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Couple Arrested For Animal Cruelty In Latimer County Rescue Group Raid
Posted: Jul 01, 2011 10:47 AM EDT
Updated: Jul 01, 2011 7:24 PM EDT
One of the dogs from the Cajun County Rescue Ranch. Photo by Candy S. McCulley.
Horses rescued from the Latimer County group. Photo by Candy S. McCulley.
Anne Marie and Shane Duhon (Latimer County mug shots).
A photo from the Cajun Country rescue ranch where authorities arrested two people on animal cruelty charges and took three minor children into state care.
Lacie Lowry, News On 6, NewsOn6.com
LATIMER COUNTY, Oklahoma -- A husband and wife who ran a Wilburton animal rescue were arrested and their three children taken by the state after authorities raided the Cajun Country Animal Rescue Ranch.
Anne and Shane Duhon were taken into custody on complaints of animal cruelty by Latimer County Sheriff's deputies, and over 75 animals have been taken from the property.
"I've been in law enforcement for ten years and I've never seen anything that bad," said Latimer County Sheriff Robbert Brooks.
The 15-acre Cajun Country Ranch was supposed to be a haven for animals, but the sheriff says it was the complete opposite.
"It was kinda like a horror movie with all the animals there. You could see the bones, see the ribs, see the backbones," he said.
After warning the ranch owners several times to clean up their operation, the sheriff says his office seized 79 animals from the property, mostly dogs, cats and horses.
The animals were reportedly severely malnourished and weren't getting any veterinary care. Investigators couldn't even catch all the dogs.
Walking around the property, we spotted dozens of animal bones and skeletons, some piled up in make-shift graves.
Inside the owner's trailer, investigators found an 8, 11 and 14-year-old.
"Animal feces on the bed, on the children's bed, dogs in the trailer house, feces covering the floor, cockroaches covering the floor," Brooks said.
The children had to be treated for tick, flea and other insect bites.
Anne Duhon did comment on her Facebook page about the allegations, writing "I have given the animals everything and I am willing to go to jail for them."
"Being humanely euthanized would be better than what they were going through," said Caryn Hass-Bearden of PAWS, an animal rescue group.
Hass-Bearden is helping investigators and she wants strict punishment for the Duhons.
"What my wish is that they would be stuck in a pin like they had all those animals with no food or water," she said.
The Duhon's three kids are in DHS custody and Latimer County is trying to figure out where the 79 animals they seized go from here.
Deputies are also looking into the ranch's non-profit status and whether the Duhon's violated that by accepting donations that weren't used for the animals.
William Brogden, Executive Director of The Oklahoma Board of Commercial Pet Breeders, assisted in the raid, the sheriff said.
LATIMER COUNTY, Oklahoma -- A husband and wife who ran a Wilburton animal rescue were arrested and their three children taken by the state after authorities raided the Cajun Country Animal Rescue Ranch.
Anne and Shane Duhon were taken into custody on complaints of animal cruelty by Latimer County Sheriff's deputies, and over 75 animals have been taken from the property.
"I've been in law enforcement for ten years and I've never seen anything that bad," said Latimer County Sheriff Robbert Brooks.
The 15-acre Cajun Country Ranch was supposed to be a haven for animals, but the sheriff says it was the complete opposite.
"It was kinda like a horror movie with all the animals there. You could see the bones, see the ribs, see the backbones," he said.
After warning the ranch owners several times to clean up their operation, the sheriff says his office seized 79 animals from the property, mostly dogs, cats and horses.
The animals were reportedly severely malnourished and weren't getting any veterinary care. Investigators couldn't even catch all the dogs.
Walking around the property, we spotted dozens of animal bones and skeletons, some piled up in make-shift graves.
Inside the owner's trailer, investigators found an 8, 11 and 14-year-old.
"Animal feces on the bed, on the children's bed, dogs in the trailer house, feces covering the floor, cockroaches covering the floor," Brooks said.
The children had to be treated for tick, flea and other insect bites.
Anne Duhon did comment on her Facebook page about the allegations, writing "I have given the animals everything and I am willing to go to jail for them."
