Great News on Cherokee Ridge Case!

We all work hard to make the laws work for animals, and every now and then, the whole process works beautifully, which is what happened in the Cherokee Ridge case, reported on in an earlier newsletter article.

To recap, in October 2004, the State Police, Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society, New York State Humane Association, and many local farmers who volunteered their time and resources conducted the rescue of the animals at Cherokee Ridge in Coeymans. This occurred after two years of attempts by the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society had failed to get Susan Peters, operator of the facility, to clean it up. A total of 287 animals, including horses, goats, ducks, dogs, cats, rats, pigs and chickens, were removed from overcrowded, unsanitary conditions.

On March 15, 2006, Peters was found guilty of 18 misdemeanor counts of animal neglect in Town Court. She also plead guilty to one count of criminal contempt for having kittens in her home AFTER she was forbidden to have any contact with animals.

Peters appealed the ruling in County Court, saying that she was the victim of bias. However, the court found nothing to support her claim. Because ADA Renee Merges of Albany County had done such a fine job on this case at trial, the appeals court upheld the conviction.

Peters was to continue serving her sentence of 14 months in an Albany County correctional facility and three years probation, according to a report in the Albany Times Union on May 16, 2007.

It is outcomes like this that gives us the spirit to keep going.

— Sue McDonough, Legislation Committee Chair