Custody fight looms over seized sheep: Owner retains S.F. defense lawyer to get them back

[Guest guest]

[i sent this to the wrong email address a couple of days

ago, so I'm re-sending it]:

 

Just saw this on sfgate.com; I don't have the time to

contact any of the sanctuaries, but I hope someone

can pick up on this and keep Bill Fazio (who ran for D.A.

against Hallinan and Harris) from letting his buddy torture

these sheep some more. And get this -- the guy is on the ballot

for the Republican nomination to run against Tom Lantos a second

time around; but he's 'not campaiging' this time. Bizarre.

 

Janice

 

Custody fight looms over seized sheep

Owner retains S.F. defense lawyer to get them back

Julian Guthrie, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, February 20, 2004

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URL: sfgate.com/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/02/20/BAG6654QS61.DTL

 

 

Facing possible criminal charges of animal cruelty for keeping farm

animals in a Bayview junkyard, the owner of a flock of sheep has

retained

a well-known San Francisco criminal defense attorney to help get his

animals back.

 

Bill Fazio, a three-time candidate for district attorney, said Thursday

that he took an interest in the case of the seized blackbelly Barbados

sheep because he felt the " little man " -- his client -- was being

trampled.

 

Fazio said he knows the sheep's owner, 71-year-old Mike Garza, through

political circles. Garza, owner of a wrecking company, is a candidate on

the March 2 ballot for the Republican nomination for the 12th District

congressional seat held by Democrat Tom Lantos of San Mateo. Garza, who

ran and lost to Lantos in November 2000, said he is not campaigning this

time around.

 

" Animal Care and Control (officers) seized the animals,'' said Fazio.

" Mr.

Garza says the animals are his property. He wants them back. Animal Care

has to prove why he doesn't have the right to get the sheep back. They

feel the animals were mistreated. Mr. Garza's position is that he cared

for these animals. "

 

Animal Care and Control Capt. Vicky Guldbech presided over the seizure

of

13 sheep Wednesday, and one a day earlier. She said she is considering

seeking a misdemeanor charge against Garza for " allowing an animal to

needlessly suffer by not providing adequate sustenance,'' and a felony

charge for " not providing adequate veterinary care.'' She also said

Garza

was in violation of the city health code, which allows keeping no more

than four domesticated animals.

 

She said she gave Garza repeated warnings that unless he found an

appropriate home for the animals, seizure was imminent. The warnings,

which began in December, were ignored, she said. Three years earlier,

Guldbech said Garza had 69 sheep at the same site. Warned of seizure at

the time, he moved the animals to a new home.

 

Guldbech said her office received a call late Tuesday about a sheep

flailing in a deep puddle, unable to stand. The officers who went to the

junkyard found the downed sheep, which was in " terrible health,''

Guldbech

said. Because of a storm, which was strong enough to send pieces of

sheet

metal and fencing crashing down, Guldbech ordered her crew to return the

next day.

 

It took officers more than two hours the following morning to load the

horned sheep into a horse trailer. The rams, which had led the officers

on

a lively chase around the junkyard, were taken to empty police stables

at

McLaren Park.

 

Garza, who describes himself as a devoted grandfather and lover of

animals, said he had an employee who fed the sheep daily and monitored

their welfare.

 

Guldbech strongly disputes his claim, saying the junkyard was littered

with rotten vegetables, broken glass and had no fresh water.

 

Animal Care and Control corporal Lee Brown, who spent part of Thursday

attending to the blackbelly sheep, said the animals were examined by a

veterinarian and blood samples were taken. One sheep was sick and has a

large mass on its stomach which may be cancer, Brown said.

 

" Some were sick and some were fine,'' Brown said of the flock. " They're

now all stable. We're waiting for the blood tests to come back.''

 

The sheep, unaware of the custody battle under way, spent the day as

lucky

sheep do: munching hay, grains and assorted vegetables.

 

E-mail Julian Guthrie at jguthrie.

 

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