Humane Society Lawyers Fight Culture of Cruelty, Government Bureaucracy.
Soon after reading the words above, which appeared as the headline of an article published in November 2007 on the University of Virginia School of Law website, I discovered something ironic about Sarah L. Conant.
According to HumaneWatch, Conant is a 2006 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville.
According to a 2006 article published on the law school website, Conant’s favorite law school experience was founding the Virginia Animal Law Society, a nonprofit student organization is affiliated with the radical animal rights organization, Animal Legal Defense Fund.
According to the same article, her post-graduation plans included serving as a Litigation Fellow for The Humane Society of the United States, Animal Protection Litigation Section, in Washington, D.C.
Now, let’s return to the headline of the 2007 article mentioned atop this post and expose the irony.
Today, Conant is an animal rights activist lawyer-turned government bureaucrat who, as a USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service employee with a very long title — Chief, Animal Health and Welfare Enforcement Branch, Investigative and Enforcement Services — and she’s threatening John and Judy Dollarhite with fines of up to $3.9 million in fines for the “crime” of selling more than $500 worth of bunnies during a single calendar year without a USDA license. In short, Conant is now the government bureaucrat against whom she once claimed to fight.
Her signature appears on the cover letter of the “Stipulation Agreement” that was the subject of the most recent post in my series, “Chasing Rabbits,” about the Nixa, Mo., couple’s battle for freedom and liberty. Below is an excerpt that highlights the demands Conant is making of the Dollarhites:
The first and, perhaps, most interesting stipulation, is that “John Dollarhite must admit that the Secretary (of Agriculture) has jurisdiction in this matter and waive an oral hearing and further procedures.”
While I’m not a lawyer, it strikes me as a sign of weakness on the part of the USDA that such a line is included in the agreement. Are they afraid that they overstepped their bounds in the first place by aggressively pursuing fines against the Dollarhites? Are they afraid of that point becoming a losing issue in future litigation efforts? Seems that way.
Other terms to which John Dollarhite must consent and agree including the following*:
John Dollarhite must agree not to buy, sell, own, or possess breeding animals. “Breeding animals” include those animals that have not been spayed or neutered and fall under the definition of “animal” contained in the AWA and regulations promulgated thereunder.
John Dollarhite and any partnership, firm, corporation, or other legal entity that he controls or in which he has a substantial interest, financial or otherwise, are permanently disqualified from (a) obtaining an AWA license, and (b) engaging in activities governed by the AWA and regulations issued thereunder, either directly or indirectly, on or off [the Dollarhite's physical address].
John Dollarhite consents and agrees that his failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement shall automatically void paragraph D below, and that APHIS shall have the right to immediately institute enforcement proceedings against John Dollarhite based upon the non-compliant items documented in connection with animal welfare investigation MO09099-AC, and any future violations, and to pursue any and all remedies available to APHIS under the AWA.
For and in consideration of John Dollarhite’s agreements and actions described in paragraph B above, and the promises and admissions of John Dollarhite set forth herein, APHIS agrees not to institute an administrative or civil enforcement action against John Dollarhite in connection with the alleged AWA violations documented in animal welfare investigation MO09099-AC.
*Note: In the paragraphs above, I omitted the specific descriptions of the regulations cited and the Dollarhite’s physical address. To see them, download the Stipulation Agreement.
Recap: The HSUS lawyer who once claimed to be fighting animal cruelty and government bureaucracy is now a government bureaucrat who wields a regulatory whip that inflicts cruel and unusual punishment on people like the Dollarhites.
Oh, the irony!
UPDATE 6/27/11 at 2:05 p.m. Central: Cross-posted at Andrew Breitbart’s BigGovernment.com.
UPDATE 7/17/11 at 4:14 p.m. Central: Has HSUS Hijacked the APHIS Office of Enforcement?
UPDATE 12/03/11 at 8:09 a.m. Central: Looks like someone else has discovered Ms. Conant’s apparent conflict of interest, going so far as calling her a mole for the HSUS.
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my goodness this sounds like what they do to drug dealers!!! If we let the USDA and this woman get away with this travesty on one non-criminal, they will be after the rest of us next!
What a misuse of our tax money to criminalize one family! How many real crimes are being committed while time is being wasted on this non-issue? How many drug deals, meth labs, child molestation, etc are happening AND if this woman who claims she is so concerned for animal welfare, how many animals were being tortured for gang initiations. Let’s see these so-called animal rights activists go after them! No, these cowards; real agenda is to stop all real animal husbandry and ownership.
There is also a place on the web where lawyers can be rated and info about cases. I do not know if the Sarah Conant listed is the same one but if it is, we should take advantage of it and rate how she is handling the case against non-criminals and their rabbits.
If gays can get their rights protected and even have gay-marriage laws passed, then we should be just as pro-active protecting our rights against people like this young woman, obviously mistaken in her goals and agenda, looking more like she was raised in a communist country, rather than the USA!
lawyer review— https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/20037-dc-sarah-conant-1763599/write_review.html
Wow, animal law attorneys…
That’s the problem here.
