Hi Carolyn,
I have posted this on my goat groups, we raise Nigerian Dwarfs, but I have seen no discussion of it on the goat groups I've posted on. The working dog groups of course, have been extremely supportive.
If others would be so kind to help me spread the word, we'd be so very grateful. Post on facebook, twitter, websites, blogs, and your own goat breed groups, other LGD groups, etc, in order to get the word out.
We WILL win this in court, as our rights were totally trampled on by this Administrative Hearing officer. The Right to Farm act was not properly applied to our farm, and we must Appeal before Superior Court within a certain time period, or we lose the right to Appeal his ruling. This way a REAL judge will hear our case. But of course, this is costing us $$, of which we don't have.
There is MUCH more at stake here than having LGD's or not having LGD's. If this isn't appealed, who is to say ANY common farming practice (not crops, but livestock, poultry, llamma, etc) won't come under fire as more and more city folks decide that they don't like the sights, sounds and smells of *your* farm animals? Where does it stop?
We have the RIGHT TO FARM ACT in this country, all 50 states, so when it gets trampled on, it can have ripple effects everywhere....so we need to stand up to this Hearing Officers erroneous interpretation of the LAW, which helps everyone, everywhere. Animal Control should not hold this power over us, trampling on the Law.
If we dont' appeal, the next step is to be cited when our dogs bark. animal control was already driving up and down past our farm last week, in order to get the dogs to bark. Which they didn't. Our dogs are NOT nuisance barkers, but have been declared so. Then it's a Misdemeanor, and after that, they confiscate our dogs, who we rely on to keep roaming dogs, coyotes and the bobcats from killing our poultry and goats.
If this was just for *us*, I would never in a million years be asking for help. But I feel this is a fight for us ALL. Just like the farmers in Oregon who also had this happen to them ~ they had to spend $$$ to also Appeal. We will be able to cite this case in Superior Court, whereas the Hearing Officer refused to let us do so.
We appreciate your support, and when this is over, I will definately be posting on my website and the groups, the outcome of our Appeal, that we have the RIGHT TO FARM and our animals, and guardian dogs included (as well as llamma's, donkeys or whatever is used in your farm practice) are legally protected under the right to farm act. :o)
I will spread the word in order to help others who may face a similar situation as we are in. Our neighbors are city folk, who do NOT want our farm here. We were here first, so this is not right.
Thank you so much to all who are supporting us in this effort to protect our way of life! :o))
Fern
www.JoyfulHeartsFarm.com (where this is the link to contribute to our fund)
--- In CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com, "carolyn" <trulynubians2001@...> wrote:
>
> Why have I not read about this on my goat groups? Carolyn
>
> --- In CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com, JoyfulHeartsFarm@ wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Dear Friends,
> >
> >
> > Help Support Joyful Hearts Farm's Legal Defense Fund
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Neighbors have complained that our Livestock Guardian dogs bark too much
> > and the Riverside County Animal Service (RCAS) held an Administrative
> > Hearing and ruled that our guardian dogs are a public nuisance. The California
> > Right to Farm Act (CA Civil Code Section 3482.5) protects farmers in this
> > type of situation. However, the Hearing Officer did not agree with the State
> > Law. The Hearing Officer acknowledged the Right to Farm Act for crop
> > farmers and their implements used in farming, such as tractor noise, but not
> > farmers of livestock who use Livestock Guardian Dogs, which is a common farm
> > practice in this country.
> >
> > Please help us raise enough money for our Appeal to the California
> > Superior Court!
> >
> > To learn more about this time sensitive situation, please click on the
> > link below:
> >
> > _http://joyfulheartsfarm.chipin.com/joyful-hearts-farm-lgd-legal-fund_
> > (http://joyfulheartsfarm.chipin.com/joyful-hearts-farm-lgd-legal-fund)
> >
> >
> > This is not just "our" fight ~ but will impact any livestock or poultry
> > farmer, who depends on Livestock Guardian Dogs to protect their herds and
> > flocks from predation, especially in California. If they can complain about our
> > working dogs, and the Right to Farm Act isn't going to be applied to
> > livestock farmers, what will stop neighbors from complaining against other farm
> > noises, or forms of guardians, such as donkeys, etc.?
> >
> > Thank you so much!
> >
> > Fern & Jeff
> > _www.JoyfulHeartsFarm.com_ (http://www.joyfulheartsfarm.com/)
> >
>
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
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