Author Topic: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit  (Read 8353 times)

Offline Svnt4God

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Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« on: November 21, 2005, 01:41:03 am »
Gentle Giants and Burt & Tracy Ward File Suit

On August 23, 2005, I was handed a Summons for a lawsuit filed against me, Marc Sayer (Deaf Dane Rescue) and 2 other individuals by Burt and Tracy Ward and Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions, in an attempt to stop us from speaking out to the public about their rescue operation and about how they have drastically impacted other peoples’ lives as a result of adopting Great Danes from their organization.


The suit alleges 7 separate Causes of Action:


•   Defamation (Libel) of Burt and Tracy
•   Defamation (Trade Libel) of Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions Inc.
•   Intentional Interference with Potential Economic Advantage of Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions Inc.
•   Negligent Interference with Potential Economic Advantage of Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions Inc.
•   Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress to Burt and Tracy
•   Negligence
•   Injunctive Relief

Their attempts to intimidate and bully people will not prevent us from continuing to try to keep people informed. That sort of behavior may have worked for them in the past, but they are dealing with a new mindset now. We are careful to verify and document what we publish, or to clearly state when we are voicing an opinion or theorizing, and we believe we are within our rights under the First Amendment to speak out on these issues. Gentle Giants is a 501c3 public charity and is subject to public scrutiny. What happens there is of interest to other adoptors, other rescues, to public shelters and other agencies, and to the public in general. The public has a right to know how this public charity conducts themselves.

What are WE doing about it?

On October 21, 2005 our attorneys have filed "Special Motions to Strike" because this is a meritless SLAPP.

To learn more about California Anti-SLAPP Laws (Stragetic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) visit www.CASP.net (California Anti-Slapp Project)

The State of California has set up laws to protect individuals, like yourselves, from being sued as a result of informing the public of safety and public concerns.
 
Because the public has the right to know what’s going on ...

I have developed a new website to keep the public informed about what is happening at Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions, Inc.; about what has happened to other people that have adopted from Gentle Giants; to keep you all posted on the progress of the lawsuit; and helpful resources for the care of your Great Dane or Gentle Giant family member.
 
Introducing GENTLE GIANT NEWS   www.gentlegian tnews.com

Please take a few minutes to check it out.
 
This website is full of helpful resources about Great Dane Rescues, Medical Emergency Information, Food for the Great Dane, Products for your Great Dane, and some fun too.

===>>> Also, in conjunction with GENTLE GIANT NEWS, another website (Rescue Watchdogs) has been developed to provide the public with more documented evidence along with other news and "happenings" at Gentle Giants Rescue and other Rescue Organizations around the nation. Visit http://rescuewatchdogs.com


Today’s News: (11/18/05)

Burt Ward denied an Injunction

Burt Ward appeared in court today to obtain an injunction against Marc Sayer (producer of Rescue Watchdog website) and was denied AGAIN, after previously being denied on October 27, 2005 of a temporary restraining order against Mr. Sayer.


We would love to hear your feedback.
Please visit out message board to give your input.
http://www.gentlegiantnews.com/messageboard/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=429a18436789f01219ce7c369380ffb7 

Offline brandon

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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2005, 10:27:20 am »
That www.gentlegian tnews.com is an eye-opener  :o :o
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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2005, 07:52:00 pm »
HOLY COW!!!!  I knew they were questionable but, WOW!

Offline pndlake

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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2005, 02:44:21 am »
I have been following the Gentle Giants thing for awhile now just because it is very interesting.  I am curious about rescue organizations.  Some, it seems, start out with very good hearts and work hard to keep many dogs from being euthanized.  Some, it seems get buried along the way also.  Some seem to use foster people and then take advantage of them because they have such big hearts and put their money where their mouth is. 

I recently adopted a dog from a rescue organization that I found on Petfinders.  Now I have no complaints.  She charge me $200 and I was able to deduct my fees for neurtering, rabies and the Merced Pound also microchipped the dog for no charge.  Now, I found out that the rescue people never even saw this dog.  The rescue people called a foster volunteer who drove three hours to pick the dog up and care for it until adoption.  The rescue people only saw a photo.  I sent the remainder of the fee to the rescue people, so was that a profit?  They had no expenses except phone work.  Does that not make the rescue people brokers? It does in my book. 

This is a far cry from what GG is charging but I am beginning to believe that there might be strange things in rescue groups, like all human endeavors seem to become.

Any other thoughts?
Peggy

Offline starlit_10577

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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2005, 10:16:00 am »
First this web site about GG made me sick. Just the thought of all the dogs that are being miss treated makes me want to cry.

