Alert 2/12/08 Accolades to Caroline County
Court Watch
Sometimes it’s difficult to find positive things in the world of animal welfare, but then something happens that makes the effort worth while – something shows there is change.
Take Caroline County, Virginia.
Horses. Not enough food, not enough water, not enough anything.
Take good, hard-working ACOs, responding to a good citizen’s lead that there were horses in trouble in Caroline.
The horses needed help for sure.
The vets came and looked.
The USERL people came and looked.
And there was a trial last Friday.
And now Michael Wilkerson, the man charged, has been convicted.
The good guys don’t always wear white hats. These ACOs came band-box groomed and squeaky clean, looking as trained and professional as anyone. Three ACOs from Caroline appeared at the trial and both Julie Heffler and Samantha Jessee testified, with ACO Ken Harris beaming proudly in the second row.
The vets came and spoke at length, providing detail over detail about each horse.
Susan White, Cruelty Investigator of the US Equine Rescue League, spoke articulately and crisply about the case, and about the good that has already happened to the horses since USERL took custody.
And her team was there with pictures of the hunger.
And the reporter captured some detail.
And the judge listened and asked some questions.
And, directing the drama and part of it himself, was newly elected Commonwealth Attorney, Tony Spencer, who quipped before the trial started that he had more good witnesses for this trial than he did on a murder trial he had. He was clearly proud.
He should have been proud.
All of Caroline County should be proud.
A group of people, most of them your neighbors, made change. They made change for the horses, and the defendant, Michael Wilkerson, was found guilty.
Never mind that he is appealing. He will not win. Caroline County has learned to say “enough’s enough” and mean it.
Accolades all around.
Friday was a good day.
Lillian Clancy and Don Marro