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Jourdanton, Texas city employees continue their
appalling behavior! Once again they have failed to show moral judgment
or human compassion regarding another dog in their custody. Unless
radical changes are made, Texas may one day be remembered with,
“Remember Jourdanton,” instead of Remember the Alamo. Very sad,
indeed.
After the scandal surrounding the dogs drowned at
their sewer treatment plant, one would expect improvement. Tragically,
suffering continues. Why do they suffer? Because the “players” in this
nightmare suffered no consequences from the prior atrocities! Not only
are the Jourdanton city employees at fault, but also law enforcement.
The animals of Jourdanton will continue to be in danger until penalties
of some sort are imposed.
The drowning incident caused an uproar that
stretched far beyond Texas. Our voices were heard, but not loudly
enough. Therefore, another horror has reared its ugly head in the form
of extreme cruelty!
On October 7, 2005, Vickie Eckert, owner of
Tri-County Animal Sanctuary, was informed of a dog at the Jourdanton
Pound in need of care. It had been impounded for two days with no
medical attention whatsoever! The female dog had been picked up by the
City Supervisor. This is the same city employee responsible for giving
orders to drown the dogs at the sewage plant. After the dust settled
from that incident, he was restricted from working with animals. Yet,
there he is – still interacting with them as the City Manager looks the
other way. As a side note, he has failed animal-care training courses
on at least two occasions.
Vickie arrived to find the City Supervisor and City
Manager simply “gawking” at the caged dog whose collar was embedded
deeply into her neck. Vickie was uneasy as she had been instructed by
the City Manager not to visit the Pound. Regardless, upon hearing of
the dog’s plight from a City Council Member she was moved to action.
Seeing a Council Member sitting in Vickie’s truck,
the City Supervisor offered to just take a knife and cut the collar from
the dog’s neck. Imagine running a knife under the tight collar, into
deep, gaping, infected wounds! Nothing like a little more agony for an
already stressed and ill dog.
Due to the severity of the ghastly wounds, Vickie
insisted it must be removed by a professional and she was taking the
animal to her vet. They reluctantly agreed to release the dog. What
else could they do with a City Council member on the premises? The
acutely injured dog was taken immediately for proper medical attention.
In this small town of several thousands residents,
it’s reported that the dog’s owner is known by city officials. No
charges have even been brought against this irresponsible person. It’s
the “good ol’ boy” system at work -- covering for one another! They
have it down to a fine art in Jourdanton, Texas.
Vickie named the dog Miracle. The wounds have
healed, weight has been gained, and she is doing well. However, she
will forever carry scars inflicted by a collar she outgrew, thanks to an
irresponsible owner. And, Miracle is a fitting name; it’s a miracle she
was not euthanized before being rescued. She was a lucky girl to fall
into the hands of Vickie Eckert and she is thriving. Thank you Vickie
for your loving care…
Vickie Eckert is the only hope for stray, lost, or
abandoned animals in Jourdanton, Texas. She operates the Tri-City
Animal Sanctuary in Poteet, Texas which provides outstanding care for
animals in need, although her resources are scarce. The Sanctuary is
funded solely by donations which limits
what she can provide, and how many animals she can care for. Yet, her
love of animals drives her to continue her mission. The lucky ones find
their way to her – others are left at the mercy of heartless Jourdanton
city employees. I wonder how many actually survive the Jourdanton
torture camp and find new homes? My guess would be darned few, if any!
Why does Jourdanton deny Vicky access to their
animal control facilities and her offer to help animals in dire need?
Are they afraid that what she witnesses will become public knowledge?
Vickie’s Tri-City Animal Sanctuary could provide
hope and homes for more animals in need, except funding is almost
nonexistent. The local Wal-Mart does provide assistance with food, and
one vet offers a very slight discount for neuter/spaying. She pleads
for backing from the community of Jourdanton and others in the area, but
it falls on deaf ears. With more funding, possibly the Jourdanton Pound
could be done way with! No animal in their care seems to stand a
fighting chance anyway. With Vickie’s nurturing and dedication, each
animal has every hope for a loving home…but financially, Tri-City Animal
Sanctuary is in desperate need of support.
Nonetheless, Vickie will never waver in her quest
to rescue defenseless creatures in need. She is driven by the love and
compassion in her heart…she is to be commended. May God bless you,
Vickie…
For the story with photos of the
“death collar” please click on the following link:
Click
here: REMEMBER JOURDANTON
©2006Kathleene S. Baker
Lnstrlady@aol.com
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