Second Not all rescue groups are bad. The small ones are just people with big hearts with big hearts.  I have done dog rescue for 7 years. I do it out of my home and try to always follow city dog limits. I try my best to get all vet stuff done before the dog is placed in a new home but the ones that need it most are always first in line. I have no funding and do it out of my own pocket. I also do training with the dogs. Some I get have problems with food agression and even other dogs. So some are in my care for a long time. The adoption fee is never ever enough to pay for anything. I have used fosters and yes the fosters do have out of pocket expences, But I do try to give what I can back to them. There is just never enough money to do that. Here is a good example. I had a female rott that came to me at 1 year old no vet records ever. The owners kept her locked in a room all the time. They wanted a guard dog. When I got her she needed shots and heartworm check and lymes test. Plus behavior training to make her liveable in a home. She was here for 2 YEARS before she found her forever home a month ago. That is two years of shot, food, training, lymes treatment, heartguard, toys, bed and her own dog house. I got a 100.00 adoption fee for her.
I could go on but i will not boar you. Just know that not all places care about the money. We care about the dog
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Offline pndlake

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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2005, 03:41:24 pm »
What a great story and great rescue group you have.  Yes, I know there are many, many great rescue groups out there by people who give and give and give time and money.  I just wonder if there is a way that some of the no so great groups can or should be monitored.  I am not sure. Who draws the line?  This lady does not take the dogs in, just calls and makes placements.  hmm.  Like I say, I am not complaining about the reasonable fee, just curious about other groups or what may be emerging. 
Peggy

Offline Svnt4God

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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2005, 06:43:35 pm »
I have also worked in Rescue for many years.  I was mainly a Foster Mom.  (IMO) I think this is the best way for a good rescue organization to run.... that way not one person gets bogged down with too many dogs.

The Foster Homes needs to be screened just as carefully as the Adoption Homes (perhaps even more so).   There are times, as a Foster, that the dog never even makes it to the adoption site (pet store, etc).  Sometimes the dog IS adopted right out of my home.

I'm not sure about other Foster Moms or other Rescue Organizations, but I always paid for all the food out of my own pocket.  The only time I would ever ask the Rescue Organization to pay for anything that I was fostering was Only for medical care, spay/neuter, shots, etc.   I guess I just figured that the cost of my time and the cost of the food was my way of contributing to the Rescue ORganization.

There are times that the Rescue Organization may not have spent a dime on the dog, yet the adoption fee may be $100, $200, or more.

There are two reasons (that I know of) for this:

#1:  The more money people will spend for the dog they are adopting, the more apt they are to spend for vet bills, etc.    Those people that get an animal for free ... well that animal often times become "expendable"

#2:  The "excess" money that the Organization receives for the adoption will apply for ALL the other dogs/cats that are in their care which have incurred $100s or $1000s of dollars to save/rescue them.

There really is NO profit in rescue (for most organizations)

Well anyway ... those are my thoughts.

Offline starlit_10577

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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2005, 08:21:00 pm »
I agree there is no profite in any of it. But that is ok I was in it to love the dogs while they were here. But just remember that just because someone will not pay a 100.00 adoption fee don't meen they will not care for the dog. Sometimes people just have enough to get buy and that don't mean that a dog will not fit them and be cared for. In aspect I am consitered dirt poor. I live on a 1000.00 a month and I still have the money to do rescues and take care of my kids and him. Just a thought.
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Offline Anky

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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2005, 08:43:41 pm »
I think there are all kinds of reasons for people to do rescue.  The people who want to help the dogs (Far too few....), the people who do it for the money, the people who do it for the power, and the people who do it to make them feel good about themselves.  I've worked more with the latter two than with the former. 

Up here, our pet over popluation isn't as bad as it is elsewhere in the country.  The rescues can be elitist, controlling and obnoxious.  I know some of you know this story, but let me reiterate for the new comers.  I worked with a rescue for a while.  They were an all breed but any of the Giants that came in I got to decide who they went to.  I was a PIA, I'll admit it, but I didn't want any of my dogs coming back.  I also was on the comittee for marketing and fundraising.  I fostered for this rescue as well as others.  When I started working there the woman who ran it was sweet, kind of uninvolved, but everything was about how much she did for these dogs.  Like a socialite only talking about the donations that they gave to charity that year and how giving they are.

Well she had to turn the rescue over to another woman.  This was the power hungry type.  She took away my placing priveledges, saying that EVERY dog had to be placed by her.  I had no say in it whatsoever, and she knew nothing about giant breeds.  The ONLY thing I was allowed to do was foster, and I couldn't choose the dogs I could foster.  She chose the dogs that were "worthy" of being fostered, and the rest lived in a crowded building crammed with dog runs.  I tried to get ahold of this woman for alot of things, and never heard from her. 

