Animal Rights Activist Charged With Animal Cruelty

imagine, and here I thought AR activists were supposed to HELP the animals, ....:confused: :rolleyes: .....

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Animal activist is charged
Crime: Noah's Ark founder faces Dec. 21 arraignment.

By Wendy Thomas Russell, Staff Writer
Article Launched:12/01/2006 09:40:28 PM PST





LONG BEACH - An animal rights activist who one day hoped to open a sanctuary for dogs and cats deemed "unadoptable" by government shelters was charged Friday with multiple counts of animal cruelty.

Alexia Tiraki-Kyrklund, 39, is scheduled to appear in Long Beach Superior Court on Dec. 21 for arraignment on 13 counts of felony animal cruelty and two misdemeanor counts of operating an illegal kennel and failure to maintain a property, authorities said.

The defendant, who runs a nonprofit organization called Noah's Ark Animal Rescue, was arrested in late August after authorities raided her shelter at 1330 Redondo Ave. and seized 299 dogs and cats - most of them filthy, sick and scared, officials said.

She was released on bail and the facility shut down while Long Beach Animal Control officers completed their investigation. On Friday, the Los Angeles district attorney's office charged Tiraki-Kyrklund with 11 felony counts relating to specific animals nine dogs and two cats, and two others counts referring to all 299 animals. The allegedly mistreated dogs were a Pekingese mix, a cocker spaniel mix, two pit bull mixes, a poodle mix, a shih tzu, two Chihuahuas and a Chihuahua mix.



According to Animal Control Lt. Michelle Quigley, the animals' conditions ran the gamut. Among the most common ailments, she said, were grotesquely overgrown nails, skin conditions, respiratory infections and fur coated in urine and feces. In addition, she said, many of the dogs were running freely inside the sweltering building, and were suffering the psychological effects of neglect and long-term confinement.

The Tiraki-Kyrklund case underscores an ongoing debate over whether it is more humane to euthanize unwanted animals or keep them alive indefinitely at any cost.

To the defendant's many supporters, Noah's Ark provided a necessary service in an industry too quick to end the lives of abandoned dogs and cats. To Animal Control authorities, the shelter offered a fate worse than death: months, even years, in confinement with too little one-on-one attention.

In most government-run shelters, such as the Long Beach Companion Animal Village, animals that are not adopted are euthanized after a certain period of time, or because of space constraints. Often, it is older or injured pets that are selected for euthanasia first.

According to Tiraki-Kyrklund's website, her nonprofit organization has been rescuing animals since 1994 and is "hoping to build a permanent sanctuary to house our many elderly or harder to place pets."

Of the animals seized from Noah's Ark three months ago, more than 50 dogs and 100 cats still remain in custody, awaiting adoption. Anyone interested is asked to visit the Long Beach Companion Animal Village, 7700 E. Spring St., in Long Beach, or to call (562) 570-7387. Wendy Thomas Russell can be reached at (562) 499-1272 or wendy.russell@....

 

"To the defendant's many supporters, Noah's Ark provided a necessary service in an industry too quick to end the lives of abandoned dogs and cats. To Animal Control authorities, the shelter offered a fate worse than death: months, even years, in confinement with too little one-on-one attention".

Interesting points of view. However I personally believe an animals' life should focus on quality as opposed to quantity....

 

Go figure eh? that is some crazy stuff. It is nice to hear that the Govt. finally nailed oneof those so called Animal rights activists for such un ethical treatment of animals. Sounds like her place was rather gross.

 

Just goes to show you, IMO why as long as there are far more dogs (and cats too, for that matter) than there are homes, no-kill is a poorly thought out idea. Designed to help people feel less guilty, not to help improve the lot of the animals concerned.

Thanks for posting.

 

what the hell is wrong with people...geez.......

 

And to add to it, it was also a tax shelter as the gov. had aproved them as a non-profit org. Cant quite understand that.

 

those poor animals. Why don't people neuter their animals? I found out that of the litter of 13 Squirt was in, 9 were sent to the animal shelter because they could not sell them. Terrible. Sounds like the place those animals were in was really nasty.