Bob, you have exposed one of the many over educated left wing zealot brats that head for liberal government appointments. They are the typical zealot variety that left wingers love to place in positions of power in government bureaucracies. They fill them with talking points and we all see them on the Sunday talk shows where they jabber non-stop over others on the program and are well schooled in preventing any other view from being heard.This one is a great example at the beginning of her career, where she hasn’t learned how to make her actions look “reasonable.” She’s basically a kid whose only judgement is a coarse view and use of government power to the extreme by “punishing” anyone who she sees as a violator of a liberal dogma. That, of course, is why she was hired and placed in the position she is in. She obviously obtained a law degree (I’d like to know who paid the bills for her) so she could get the sort of government job that would allow her to abuse the power of her position to punish anyone who dared to step on the sacred ground of her pet subject. It sells well among the left wing political community too! Hillary is an advanced example of this same variety of spoiled brat that, through liberal zealotry, has long ago been able to turn herself into a leftist power monger. It’s also very profitable! This is the ambition of many of these over educated brats, the law schools are turning them out in droves and the leftists are expanding government in order to create a place to use them!
I would love to see the details of how this man “abused” his rabbits considering, from what I understand, he was very well spoken of in regards to the quality of his rabbits. This is the same bunk happening to food co-ops where they raid raid raid even after the co-op is in compliance. This not a free country anymore. Also, Mr. Dollarite was accused of selling over $500.00 worth of rabbits and now these “people” want him to sign away his right to apply for a license? Fine him a reasonable amount(ignorance isn’t an excuse to break the law), see he is operating at standard on probation(redemption), issue the license, be inspected like anyone else. Case closed. What a bunch of idiots.
Just so you all realize, rabbits are considered poultry by the USDA. Each state has defined a large farm for its own big agricultural interests. There is much more to this story than Bob reported.
This is way beyond overreaching by a government agency…this Conant person is animal rights agenda personified…and in her position of “enforcement power” she is using force to make the Dollarhites abandon ALL interaction with animals. Folks, this is not just government liberalism, this is animal rights, which is a cult working to eliminate all animal use…pets, zoos, farm animals, you name it.
Why doesn’t she set her sites on enforcing the Horse Protection Act and inspect unannounced the Walking Horse Stables in Shelbyville, TN? And other locations.
No, I guess this would really be doing something constructive. They have been playing cat and mouse with that Act from the beginning and now they have finally come to the conclusion that local inspection DQPs have a conflict of interest. They are going to use veterinarians, yet won’t allot any more that $500,000 a year to inspect over 600 shows a year, and no barn inspections what so ever, and soring goes on.
The radical animal rights cultist agenda is rampant through the college courses; goes hand in hand with the Marxist-Leninist ideology.
If memory serves me correctly, there isn’t anything in the Act that mandates they needed a license to raise and sell rabbits. Hopefully they won’t give in to these rabid demands.
Here is a good animal rights on meat: http://carnism.com
If one feels for this man, this happens to dog owners every day and farmers, and biomedical people. We have to start realizing that HSUS, PETA, and ALF are all cut from the same cloth. No more animal use for anything. Should a free society buckle down to the vegan animal rights movement. Animal welfare – yes. Animal rights and a vegan society – no. There are many animal rights activist holding jobs such as Conant especially in jobs with authority to take people’s animals and livelihoods. Maybe they should be named! It is purposeful to have people with authority “set in place” by the vegan animal rights movement. HSUS is not about saving animals, it is about the ending of all animal ownership and use of any animals! Wake up, people who donate.
We can only wonder why FBI and IRS have not been all over these groups as it is the biggest fraud since Fannie Mae and not much different than Alcapone. All due to a philosphical movement according those who do not believe in using animals in any way, not even for food. They in turn believe also in population control – to save the earth and though at odds at times with the radical environmentalist, both see a utopian society for our future. Humane Society International is represented at the table of the UN – Agenda 21. In case you do not know what that is. It is the “New World Soceity”, signed by Pres. Bush in 1992. I think Americans have a reason not to trust these “rights” groups! Utopian societies have been tried and failed – each one. Think about it!
People are hopping mad. We in CA are fighting 2 bills AB1117 & SB 917.
Both listed as animal cruelty bills.
I call them human cruelty bills.
AB1117 if passed will allow for property seizure, prior to obtaining a Search Warrant. This goes against the legal system and a right to a fair trial.
Animals maybe destroyed before you even get a day in court.
SB917 will make is a FELONY to harvest any animal for food in CA. This includes FISHING & HUNTING. Raising animals known by and as food for Human Consumption; and list as such by USDA.
If SB917 passes?
No Fishing
No Hunting
No Farming animals for meat.
In CA. FOREVER!
The fine if you happen to need to feed yourself or catch a fish is $20,000, & jail time.
