Dr. Linda Hagerman

A group of five Graham-area horse rescuers spoke at last week's Pierce County Council meeting to voice their concerns regarding a pending plan by the Auditor's Office to establish a horse rescue case management network. The Pierce County Auditor oversees the county's animal control department, and is directly responsible for organizing rescues when horses are neglected or abused.

At the heart of the group's concern is their perception that the county will strengthen its relationship with a controversial horse-rescue outfit Hope for Horses.  The county is currently seeking bids from horse-rescuing organizations to conduct boarding, transportation, medical services and evidentiary case management in horse rescues, and the Graham group is strongly opposed to awarding the contract to Hope for Horses.

At center stage in their complaint is the role played by Pierce County Auditor Pat McCarthy and her Animal Control officers, and the participation by Hope for Horses in rescuing fifteen profoundly neglected horses from a two-acre mud pit on Waller Rd. in early January, 2008.

Dr. Linda Hagerman, an equine veterinarian from Spanaway who participated in the rescue, said she was angry and disappointed at how the Auditor, Animal Control and Hope for Horses "carried out their mission."  She also added that "the Animal Control officers on this case displayed a grave lack of training in proper equine care."

As for Hope for Horses, Hagerman wrote in a letter to the Council that she was "appalled" at the care they administered to the two most seriously-injured horses.  She claimed an Arabian stallion with an infected penis was worse off after a two-month stay at Hope for Horses.

Hagerman told the council, "Jenny Edwards, the woman who runs Hope for Horses, is not a good choice."

George Wearn, a Graham resident, went further and charged Hope for Horses with padding its invoices to the county in a prior horse-rescue case.

"They billed Pierce County for boarding the horses for fifteen months, but the horses were fostered out to other farms for ten of those months."

Wearn also drew attention to the fact that Hope for Horses is based in Snohomish County.

"Pierce County dollars should stay in Pierce County," he said.

Rose Corey, an equine Good Samaritan who cared for and treated two of the Waller Rd. horses while Animal Control made arrangements with Hope for Horses, delivered a hefty packet of documents to the council that were said to reveal some shady aspects of Hope for Horses dealings.  Included was a letter from Secretary of State Sam Reed that showed Hope for Horses was under review for improper solicitation of charitable donations.

The closing date for submitting proposals for horse-rescue management was Dec. 12.  The county says it will begin negotiations with a selected proposer by Dec. 19, with the execution of the contract anticipated by Dec. 31, 2008.

As for whether Pat McCarthy, the new County Executive, makes that selection or the County Council does, it is typical for contracts that exceed one million dollars to be decided by the County Council, whereas smaller amounts are determined by the County Executive.