"Being humanely euthanized would be better than what they were going through," said Caryn Hass-Bearden of PAWS, an animal rescue group.
Hass-Bearden is helping investigators and she wants strict punishment for the Duhons.
"What my wish is that they would be stuck in a pin like they had all those animals with no food or water," she said.
The Duhon's three kids are in DHS custody and Latimer County is trying to figure out where the 79 animals they seized go from here.
Deputies are also looking into the ranch's non-profit status and whether the Duhon's violated that by accepting donations that weren't used for the animals.
William Brogden, Executive Director of The Oklahoma Board of Commercial Pet Breeders, assisted in the raid, the sheriff said.
Latimer County Couple Plead Guilty To Child Neglect, Animal Abuse
Posted: Aug 30, 2012 9:48 PM EDTUpdated: Aug 30, 2012 9:48 PM EDT
LATIMER COUNTY, Oklahoma -
A husband and wife who ran an animal rescue pleaded guilty Monday to charges of child neglect and animal abuse.
Anne and Shane Duhon were arrested last summer at their "Cajun Country Ranch" in Wilburton.
Investigators said the floor of their home was covered in feces and cockroaches when they seized more than 70 animals and took the couple's three children into state custody.
They were charged with cruelty to animals, child neglect, allowing dangerous dogs to run free, and obstructing an officer.
Under a plea deal, the Duhon's get five years of probation.
If they don't violate probation, the judge can throw out the guilty plea and clear the incident from their record.
Plea Agreement
Search Warrant
Veterinarians Statement
Preliminary Trial Transcripts
Character Witness Statements
Caring For The Animals During Raid
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Even the IRS cannot make THIS a rescue!
JUN232010
OK, I wrote the entire post below and then I googled Anne Marie Duhon and found 74,516 kinds of crazy. Then I decided maybe she was too scary to talk about on this blog, because it seems like she might be rather violent, so I sat on this post for a couple months. Well, I just reviewed this draft post and said to myself, hey, what the hell, what’s one more psycho out to stalk you down and kill you? When your number’s up, your number’s up! So without further ado, here you go. And if you have a LOT of time…search for Anne Marie Duhon on this page.
CL Fail of the week – From Tulsa, Oklahoma. Already flagged or I’d link to it. My comments in blue!
“Our Rescue has two horses ready for special homes. Adoption fee is $150. They both have vaccinations and coggins done.
Toni is a 9 year old gelding. He is blind in one eye and not broke would be good for an experienced horse trainer or just as a companion horse. He is 12.2hh He is halter broke and handable. At 9 years old, half blind and halter broke, the only personwho is going to be interested in Toni is a kill buyer. If you wanted him to have a chance, you would put some training on him. Half blind does not mean he can’t be ridden. Koda is a paint 4 year old stallion He is very friendly will come meet you at the fence easy to catch and load. Can be saddled and worked with but does need more training. NOT FOR A BEGINNER OR YOUNG CHILD WITHOUT MORE TRAINING> Uh, not for a beginner or a young child without GELDING and a WHOLE LOT OF TRAINING. And why would any rescue let an unaltered horse valued at a whopping $150 leave the premises?
Toni is a 9 year old gelding. He is blind in one eye and not broke would be good for an experienced horse trainer or just as a companion horse. He is 12.2hh He is halter broke and handable. At 9 years old, half blind and halter broke, the only personwho is going to be interested in Toni is a kill buyer. If you wanted him to have a chance, you would put some training on him. Half blind does not mean he can’t be ridden. Koda is a paint 4 year old stallion He is very friendly will come meet you at the fence easy to catch and load. Can be saddled and worked with but does need more training. NOT FOR A BEGINNER OR YOUNG CHILD WITHOUT MORE TRAINING> Uh, not for a beginner or a young child without GELDING and a WHOLE LOT OF TRAINING. And why would any rescue let an unaltered horse valued at a whopping $150 leave the premises?
The rescue has room for other unwanted ponies and farm animals. NO YOU DON’T. You are handing out two unbroke horses, one of which still has his testicles for $150 to any fool on Craigslist. While you may physically have room, you do not have the money, as is obvious from this post. STOP TAKING IN MORE! Email for more information Cajun Country Ranch Animal Rescue Inc.