One would be a convicted Felon if they try to feed themselves in CA by killing any fish or animal.
How messed up is that?
Look up:
http://www.wethepeopleusa.us/
For more info.
Now you know why I’m Hopping MAD!
Bunny
I’m a vegetarian, not because of any type of moral or health stance. I have life-threathening allergies. This abuse of the government for personal agendas makes me sick and it makes everyone’s life much harder than it needs to be.
It’s not just “liberal” or “bipartisan”. It’s not just animals rights either. They’ve passed a law to make gardening illegal, too. Our government has made themselves the enemy of individuality, from the top to the bottom. They want everyone to be a one-size-fits-all person and they’re trying to peg everyone with a label. This woman is so stupid, she can’t see that she’s the first person they will send to the FEMA camps.
Thank you Bob, for the information. Now we need to find out how to get her fired for misuse of power and abuse of government funds.
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Its time to write your congressman and ask that Sarah L. Conant be fired. If enough people write she will be fired as she is breaking the law in what she is doing putting people out of business on purpose by making rules that no one can pass.
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The HSUS, PETA, SPCA, Purebred Rescue Groups, are not helping animals; instead they collect donations and use this money for fat salaries and euthanize animals and do not take care of medical needs of the animals, and charge breeder prices for adoption of these animals. They have no interest in returning a lost pet to an owner without large fees that are unfounded. Purebred animals are funneled to Purebred Rescue Groups and adopted out at Breeders Prices. Purebred Animal Rescue Groups take stolen purebred dogs in and spay or neuter them and sell them for Breeders Prices, without incurring the expenses of a breeder. Animal Rights Groups are raiding breeder’s homes, and illegally confiscating purebred animals and then adopting them out at Breeders prices. The HSUS and SPCA raid breeder’s homes, with the false information and corruption, taking along the police, the media and code enforcement. They raid homes take the animals, take all the supplies and burglarize belongings and supplies and they bring in code enforcement. Their propaganda and mission is plastered all over the internet. These groups destroy people’s lives, and they have moved into all forms of government. There are not enough people taking a stand against this tyranny and corruption. Government does not audit their profits or their finances. Wouldn’t you like to work for HSUS, PETA, and SPCA and have a fat $80,000.00 plus salary and sit behind a desk while the volunteers do all the work. Less than 10% of the money donated to HSUS, PETA and the SPCA goes to help animals. Society needs to educate itself about the tyranny and corruption and terrorism of this movement, it has gotten out of hand and has destroyed innocent people. Animal Abuse and has been over sensationalized in this country and the numbers have been over inflated.
PETA, HSUS, the SPCA and other animal groups in business under the veil of animal activism, send out little soldiers to do their work, which includes getting donations, acting out tyranny and corruption on innocent animal owners and farmers, while they sit in their offices and collect a fat paycheck and spend only 10% on the animals and the rest in advertising, legal defense, act. If you’re working for these organizations, you need to ask yourself, am I the soldier, am I the poor pathetic soul who is supporting tyranny, or can me stop this terrorism, by thinking about my corrupt acts against society. We all want to help animals, but we don’t want to harm people in the process. There are so many soldiers out there who are working for these people and do not reap the benefits that these people reap at the top of these organizations, ask yourself do you want to be part of supporting tyranny or corruption or how can you support animals and people at the same time and not be a worker loading the financial accounts of Administration at the top of these organizations. Activists need to think about the human lives they destroy and how beloved animals are taken from innocent people.
The Animal Activist Movement is all about animal liberation, they don’t want people to own animals, they think the animals should be free and you don’t have a right to own animals, whether for pets or farming. They don’t want you to eat meat because they believe you can’t support animals if you eat meat.
Think about the life span of a human being and the life span of an animal; think about the reproduction of humans and the reproduction of animals. We love and adore animals, and we live in a free world and the government should step up and stop this terrorism.
These groups are trying to engage children in their army and using children to educate them early to the ideas of this organization, and to help raise funds for HSUS, PETA and animal rescue groups. They engage children early so they will always be soldiers for them and this ensures the financial support of these corrupt organizations. Keep your children, your families, your classrooms out of this corruption. Animal activists don’t have any hobbies or other happiness because they spend so much time driving around looking for animal abuse and acting out tyranny on others, that in the end it destroys them. Protect your children from these, “Group Think” organizations. Teach your children to live productive lives that help people and support farming and pet ownership. Donate food and supplies to rescue groups instead of money and expose corruption.
In Russia the government seizes assets and profits of successful businesses, which are employing people and making a profit. These businesses are forced to shut down, and this has happened so much, that the Russian economy is suffering from these seizures. This is what is happening to Breeders and farmers in this country, under the animal activist agenda.
The FBI is watching the Animal Liberation Front, and has enacted laws to protect farms and animal labs, but they should be watching, law enforcement and individual animal activists, with a conflict of interest like, Sarah L. Conant.
Sarah L. Conant’s conflic of interest should bar her from this position.