AR-News: (NY - US) "Sanctuary" allows dogs to freeze to death; HELP NEEDED

[Snugglezzz at aol.com]

Hi my Friends:
 
Yes, I know the first thing is to rescue these  animals and give them proper care which rescuers know how to do and do well...  but I must state that this Brother Victorian Mattison, owner of The Lazarian  Society, on Pine Wood Road, Sullivan County, has been requesting donations  since I know of him about 20/25 years ago - and receiving them "for his  animals".  I didn't believe him and never sent him a penny.  I had  written him whether it would be possible for me and another activist to visit  his "shelter" and he never answered this question, but just sent me a form  letter requesting donations.  God help animals in "shelters" like this  and, unfortunately, many others like tis too!!!  
 
I strongly recommend everyone to  vigorously investigate any "shelters" or "kennels" or whatever they call  these animal concentraiton camps, BEFORE supporting them!  --  Adela
 
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2004 7:40 PM
Subject: FW: 20+ animals need help-Lazarian  Society/rescue grp. being closed Sullivan...

Please  crosspost widely!!!

I was asked to crosspost these  two newspaper articles  (see below) in an 
attempt to find help for the  20 or so remaining dogs.  Supposedly a good 
number of dogs had to be  euthanized last Saturday. Appx 40 were found dead on the property (including 3 in garbage cans). Many are believed to have  died from exposure to the elements.  There are appx 40 dogs  currently in a 
40 X 50 tin shed type building.  Several dogs are being  taken by NYC area 
rescue groups. There are 20 or so dogs which are still in  need of help.  
There is also a pot bellied pig as well as a number of  cats.  I'm told the 
contact persons are:  Bonnie  Swack/SPCA at 845-796-3120.
or Liz Keller at 845 434-7191.  Cochecton NY  is 45 mins NW of Monticello NY on the NY/PA border.

Dogs still  in need of rescue:
6 - smallish black gsd mixes (heinz 57 types)
8 -  purebred labradors (one chocolate the rest black) (2 of which cower on 
floor  but are friendly)
1 - spotted pointer/dal mix
1 - collie mix
1 -  chow/akita mix - black - old dog - very sweet
3-4 older dogs - shep  mixes
1 - smaller white male senior dog named Snitch (who led the inspectors  to 
the dog carcasses)

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January  15, 2004

Frozen dogs in plastic bags at private shelter in  Cochecton

  By Victor Whitman
  Times  Herald-Record
  vwhitman at th-record.com

  Cochecton.  ­ The owner of an animal shelter has been charged with cruelty 
after  inspectors found frozen dogs wrapped in plastic bags.
  More than  40 other dogs were found running around in cages in 
sub-freezing  temperatures.
  Brother Victorian Mattison, 74, owner of the  Lazarian Society on Pine 
Wood Road, was cited yesterday with two counts of  failing to provide 
adequate shelter, Sullivan SPCA President Bonnie Swack  said. Other charges 
are pending.
  The SPCA photographed 10  frozen dogs wrapped in plastic bags near piles 
of other garbage at the back  of the property. The dogs most likely died of 
exposure, Swack said. On  Sunday, Mattison allowed the SPCA to remove eight 
adult dogs, 10 puppies,  three adult cats and four kittens. However, he has 
refused to surrender 47  other dogs and one pig.
  "We're trying to get a warrant and get  them out of there, so they can get 
better," Swack said. "The older dogs  don't do well in the weather."
  The SPCA has put down four of the  adult dogs, and will have to destroy up 
to half the animals, Swack said.  SPCA volunteers have moved older dogs into 
a covered area.
  On  Sunday, a dog led an inspector to the pile of frozen dogs, and began 
chewing  on the carcasses, Swack said. Rats have infested the piles of 
garbage, a  barn and living quarters. Inspectors also found the jawbone of 
another dog  and a dead cat behind the building.
  Yesterday, several breeds  were running around in the large, chain-link 
cages. Each kennel had a dog  house and fresh hay had been spread. Some of 
the dogs' bowls had ice and  snow mixed in with the food. The water in the 
plastic buckets in each cage  was frozen into blocks.
  Mattison, who has run his "no-kill"  shelter for more than two decades, 
denied that any of the dogs died of  exposure on his property.
  "Sure, it's cold, but they will  survive," Mattison said, standing near a 
kennel where dogs circled and  jumped in the cages. "You can come over here 
tomorrow, and every dog will be  alive."
  Mattison said the SPCA only found five dead dogs on the  property. He said 
three died of old age; one had been dumped outside his  property; and one of 
his staff members had picked up a dead dog along the  side of the road and 
planned to bury it.
  "This isn't an old  man with a bunch of dogs," Mattison said. "We are a 
legitimate  nonprofit."
  But Mattison doesn't have a permit from the town to  run the kennel. He 
has also been cited several times for dogs running loose,  Town Attorney John 
Keating said.
  He was scheduled to appear  in court on Jan. 26 on the code and animal 
complaint violations. He will  appear Tuesday on the animal cruelty  charges

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2004/01/16/brf455.htm
January  16, 2004

Cochecton
SPCA will take over animal  shelter

  An animal shelter where 10 frozen dogs were found  stuffed in trash bags 
will be shut down today.
  The Sullivan  Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals obtained a 
warrant to take over  the care of 47 dogs at the Lazarian Society in this 
rural western Sullivan  County town, said SPCA President Bonnie Swack.
  The SPCA will  impound the dogs and keep them on the property, Swack said. 
A veterinarian  will visit the shelter over the weekend, and volunteers will 
take over their  daily care. Up to half the animals ­ the aggressive or sick 
dogs ­  could be destroyed, she said.
  The SPCA will recommend that 94  additional counts of animal cruelty be 
filed against the owner, Brother  Victorian Mattison, Swack said.
  Mattison, 74, has been charged  with two counts of cruelty for failing to 
provide adequate shelter or  adequate food, water and medical care. On 
Sunday, Mattison let SPCA  volunteers take puppies, kittens, adult dogs and 
cats, but he refused to let  them remove other animals.
  On that visit, the SPCA found the dogs  stuffed in trash bags near piles 
of other garbage. The animals most likely  died of exposure, Swack said. 
Inspectors also noticed the bones of other  dogs and a dead cat.
  Mattison, who operated the shelter for 22  years, remained defiant 
yesterday. He said no dogs had died from  exposure.
  "How can they come in here and impound our animals?" he  said. "This is a 
democracy. I think this is an effort on their part to  eliminate this place 
because it is competition."
  The SPCA  needs foster parents to provide temporary homes for the dogs. To 
help, call  the SPCA at  796-3120.

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Barbara  Lukowski
Husky House NYC