Well, obviously I had a problem with this ad so I headed over to their web site to check them out — where I found this paragraph that I would just love to respond to:
“Before questioning me and my rescue What ARE YOU DOING TO HELP NEEDY ANIMALS?”
- I currently have several rescue horses in professional training and am surrounded by foster kitties. That is what I do hands-on, which of course does not include education and encouraging others to donate and/or volunteer. (By the way, this picture of yours scares me heck out of me. I’m not sure what is going to get shredded first on all that barbed wire, the kids’ legs or the horses’ legs. Eeek.)
“Besides making snide posts on other websites?”
Hon, someone can help animals a great deal AND make posts on web sites about people like yourself, who are clearly doing some things that aggravate the problem, like “adopting out” unbroke pony stallions on Craigslist for $150.
“And think if I had something to hide do you really think I would put it on the net where the WHOLE WORLD can see it?”
I don’t think you’re necessarily hiding anything — to me, it’s pretty clear you’re making some bad judgment calls and writing about them for the whole world to see. Instead of considering that the criticisms you’ve obviously already heard may have some basis in fact, you are having a defensive hissy-fit.
“I understand that everyone has an opinion on how things should be run but think before you blast someone who is atleast working at making things better if for only one animal at a time.”
Look, just because you’re working doesn’t mean you’re accomplishing anything useful. If you save 2 horses but let someone adopt a stallion that makes 10 or 20 accidental horses, you aren’t helping things in the big picture. Why would I defend poor work? We’re not all in some great sisterhood of rescue here. I know, people pull that song-and-dance on me all the time, but we’re not. There are certain basic standards you have to adhere to or YOU ARE NOT A RESCUE, and you are not adhering to those standards.
“Believe you me if money was no object things would be vastly different but it is usually those of us that are involved in rescue work that have to worry about money. There are more middle class working stiffs in rescue work than rich people.. “
Of course. There are more middle class working stiffs than there are rich people, so it stands to reason the same ratio holds true among rescuers. So, let’s say you have $500 a month after your other expenses to spend on your rescue animals. You can have two or three, and take care of them properly, and give them all the care they need, AKA “doing it right,” or you can have twenty, and do a piss-poor job of taking care of them and not have money for even basic vet work like spaying and neutering. I think it’s pretty obvious which route you chose. For god’s sake you’ve got at least 20 dogs alone! Every single person reading this has a budget — I really doubt Bill Gates is lurking on my blog. You are not being picked on by a bunch of trust-fund cutie-pies without a care in the world. This is not aboutmoney.
“So all I ask is if you have a serious concern do not hesitate to call or email me privately.”
Refusing to discuss it publicly adds to the perception you have something to hide.
“IF you are out to cause trouble don’t unless you are willing to back up your complaints/concerns with real work. “
I work all the time to help animals. If you mean, come to your farm and work, dream on.
More interesting stuff from her page:
“We are a private rescue at this time. We affiliated with Chances Miniature Horse Rescue and the Humane Society of U.S.”
Who wants to bet me a frappucino the HSUS has never heard of this woman?
Oh, then I found a blog entry that said:
“We picked up the horse, Toni, from Norman and he looks like he will be with us for a while. He is a ex youth rodeo horse and now we have to covince him that life is not about trying to buck people off but to work with them. We also got in a pony, Koda, from another rescue that does big horses. Now Koda on the other hand is a good horse. After his vet visit on the 31 and personallity testing he will probably be going up for adoption. “
Uh, so let me get this straight. Toni is a youth rodeo horse that bucks people off. YOU SAID HE WASN’T BROKE IN YOURCRAIGSLIST AD. For someone who talks about God so much on her web site, you should probably stop lying so much. You got Toni on the 20th. A week later, he is on Craigslist and you are trying to ditch him? You apparently have the attention span of a gnat with ADHD. I guess you decided he would not be with you for a while after all. And what happened to waiting for Koda’s vet visit on the 31st – one that we can only hope would involve gelding him – before putting him up for adoption? Nope, both are on CL as of the 29th. Okaaaay.
