $$$ being generated.

So I have no sympathy at all for these things passing themselves off as humans. And hopefully they will never, ever be able to do this again.

Tairaterces