Cherry Creek Horse Update

Update 5-24-2010

This morning I decided to follow-up on my call with Ranger Laura by going to the Park's Administrative offices.  When I walked in the staff member behind the front desk asked me how I was and what they could do for me.  I replied that I was there to speak to someone about a horse over in the horse stables.  She started to ask me if I meant the horse... and then she stopped herself, I guess before she said too much regarding a particular animal. The staffer then said she'd get the office administrator, Patti, to give me a hand to which I countered that I would like to speak to someone with authority.  She left and brought back a woman whose name-tag read P. something and I can only assume that was Patti.

I explained to the woman I assumed was Patti my situation and she introduced me to Joe Brand, the Cherry Creek Park Operations Manager, (303 690 1166 x 725, joe.brand@state.co.us.  He asked me to sit and mentioned I looked familiar to which I replied I have been to all their meetings regarding the dog unleashed area.  I then explained how I had witnessed this horse on Friday and called the police and sheriff who then contacted animal control who then explained to me that animal control responds to household pet complaints not large animals.  I continued to explain that I called 911 on Saturday and a ranger, whose name I could not recall, finally called me back and said he would call the stable owner and go out and check on the horse.  He called me during dinner with some friends but I asked that he return my call after viewing the horse and how I never received that call.  I also told him how instead, I received a call from the stable owner threatening me with lawsuit should I pursue this further.  I explained to Joe Brand how I was at the park on Sunday and noticed the horse had gotten worse in my estimation and that the stable owner was there and that I addressed him over the horse's condition.  He told me the horse was under veterinary care to which I asked when: when was the last time a vet had visited the horse and what was the result.  The stable owner replied it was none of my business and threatened me again with lawsuit for slander and how I would have felt physically threatened had the fence not been between us.

Ops. Manager Joe Brand took out a pad of paper and wrote a few lines about threats and the horse's condition and asked me to give him my number which I did.  He said he would call the stable owner but without knowing which ranger responded on Saturday he was unsure if he would be able to follow that lead up.  I was confused.  He was telling me that a ranger responded to a 911 call and there was no record of it?  Really?  When I asked him about that he said rangers weren't required to document every call.  I was dumbfounded -- this was a 911 call for crying out loud.  He then accused me of coming to him with unfounded accusations.  I took that as though if I didn't know the name of the ranger then the call never happened. I explained that spoke with some rancher friends who said it was a known within the ranching community how poorly this stable owner treats his horses and two other horse owners indicated to me that should the horse be under veterinary care the would would have been bandaged or sewn shut, or something; not just left open to the muscle for infection.

Joe then asked me what I wanted to see done.  I told him I wanted someone, in an official capacity, go down and look at that horse and tell me it was receiving medical care.  I even volunteered to walk over there at that moment with him and view the horse.  He told me that wouldn't happen until he's spoken to the ranger who went out on Saturday -- the same ranger who he said didn't exist because I couldn't identify him by name.  I asked him what was so hard about going out there at that moment to which he replied he needed to look into things first, like calling the stable owner.  I then told him calling the stable owner would be useless in that all he was going to tell anyone is that the horse was receiving treatment and they were going to take his word for it instead of having someone go out there and investigate.

He mentioned they go out to the stables all the time on calls and the rangers who respond use their own discretion on whether or not to file a report.  I questioned this as well.  Most government agencies as far as I know have to report everything and the rangers didn't have to report 911 calls?  Really?

I then reiterated how I wanted to see proof, proof that this particular horse was under veterinary care.  He said he couldn't give that information as it's a private venture but he did tell me that when they receive complaints they have animal investigators come out and investigate the conditions to which, he said, the horses were in adequate conditions.  i asked to see those reports.  He told me no, he didn't have them.  I asked him if investigators came out there didn't have reports?  He said no, they might have them at the investigator's offices but the park's office did not.  I was shocked that they did not keep a copy of these reports and told him so.  I then asked if he could give me the name and number of the investigator who is out there the most often.  He said there was a team and he couldn't remember their names.  I then asked him how it is okay for him not to remember names of people his office has worked with fairly routinely, but I'm making information up when I can't remember the name of the ranger whom I only spoke with on the telephone.

He told me to leave and I stood and left.  I reached the car when I remembered something the woman, Debrah, had told me yesterday.  I met Debrah near the stables yesterday overhearing a cellphone conversation she was having about the horse.  I introduced myself and we spoke briefly about what I had seen on Friday evening and she said she noticed it a week earlier and had been submitting written complaints since then with no success.  I decided to go back in and get a complaint form to submit myself hoping to create a paper trail since no one at the state parks service seems to want to create.

I went back into the offices and spoke to the girl behind the counter as king for a complaint form.  She said she didn't know where they were and had to ask.  As she went down the hall I overhear Joe Brand speaking to someone, whether on the phone of in person I couldn't tell.  He was saying something about our talk regarding how I think the park rangers are running a conspiracy not to investigate the horse stables or the stable owner.  I said in a loud voice that I am not a conspiracy theorist I only asked for documented proof that someone had looked into my 911 call and that the horse was under veterinary care.  Suddenly Joe Brand's voice got very quiet and he came out to the lobby area and asked me what I want. I informed him why I was still in his office and accused him of calling me a conspiracy nut which is closer to slander than I ever got.  He pointed to the complaint forms hanging on the wall behind me and I grabbed one.  I then reiterated that all I wanted was evidence that something was happening in response to mine, and other's apparently, complaint.  He told me to leave again this time more forcefully.  I told him this is exactly why I don't respect the park rangers, they're all lazy -- refusing to do the most basic legwork.  I told him as a citizen of the state I have a right to see those reports and why was it such a big issue anyway?  He told me in order to file for a FOIA request I had to contact Tim Metzger's office and request that he pull the files about my complaints I have made.  He gave me Mr. Metzger's card and I left.

I find it very frustrating that when I asked the stable owner for proof of the veterinarian care that's when he blew up at me.  I find it equally frustrating, and possibly more-so, that when I asked a government official, an employee of the state, for a report or written evidence that someone had investigated this horse's condition, I was asked to leave his office.

Why is that?  Since I'm already a conspiracy theorist I need to ask why no one will prove the horse is being cared for?  Why is it that once I ask for evidence I'm either being threatened or told to leave?  Why is that?  And why was park Operations Manager, Joe Brand, refusing to walk out there with me today and take a look in person so I could know that someone has physically seen the wound and the condition of the horse?  Why?  Why does it take a FOIA request to see if a horse has been cared for or if anyone has even investigated this complaint? Why?  Are they covering their butts?  Circling the wagons, so to speak?  

It'll be interesting to see if Joe Brand calls me back after he spoke with the ranger he told me doesn't exist because I couldn't recall his name or am I a crackpot who will be ignored from now on?