UPDATE! The list of contacts below in this alert are being barraged by emails and phone calls.
The Tuscarawas Prosecutor’s Office has responded, stating that these complaints fall under the jurisdiction of:
Ohio Department of Agriculture
Dr. Tony Forshey (State Veterinarian)
Phone: 614-728-6220
tforshey@agri.ohio.gov
After speaking with this agency, we also suggest:
Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board
8995 East Main Street
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
livestockstandardsboard@agri.ohio.gov
James Zehringer (Chairman of the Board)
administration@agri.ohio.gov
So, please continue with these two.
Here’s the response from Tuscarawas County Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Styer.
You have read reports here on Tuesday’s Horse about Sugarcreek Auction and the atrocious acts of cruelty committed against horses. Horses, of course, are not the only ones who suffer at the hands of Sugarcreek Auction, owned and operated by Leroy Baker.
Animals’ Angels state:
- After four years of solid work at the Sugarcreek Auction, Animals’ Angels current investigations show that the conditions remain unacceptable:
- Typically upon arrival, investigators find emaciated, injured, lame, sick, infected, blind, heavily pregnant and dead horses; horses subjected to extremely rough handling, hitting horses with full force across the face; extreme overcrowding, and horses being trampled to death – due to ignorant and cruel handling. Virtually without exception auction veterinarians refuse care.
Animals’ Angels ask you to help bring Baker to justice and put an end to his shameful enterprise.
- Animals’ Angels is currently filing new complaints at state and federal levels. To be as effective as possible, Animals’ Angels is asking you to help push these efforts to the next level. We have damning evidence against Baker and you can make Baker’s cruel history roar and resonate more in the ears of authorities.
Will you help us raise our voices to say no human being can continue to accept this cruelty and ignorance?
Thank you for making a difference and for being there for these animals!
Please contact:
Sugarcreek Mayor
Jeremiah Johnson
Phone: 330-852-2271
Jeremiah.Johnson@VillageofSugarcreek.com
Tuscarawas County Visitors Bureau
124 East high Avenue
New Philadelphia, OH 44663
Phone: 330-602-2420
Fax: 330-602-2433
info@ohiotimelessadventures.com
County Commissions of Tuscarawas
Chris Abbuhl, Kerry Metzger, Jim Sheldenright
125 East High Avenue
New Philadelphia, OH 44663
Phone: 330-365-3240
Fax: 330-602-7483
commissioners@co.tuscarawas.oh.us
Sugarcreek Police
Chief Kazzar
202 Fairview Rd
Sugarcreek, OH 44681
KKSugarpd@neohio.twcbc.com
Tuscarawas County Humane Society
6895 Dover-Zoar Rd
Dover, OH 44622
330-343-6060
contact@tuschumanesociety.org
Tuscarawas Chamber of Commerce
1323 4th Street NW
New Philadelphia, OH 44663
Don Hoffman (Iterim President/CEO)
donh@tuschamber.com
Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board
8995 East Main Street
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
livestockstandardsboard@agri.ohio.gov
James Zehringer (Chairman of the Board)
administration@agri.ohio.gov
Ohio Department of Agriculture
Dr. Tony Forshey (State Veterinarian)
Phone: 614-728-6220
tforshey@agri.ohio.gov
State Representatives
Ohio Senate
State Senator Joe Schiavoni, D. (33rd District)
Senate Building, 1 Capitol Square, Ground Floor
Columbus,OH 43215
Phone: 614-466-8285
SD33@maild.sen.state.oh.us
State Senator Jason Wilson, D. (30th District)
Senate Building, 1 Capitol Square, Ground Floor
Columbus,OH 43215
Phone: 614-466-6508
SD30@maild.sen.state.oh.us
Ohio House
State Rep. Al Landis, R. (96th District)
77 S High Street, 11th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614-719-6996
district96@ohr.state.oh.us
Contact the above individually OR compose a message suitable for all of these individuals and send it out in a single email.