Then we have the dog gallery, which includes dogs with balls, and I don’t mean the tennis kind, and dogs living in filth. Please explain to me how lack of money contributes to your inability to pick up your trash? This looks like a scene from “Hoarders,” and yet you do not understand how it is that people are criticizing your rescue? Really?
You know, you’re right – everybody has their own opinion about how things should be run but probably the #1 rule of rescue is that you do not let an unaltered animal leave that way. You spay/neuter the cats and dogs, you geld the colts/stallions. Now I am a little more flexible than a lot of people — on the off chance you discover some amazingly nice, papered stallion with a performance record, then I don’t think you have to geld it merely because it was in a bad situation. But you don’t have that here.
You have a little mutt pony that you are willing to let leave with his testicles still attached! Best of all, by what’s on your own web site you’ve had him for less than two weeks. You have not contributed one single thing toward making his future brighter. You didn’t train him or geld him, hell, I’m not sure you brushed him. You are NOT a rescue and if they give you a 501(c)3, THAT won’t make you a rescue either. Rescues take in animals, fix everything that is wrong with them first (weight, feet, teeth, and training to address behavioral issues), and then find them the best possible home they can. Unless you change your policies in a big hurry, and clean up your pig sty of a property, all you are is a low-end horse dealer with delusions of being a do-gooder.
Oh, and based upon your blog, you need psychological help because you hate everybody and you’re actively paranoid. Honey, the only reason people give you a hard time is because YOU DESERVE IT! Good loooord, every other entry is about you fighting with someone else or someone else being out to get you.
I don’t hate to say it…I told you so!
JUN302011
Over the years, I cannot count the number of times I’ve been accused of “wanting horses to go to kill/auction” and “viciously attacking an angel who only wants to help animals” merely because I called out a faux rescue on its money-grubbing, self-serving, horse-neglecting bullshit. And so there are few things that entertain me as much as when the truth comes to light and I get to say it, yet again:
TOLD YOU SO!
Here is my original blog on Cajun Country Rescue: Even The IRS Cannot Make This A Rescue!
Well, they got busted the other day. Here is an eyewitness account:
“Got a call this a.m. from PETA with an update of what happened last night at Cajun Country Rescue.
The State Inspectors, the Sheriff’s Department and Ruth Steinburger (sp) went to the property on June 29, 2011 and gave Anne Marie Duhon the option of ‘doing the right thing‘. To voluntarily sign over all the animals on the place. At first Anne Marie was agreeable. Then, when she realized even those she claimed to be her ‘personal’ animals were going to be seized, she went ballistic. Anne Marie tried to turn the horses loose where they would have been running on a main road. She became combative and turned dogs loose to attack the police officers and then jumped them herself. Shane Duhon then jumped in to ‘protect’ his wife and so they were both cuffed and taken into custody.
After Anne Marie backed out of signing the animals over – a Judge had to be contacted to get a seize warrant before any animals could be removed. A warrant was finally received at about 5 pm. Everyone worked until 6 a.m. on June 30, 2011 removing animals from the property. There are NO animals left at the property. It is now a crime scene.
The State Inspectors said they had never seen cockroaches that BIG & plentiful.
Charges are as follows:
Obstruction of Justice
17 counts of Felony Animal Cruelty (could go up to 29 – not all the dogs were thin)
Resisting Arrest
Felony Child Endangerment
Assault on a State Police Officer (by person and canine – and the dog WAS NOT shot 
Anne Marie and Shane Duhon will be in jail unless the bail can be raised. And they are broke with nothing to sell for funds. Word is they are facing a long jail term.”
I always hear that this blog is just unfaaaaair and criticizes people who don’t deserve it, but I’ll be damned if anyone has ever been able to point to someone who I said was starving horses and neglecting horses who it turned out wasn’t starving and neglecting horses. So you know, either put up or shut up…I firmly believe this blog (with the help of ALL of you who submit information to me and send pictures!) has brought to light many situations and allowed law enforcement to start investigations that have saved countless lives. I can’t remember who told me about Anne Marie, but bless you — you did a great thing here by helping to bring this to a successful conclusion!
lol...anne marie is a douchebag...=)
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