Then out of the blue I get a call from her.  She has a lab pup that needs fostering.  I'm not really fond of Labs, but she tells me that the kennel burned down and all the pups need to be placed.  Stupid me, I say of COURSE I'll come right down.  I went there (Hour and a half hour trip, ONE WAY) with Sanity.  This puppy gets tossed at me through the car window, the woman there says that she has an appointment, and the puppy's name is Amber.  I put her on the seat next to me, Nee sniffs at her, wags his butt and settles down.  The lady comments on how big he's getting (Last time they saw him he was like 3 months old, and he was almost a year), and I ask if there's anything else I need to know.  She says no, so I leave. 

The pup is coughing every once in a while, but the radio is on so I can't here it well, I figure it's the dust in my car seeing as how she's bouncing around everywhere.  Well I get a phone call and shut off the radio.  Then I hear the pup's cough.  I swear.  She has Kennel Cough.    I call my boyfriend to tell him I can't come over, because I don't want to expose Araby and Hobo (Nee's already been exposed so he's screwed).  He's kind of miffed, then I call the Rescue.  "Oh yeah we forgot to give you her meds, can you swing by tomorrow?"  FORGET the fact that they would be totally inconviniencin g me, how about that they knowingly gave me a contagious sick puppy KNOWING I HAD MY DOG IN THE CAR!

I manage to get the puppy home and she's the dog from h*ll.  I seriously want to do harm to her.  I get a vet friend to diagnose her and give me antibiotics for her.  A week later I tell the rescue lady that she needs to get her.  We meet at a halfway point (To which she's 56 minutes late)  I find out her sisters are wicked sick.  That makes me sad. 

A little while later I get a call that they need me to foster again.  I can't, I just lost my job.  "Well then you have lots of time to spend with her."  But I can't afford the out of pocket cost for food or for gas to get down there!  The lady then tells me what a selfish *#^% I am and hangs up on me.  I haven't worked in rescue since.  Just so hard to find one I can get behind now :(

Sorry I just totally jacked this thread :(


Edited to add, when they called to ask me to foster again, right before she hung up I was told that both Amber's sisters died.  I don't know why she had to throw that in my face but she did.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2005, 08:45:11 pm by Anky »
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Offline Svnt4God

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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2005, 10:40:34 pm »
Oh my gosh !!!  What an aweful experience that was for you.  You put up with that woman A LOT longer than I ever would.   I am sure it was hard to separate the feelings of "It's all about the dogs"  from "I've had enough of this woman".


Offline VdogLover

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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2005, 12:43:56 am »
*****Now, I found out that the rescue people never even saw this dog.  The rescue people called a foster volunteer who drove three hours to pick the dog up and care for it until adoption.*****

I have not read this whole post but wanted to comment on this...

This really is not that uncommon and I do not see a problem with it. If a foster home is experienced and has been working for a long time with a rescue they often have the foster home do all the work and care...also let the foster evaluate temperament and what house is best. It would be very hard for a coordinator running an all breed rescue to rescue a  large volume of dogs from all over a state and see each dog. To do so they would have to give up  jobs, kids, any life at all. That's why they say good foster homes are the real backbone of any successful rescue group...we just often get forgot about.

Offline Kelly89084

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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2006, 11:01:17 pm »
I just want to say a big THANK YOU!!! for posting this info and for having a website about it all.  I would have likely become another victim if I hadn't read this info first.  They were one of the rescues I saved.  I hate to think what might have happened to my boys (7 & 2 yrs) if I had adopted from them and gotten a bad dog.  You're doing a great thing.  Keep it going!

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Offline jupiterjenny

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Re: Gentle Giants Rescue File Suit
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2006, 11:19:49 pm »
wow..i was contacting GG to adopt a dane last year..i was told the lowest adoption fee was $400!!!!  I was shocked...i have worked in animal shelters,animal hospitals and was a foster home for mastiff rescue- i can imagine asking that much for a adoption fee!!! I really made me question as to weather they actually WANTED to adopt a dane to me..or anyone for that matter!  I had owned a dane before, and like i said i fostered for mastiff rescue..i have a lot of experiance with large breed dogs- i live in a big house with a big fenced yard..yet i felt like they were saying i wasn't good enough to have one of THEIR danes.
oh well..i went to petfinder.com and found daisy- i did spend $210.00 in adoption fee to get her-( the rescue first told me 150..then the price kept going up!) which i still think is very high seeing as she had an obvious skin alllgery thing going on and they never took her to a vet in the 8 months they had her- but thats anouther story completely.
I would not be surprize to learn that GG is more of a great dane hording situation then a true adoption rescue, and to hear that people ..who paid at least 400$ mind you- got dogs with problems and such ..thats just sick and cast a poor light on the good work TRUE rescue orginizations are doing!
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