Copy and paste the following into a new email message:
To: Jeremiah.Johnson@VillageofSugarcreek.com
cc: info@ohiotimelessadventures.com, info@ohiotimelessadventures.com, commissioners@co.tuscarawas.oh.us, KKSugarpd@neohio.twcbc.com, contact@tuschumanesociety.org, donh@tuschamber.com, administration@agri.ohio.gov, tforshey@agri.ohio.gov, SD33@maild.sen.state.oh.us, district96@ohr.state.oh.us
Baker owes back fines of $162,800.00 to the USDA for abuse violations, and those are the fines we know about.
EVIDENCE
— Animals’ Angels Video
http://www.animalsangels.org/media-center/video.html
Warning! Graphic!
— Animals’ Angels Leroy Baker and Sugarcreek Auction Violation Compilation Reports Obtained through FOIA
http://www.animalsangels.org/the-issues/horse-slaughter/foia-requests.html
Tuesday's Horse 
Done as well.
They will probably scoff at a Canadian’s desire to end the horror as it is our abattoirs that perform the gruesome task. But hopefully they will take note of the fact that over 50% of the horses slaughtered here are shipped from the US. Horse slaughter may not be technically legal in the US but in fact allowing the shipment of horses to other countries makes the US equally accountable. Please do not take this as an insult – there is no room for horse slaughter in NA or any other part of the world for that matter and I know everyone is working relentlessly to this effect.
As for the Amish, I can only say it is disgraceful the way they treat their animals. I have witnessed it first hand; animals so worn, ragged and abused they can barely stand or walk – the life literally beaten from them. No animal deserves this cruel and heartless life only to end up, after years of faithful service, cast away like rubbish no longer useful in the harshest sense of the word.
Religion, life choices and beliefs should embrace and respect all of God’s creatures regardless of shape, form and species.
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Unless a public official can be found in this town that isn’t paid off by Baker, e-mailing these people probably won’t make a dent in in what Baker is doing. We can send them but keep in mind that all the politicians election campaigns I’m sure Leroy has given donations. That’s why he’s still in business. We all have run up against stone walls trying to get horse slaughter stopped. I have faxed so many letters to politicians over things like this I have lost count. And still it goes on unabated. This is like the puppy mills that are shut down in one state only to pop up another. And where is the Agriculture dept in all this? You wonder too just who is this jerk paying off in the local Agriculture office if the town has one?
The Amish send every horse to slaughter after they have worked it to death for years. Their buggy horses end up crippled with bowed tendons and other hoof problems after being driven on asphalt for years.
The town fathers are not going to tick them off either because they want their money.
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is is where the BLM mustang mare I rescued came from last April. She is still afraid of even a piece of baling twine if it’s accidently looks like it will hit her. She is not mean –never tries to bite or kick and will let me muck out all around her even her feet. She was afraid of plastic bedding bags but has gotten over that.
I Emailed the mayor after thee was no answer to his phone and also talked to Chris , a county commissionmer and to Dr. Forshey. Both were nice and Dr. Forshey said he has told Baker to meet with him Friday. Also the Livestock Care Standards Board has recently formed and will be able to act he said. He also said the video is 1 year old and that things are better now. Are they ? People like Baker will only change if they are shut down and hit in the pocketbook. His permit must be revoked and USDA must take action.
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Things are better now. By how much? Considering the extreme cruelties almost anything would be an improvement.
Let’s hope we get some action from the LCSB. Considering the local authorities let the Amish get away with the most outlandish animal cruelty, what justification would they have prosecuting non-Amish? The bar here is set at evil.
Here is what one of our constituents heard back:
Dear [Name]:
After receiving your emails we contacted the Prosecutor’s Office for an opinion on our authority in relation to this matter. Please see the attached document provided by the Tuscarawas County Prosecutor’s Office regarding the authority over livestock dealers.
The Tuscarawas County Humane Agent has been contacted in regards to your concerns. However you will see from the attached documentation that the actual authority lies with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and that contact information has been provided in the attachment as well.
We appreciate your concern.
Sincerely,
Chris Abbuhl, Kerry Metzger, Jim Seldenright
Tuscarawas County Commissioners
——
Concern? Outrage is more like it.
