Official Oppression--Houston Ghetto Rescuer Harassed by AC & Police

In a city of 1.3 million strays, of which 100,000 are put to death each year in shelters; the fourth largest city in the nation which has no "No-kill" shelters or humane organizations (mainstream, such as Houston Humane Society, SPCA, or city/county shelters); the city which relies on non-profit no kill rescue groups to provide the only no-kill options... one disabled woman in a notorious cruelty zone provides compassion to street dogs and is harassed by neighbors, city animal control, and the police. When does this end?

From a facebook post:

OK HOUSTON! This has got to stop! This is the worst and most obvious case of Official Oppression I have ever seen in this city, and it is ugly, it is cruel, and it seems to be endemic! It involves the Houston Police Dept in the Fifth Ward area, and BARC so called animal control.  Drug use and sales, prostitution, theft, assaults, and other crimes abound in this area, and residents and police alike drive right by. They tolerate it, and even defend it with threats when someone dares to ask, "What is going on here?".  But try to CHANGE something, and you become a target. 

One elderly, sick, disabled woman can tell this story better than I.  For years, she has fought to keep herself and the dogs she rescues from the streets fed, healthy, and find homes for them herself.  In her mind, it is better they live with her than die in the streets or suffer at the hands of the cruel people who live here.  This stress has taken it's toll.  Two days ago, she was taken off to LBJ hospital with chest pain and a past history of cardiac arrest.  She was hospitalized for 2 days. Myself and another friend helped her by feeding and watering the dogs twice a day while she was not home.  

This was not her only worry.  On July 1st. BARC officer Thompson wrote her 18 citations for animals she did not even see. She asked Ms Rose what dogs she had, and wrote tickets while the unsuspecting woman told the truth. Her court date was set for August 19.

On July 14th, 12 additional citations were written for the SAME (so-called) offenses.  This officer contacted ME by phone to ask about the dogs, and tried to get information on additional animals she could write tickets for. I advised her to contact Ms Rose, and the officer left a number. Ms Rose left a message, no one answered.

August 3rd, the night Ms Rose was transported by ambulance to LBJ Hospital, 12 additional citations, for the SAME offenses, with a new (third) court date were left taped to the gate.  

As if that were not enough, today, August 5th, an additional 18 citations were written, including the same offenses, and some new ones.  This happened at 7:30pm, 30 minutes after a yellow taxi deposited her at her home, still wearing the hospital band around her wrist.  Ms Rose had gotten the dogs into the house, and the officer had been waiting across the street. She knocked loudly on the door and began shouting at Ms Rose while I was on the phone. I just happened to be on my way home from somewhere north, so I pulled off at her street and arrived to a mad-scene including neighbors who were on their porches screaming at ms rose, who was standing on her OWN PORCH (dogs inside).  The BARC Officer was writing tickets, riff-raff was hanging on the street, yelling at Ms Rose, telling her they were going to kill her dogs. They threatened to kick my ass, for which I will be filing a police report, and prostitutes were walking back and forth threatening Ms Rose while she sat on her own property one hour home from the hospital.

She called HPD, Officer Green, and Officer Jenkins came and did not provide assistance to Ms Rose. Officer Green took the tickets from the BARC officer and gave them to Ms Rose, who refused to accept them. When I complained that he should tell the riff raff to stop harrassing this old woman, he stated "I dont even know those people". WHen the second officer arrived, he began talking with the riff raff, and laughing and joking with them.  It was apparent he knew them. I told him I wanted to file a complaint against the woman who threatened me, he began to play games asking me her name, which of course I did not know.  I told him I had her photo. He told me to file it online.  When I asked him if he was friends with the riff-raff, he said he was "Friends with all his community".  When I told him he did not seem friendly to the old woman being harassed, he said he did not have a report of harassment. I then told them this was official oppression, and that they were answering a call, not coming to the aid of a caller, and aiding and siding with the offenders in their official capacity as police officers.  THey promptly left.  I have 20 minutes of video.  I am waiting to talk to a lawyer to see what can be done about this video, I would love to open-post it on You Tube, BARC website, City of Houston, HPD and all the television stations.  But I will wait until they advise me.  Right now, I need a place for these dogs to go, as the neighbors will probably set fire to the house.  And no one in the city will do a thing.  That's the way it is here. Stay tuned.

Dear Council Member Jerry Davis,

I'm writing to you out of deep concern and worry for one of your constituents, Mrs. Rose, who needs your help.  

She is the only kind-hearted person on her street where dogs are bering killed by cars, scrounge the streets looking for food. living miserable lives at the end of chains, being fought illegally for financial gain, and being driven by by the city of Houston animal control and ignored.  She takes these sick, suffering animals in and nurses them to health. Local rescue groups assist her by adopting the animals out via adoption events. But the process is slow, and there are so many in need.

She is being harassed by city AC officers who have come to her house multiple times since July 1, to write citations for offenses on dogs they have not even seen.  The same offenses being written 4-5 times. there are a total of approximately 30+ citations now in place.

The first tickets were written July 1, and a court date given Aug 19.  Should she not be allowed to take her paperwork to that judge and respond to the citations without being cited 4-5 times for the same offenses on the same animals? HPD has been called twice to help defend this woman against the AC officers and have never provided any relief, rather, have joked and laughed with the neighbors while the woman stands alone on her own front porch.

Please allow this woman time to meet her first court date without repeated harassment by the city AC and police. She and her dogs are in danger, as the neighbors have increased their threats and continue to badger her verbally on a daily basis.

If anything happens to that poor woman or the dogs she's been befriending, city council is going to be bombarded with protests that this is how an elderly, upright, good person has been left to fend for herself and why are the police not protecting her but siding with those who have been harassing her.  

If THIS is the purpose of the additional funds approved by BARC to hire more animal control officers, you will be hearing MANY more complaints than just from animal lovers in this city. Others are more concerned with waste in the city budget and, frankly, they have a point.

Sincerely,

Very upset Houstonian on behalf of a kind-hearted senior citizen