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Pasado's Story
Pasado Newsletter
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New Federal Bill Would Make Pet Anti-Freeze Poisonings A Thing of the Past |
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Kiki |
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Many of you were
instrumental in helping with the conviction of Donna Marie Clark some
months ago. You’ll recall that Ms. Clark set out antifreeze-soaked
chicken in her backyard in order to poison her neighbor’s three cats.
We now have an opportunity
to prevent this from ever happening again. |
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Topper |
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The federal bill H.R. 2567
would require antifreeze manufactures to add a bittering agent to deter
children and animals from ingesting the highly toxic substance. This
change requires very little effort on the part of the industry and
indeed, states, cities and towns around the country are starting to pass
legislation on the local level to outlaw the sale of conventional
antifreeze. These locals have experienced the tragic injury and death
caused by this substance. Why wait for more local laws to be passed
before the federal government realizes that this is a national problem
that need a national solution? |
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Billy |
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Congressman Jay Inslee (1st) |
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Once Rep. Inslee hears the story of a family left in a profound state of
grief because of the actions of someone who used this poison to
purposely kill three beautiful creatures that brought so much joy into
their lives, we hope he’ll do the right thing and send this bill on a
fast-track for passage.
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What you can do to help!
Submit your message of support for H.R. 2567 to Representative Jay
Inslee (D-WA) via email
here.
Better
yet phone his office at (206) 361-0233.
Mailing address information is available on the website above.
Please use the talking points below. If you are a constituent of the 1st
district in Washington State, your voice is particularly important.
Kiki, Topper, and Billy spent their short lives very close to his
district so we know there are a lot of people in the Seattle area that
personally supported the cruelty case and know how Joe and his kids
suffered. Find out if you’re in the 1st District
here.
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Talking Points:
• State your name and address. If you are a constituent of the 1st
District in Washington State, state this information as well.
• Please support and pass H.R. 2567 and prevent any more children and
animals from the toxic and painful effects of this dangerous substance.
• If you have any personal stories that relate to this issue, please
consider sharing it.
• Help those who mourn the loss of Kiki, Topper, and Billy by making the
passage of this bill a priority this session.
• Please be polite and respectful.
Thank you so much for helping to honor Kiki, Topper, and Billy’s
memory.
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DONNA MARIE CLARK PLEA
DEAL...One month in jail - one month of
community service...a "just" sentence for making three cats suffer a
horrible death? |
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Although Clark should have faced three
felony intentional animal cruelty convictions, the Pierce County
Prosecuting Attorney, Dennis Ashman, only asked a judge for one count of
Misdemeanor 'poisoning of an animal'. Unbelievable. Let's just say that
if you're planning on intentionally hurting an animal, you should do it
in Pierce County, Washington - you'll "get off" with little punishment. |
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The good news is Donna Marie Clark, the woman who admitted to
soaking chicken in antifreeze and placing it on her back deck in order
to poison three cats, was led away to a jail cell today. But not for
long enough. Dennis Ashman astoundingly only asked the judge to sentence
Clark to community service. Luckily, the judge ordered jail time, too.
But "suspended" 305 days of the possible 365 days in jail she could have
been ordered to serve. In the end, Clark will serve 30 days in jail and
30 days in community service.
(See the KING-TV story and the raw video of the actual sentencing -
it's worth it to register as a guest to see it...
here.)
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Above, the literal
bowl of chicken, soaking in antifreeze, photographed on
Ms. Clark's back deck. |
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Pasado's Safe Haven sincerely wants to thank
Joe Ashbaugh, the "owner" of Kiki, Topper, and Billy. Rarely are we able
to work with such an outstanding, outspoken, "owner" (we prefer to call
pet 'owners' guardians, but, by law, animals are property. Joe took off
far too many days of work to attend hearing after hearing as Clark
stretched this case beyond everyone's patience.
We want to also thank you, who helped
Pasado's pay for the necropsies of the cats, which we had hoped, would
be used in a vigilant prosecution. And to those of you who carpooled
with us to countless hearings. You are our heroes.
What's Next:
We're going to help Joe Ashbaugh, his wife, and girls pursue a civil
suit against Clark. Afterall, she killed their "property" and they need
to be compensated appropriately. If the criminal courts can't do their
job, then we'll try a civil route. Stay tuned. Ms. Clark may have to pay
more dearly then she ever expected. |
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The bowl of chicken,
soaked in anti-freeze, was placed on
Clark's back deck, behind her fence (top, right). |
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History of Case:On Friday the 13th, Joseph Ashbaugh of Spanaway,
WA contacted Pasado’s Safe Haven to report that a neighbor allegedly
poisoned three of his cats using chicken, soaked in anti-freeze. Mr.
Ashbaugh’s cats all died over a period of two days at a local veterinary
emergency clinic.
The alleged
perpetrator's house, left.
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Fence, to right, over which the bowl of chicken &
anti-freeze was placed.
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Mr. Ashbaugh contacted the
Pierce County Sheriff’s Office and the local humane society, first, to
no avail. The Sheriff's deputy told him HIS cats had been trespassing on her
property. And when told the bowl of chicken, still soaking in the
anti-freeze, was still on her patio, the deputy told Mr. Ashbaugh that if
he were to retrieve it, HE'D be trespassing.
Mr. Ashbaugh then
contacted Pasado’s Safe Haven.
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Mark
Steinway, Pasado’s Humane Investigator, contacted the Pierce County
Sheriff, urging them to pursue the case as Felony, intentional animal
cruelty. He asked for a search warrant to be issued to investigate the
neighbor’s property based upon evidence Steinway had obtained from Mr.
Ashbaugh:
- The
suspect had allegedly made statements to others in the neighborhood
complaining of Ashbaugh’s cats coming into her yard and asked them
how to kill cats; the neighbors confirmed that their discussion
included the suggested use of antifreeze.
- Digital
photographs had been taken of a bowl, on the woman’s lawn, that
contained a greenish fluid and chicken.
A
different, very responsive sheriff's deputy responded. A search warrant
was issued for the home of Donna
Clark, 3700 block of 230th Street E.,
Spanaway,
WA. Police reportedly recovered the bowl with anti-freeze and chicken from
Clark’s property and arrested
Clark
on three counts of Felony First Degree Animal Cruelty. She was released on
a $30,000 bond.
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Photo, left, taken over the
fence showing the bowl of chicken, soaking in anti-freeze. The bowl was
confiscated during the search and booked into evidence.
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This is the actual bowl of
chicken that allegedly killed Mr. Ashbaugh's cats. They suffered horribly before
they died.
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Pasado’s
Safe Haven is covering all costs involved
in the veterinary medical investigation on behalf of the Pierce County
Sheriff’s Department, including over $1300 for necropsies (animal
autopsy) and toxicology reports on the three cats. Without this evidence,
the case probably could not go forward.
Animal Cruelty in the First Degree is a Class “C” felony, punishable
by up to 5 years in jail and a $10,000 fine. Most first time offenders
receive no more than one year in jail.
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