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Yes !!! it ius ugly and no one in authority there will do one darn thing to stop that Cruel Balbaric monster, one day i was told call this place there then that place no would lift a finger one might think there is just a little more there that meets the eye for each of those officals………………………….It doesnt add up at all……..There is something there going on amongs the whole lot of them…………….
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Fyi – the USDC has just (2/28/11) filed Abstract of Judgment which will allow the USDA. To lien Baker for 172000+ costs of the suit. The wheels of justice are rolling. Keep up the awesome work. AA is to be commended for their bravery in witnessing the awful cruelty dealt these animals. I am with you Vivian – maybe the Amish need to be chastoised for their obvious role in starving and overusing their animals and then dumping them. The owners of these injured, dying and disrespected animals should be hauled before the courts as well, remembering in dignity the drafft horse covered in harness sores. These acts are cruel and fly in the face of any compassionate, spiritual community such as SugarCreek claims to be. Check out their tourist lingo calling it “The Little Switzerland.”. The truth is ugly in that little cozy little place. Time to jerk the covers off.
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What a coincidence as horse meat is popular in Switzerland.
I sat through a meal earlier this year with 2 of my Swiss colleagues who devoured and savored thick sizzling slabs of horse meat all the while them asking me if I wanted a bite.
Disgusting.
Their answer to my protests; “you can’t think of the animal”.
Complete denial. Needless to say, I barely touched my food and felt like hurling all over their scrumptious dinners.
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Dear Vivian, I have been working on Sugarcreek for years, I do know and have followed the $162,000.00 to date it has never been paid, called USDA found out that it was sent to The Dept of Justice here in Cleveland, Ohio, when contacting them they would tell me nothing !!!!!!……………..The Mayor of Sugarcreek is well aware of what is going on at those Auctions, Claims he can do nothing, The Sheriff is an alcoholic, and could care less, he has been arrested for Drunk driving on several occasions, Back in late 2008 I talked with the Animal Warden who tried to help. they fired her………………Leroy Baker has been getting away with these atrocities since 1985, and says he will continue to do so…………..He is guilty of some of the most horrible cruelty known to man against the horses at his auction and also Guilty are the Amish people who help him, when they want to move the horses they have no halters on they hit them with wooden boards, he is a despicable bastard of the worst kind, loads stallions with mares , doesnt feed or water them enroute to Slaughter, 34 hour drive, he packs them like sardines, this filthy poor excuse for a human, owns the auction and purchases the horses from himself, all authorizes in that town know what he does, still there is no end………………………. He is known here as the Poster man for Horse Slaughter…………………….. His cruelties are of the most heinous kind… When asked here is what he says , too bad I save them from starvation…………..He thinks he is a hero……..OMG !!!!!!
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Done. I cant watch these but can only imagine what they contain, I have seen too many and dont need to be reminded. I agonise and shed tears of frustration and sorrow every day over the plight of our animals in this country especially domestic and wild horses. This man disgusts me and all the people who allow it to continue. As Mahatma Gandhi said: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” . I am sure that the majority of Americans would not knowingly support this type of abuse and as we are paying our elected officials to carry out our will, they need to put a stop to it.
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Thank you Vivian. I emailed all of them. Makes me SO mad.
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It is difficult to imagine that many on this list have no idea what goes on at Sugarcreek. They will all know now.
Many we have spoken to are afraid to do much because the Amish frequent this auction. So what?
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You are so right Vivian. About the consumers. Do they know? Thank you for networking this alert by Animals Angels.
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We are working to educate consumers in the countries where they eat horse meat. We are finally making a bit of headway.
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I’ve just emailed all of the above. It is so hard to stay calm and professional but I managed it…..all the while wanting to drive down there with a lungewhip and beat some auction employees senseless. It makes me so sick, sad and mad……thank you for caring about them.
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Tracey, I know exactly how you feel. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I hope everyone will take 5 or 10 minutes to do this. It will mean so much to the horses tortured at Sugarcreek before they make the long terrifying journey to a brutal slaughter — the ones who live of course. This is what people who eat horse meat are responsible for. Without them, none of this would exist.
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