 

Lets not forget that this was supposed to be a haiven for these animals. We all know it was not but I am sure she and those like her did. I can't imagine how far out one's mind has to be deprivated to think such a way but that is their belief. When I was a child I recall a lady that had litterally hundreds of cats. You could smell the cat urin from the road. Not only was it unhealthy for the animals but for her as well. We never new the extent of just how many cats she had till she died. I am sure they multiplied on her too. So I picture these poeple all being like her. Stinky but somewhat of a sweet old lady that just could not see that she was not doing any animal or anyone a favor. What I believe happens is they develop a deprivated mind and they need professional help or even institutionalized till the get better. One of the greatest reasons I don't care for these people is the fact that they just don't know when to stop and don't value boundries of other's business. They think they can do better than everone else yet in the end they are standing on dung proclaiming king of the hill. Sad really.

 

hoarders......that's what they are. It's some kind of illness maybe, I don't know for sure. They think nothing is wrong and everything is peachy keen.

 

I for one would rather have a bullet in my head than to have to live with piss and crap on me, full of worms, and in a 18" X 2' box!! I would choose electricity, or even the dreaded gass over that kind of an existance!!

Was an old lady who had a house full of dogs when I was growing up. Noone really knew how many she had either, till she died. Had no family. Nothing but the dogs. Noone missed her. One day the funk got so bad that the post man reported the odor to the police. They came and found that her body was decomposing and the dogs, who had nothing else to eat, were dining on her rotting body!! All the dogs were euthed, and the house was burnt to the ground!! On the spot where the house was, now there is a huge tanning salon. Kinda ironic really!!

I know that irresponsible folks must be made to answer, but responsible folks are the ones answering for the laws being passed. The more laws, the less justice. Now THAT'S Ironic.

 

I'll take the needle....

 

hi
i am slightly shocked that anyone would just assume the facts with out really asking or doing some home work about this wonderful rescue and the group that placed over 2400 homeless pets last year alone.
the city is lying and trying desperately to discredit her and that is hwy the charges are so over the top.
if this was so clear of abuse why on earth with they offer to give her back the animals for a mere 93,000 dollars.
do some investigating follow the money trail- this is why she has to so much support, this place was open 7 days a week and had folks inside the day before adopting pets.
some one would have noticed something before the raid .
why wasn't any prior violations?
why was thee no notice to comply?
if you want the truth go here
get the truth
http://najustice.blogspot.com/

 

Are you connected with this "rescue"?

Truth is hard to find these days outside the bible.

 

About the truth....I have found that most would rather climb a tree to tell a lie rather than stand on the ground and tell the truth!

 

I have found the same thing!!!

 

Well, do you think they made this up?

 

try this on for size, this is a animal control that was inside this rescue on the 11 of Aug , where was the cruelty then?
this is a rescue that did adoptions 7 days a week so there were folks inside adopting the day before the raid.

a raid that had no warrant
not one single violation was ever given to this rescue and they were at this location for almost two years .
no violations, no notices to comply ??? odd for the 'conditions ' that they are now CLAIMING.

if any were true why did they deny their own vet who offered to treat all the 'sick' animals for free. why did they say no to him and use another vet?

if you start asking basic why questions you might be surprised.
this animal control was at this rescue twice a month, how did they fail to see anything until their illegal raid.

i think the founder filed a nasty complaint against them and sent it to all the papers and the rescue community. after the officer came in pushed a volunteer to the ground and slammed a door onto a dogs head. the founder was furious and sent the complaint to the mayor to the city council and every news paper etc.. and mentioned the evidence she had of their illegal killings as well.

they were raided 12 days later.
something smells and it isnt at this rescue

 

why do you care what some people on a dog forum say? and second,,no -one gets charged with 12 counts for no reason,,there must be something to the story,,,why would they "raid" with out a warrant,,,everything that was found without a warrant would be dismissed,,,why would they do that?,,,it would be stupid to go through all that trouble,,,lots of animals horders have plenty of food and vet care and still do not feed or take dogs to the vet,,,I see it every day

 

Everything I've heard backs up the story, and I've heard it from folks in rescue. Sounds like a horder to me.

 

hoarders don't adopt out 2400 hundred homeless pets last year alone.
plus the illegal raid is being addressed so why not wait till you jump on the band wagon.
why all of a sudden are their 'witnesses' so afraid to testify?
why again was there never notices to comply?
or violations?
why did this animal control give them animals?
always more to the story then what you read