All Charges Dropped in Bailey Case, Olalla, WA

All civil and criminal charges have been dropped in the Yorba-Bailey case in Olalla, WA.

The family and their lawyer are still trying to get copies of evidence and records in their case. They are hoping to either get their animals back, or be reimbursed for them. There are now no pending allegations of animal cruelty, and the county has admitted they did not have enough evidence to take the case to trial.

Updates are available on the Justice For Pacific Northwest Farmers (Justice4PNW) website.

Update on 2012 Animal-Related Legislation

I have received several communications this week from Rep. Matt Shea regarding the notes I had sent about laws of concern regarding animals. He said that it appears the dog tethering bill and the offender registration bills are dead for this legislative session, and will not be passed.

Thank you very much to everyone who made their voices heard about these laws, and to the lawmakers who listened to and acted on our concerns.

I am very impressed that Rep. Shea not only responded to my initial letter, but also took the initiative to follow up weeks later to give me an update on the status of the laws. That type of concern and follow-through will serve his constituents well.

If anyone is aware of animal or agriculturally related legislation of interest or concern that could still have potential activity in this session, please drop us an email at wa.animal.watch (at) gmail (dot) com, or leave a comment on the blog to let us know about it.

Here are links to our previous posts on these bills:

Animal Abuser Registry Bills

New Animal Cruelty and Dog Tethering Bill Going to Session Today

Sample Letter Regarding the Dog Tethering Laws

Update on HB 1755, the Dog Tethering law