Photo: "Soaring Eagle" Vonda's Facebook page
The City of Ferris has a long history of problems when it comes to caring for stray and homeless animals.
In December of 2008, when Ferris residents complained about an increase in the number of stray dogs in their area, local officials ordered Ferris police officers to shoot stray dogs on sight rather than hire more animal control officers. After much public pressure and attention from the media, the order was eventually rescinded.
In July of 2009, the City of Ferris ordered all animals in the Ferris Animal Shelter euthanized after 72 hours, whether there was space in the shelter for them or not. The City's only licensed animal control officer, well-respected in the North Texas animal welfare community, begged the City to let her save the animals she had room for and try to get them adopted. The media picked up the story and protestors showed up outside City Hall. But the policy remained and last September, the animal control officer was fired.
Shortly thereafter, Ferris' City Manager Eric Strong out-sourced management of the shelter to James "Soaring Eagle" Vonda of DARESS (Domestic Animal Rescue Emergency Shelter Services), a division of the Safe Harbor Foundation. The company's advertisements state: "With our vast experience in the animal control and service dog training industry, we can get your animal control facility in top shape within weeks, not months. Your animal control officer can then concentrate on his job of policing animal control and leave the shelter operations to our trained and experienced staff. The cost, nothing not one red cent."
Only months later, complaints started surfacing that the shelter was dirty and the animals were not being properly cared for. Local animal advocates became concerned when they were unable to find any record of the company ever managing an animal shelter. Further research revealed a My Space page belonging to James Vonda. It mentioned little about animal sheltering, but instead made reference to his "35 years of RT experience in the Gorean/Ds/Poly/Pagan/Swinger alternative lifestyles...currently have charge over multiple kajira and slaves".
Local rescuers, alarmed by what they were reading and hearing, visited the shelter and found conditions even worse than reported. The shelter floor was covered in feces and the 100+ dogs and 20+ cats were thirsty and starving. Many were ill and some were dying. A young man who identified himself as the unpaid Assistant Manager was the only one caring for the animals. That was Sunday, March 28th. The City Manager was immediately notified. An offer of assistance was made by a large North Texas shelter with decades of experience sheltering and caring for homeless animals, but that offer went unanswered.
When rescuers returned to the shelter days later, it was empty and scrubbed clean. There was no answer from anyone at the shelter and the gates were locked. A U-Haul truck had reportedly been seen there overnight loading up animals, but no one knew where they had gone.
At a City Council meeting on April 5th, Ferris City Manager Eric Strong requested that the City Council terminate the contract with DARESS because they had not lived up to their agreement to adopt out the shelter animals. He made no mention of conditions at the shelter, calling reports of problems "false rumors". He went on to tell the Council that the animals had been taken to an indian reservation in Oklahoma where they could be properly cared for. A new shelter manager was appointed - someone with no sheltering experience who once shot stray animals for the city.
And then yesterday, the SPCA of Texas, acting on an anonymous trip, and in conjunction with the Fannin County Sheriff's department raided the Leonard, Texas home of James "Soaring Eagle" Vonda. They found 75 dogs and 16 cats starving and cruelly confined. They also found two burn piles that contained the carcasses of even more cats and dogs. The residents were living in tents on the property because the home was unliveable. James "Soaring Eagle" Vonda, Melinda Pappa, Yolanda Duke & Cody Sims were arrested and jailed on multiple counts of animal cruelty.
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Comments
Completely unacceptable! The City of Farris, as well as these so-called "shelter managers" should be rightfully prosecuted. As the economy falls, animal abuse skyrockets. Instead of laying off animal care and control, we need them more than ever. It's not a perfect system, but thank goodness for women and men who stand up for what is right.
What upsets me the most about all this is that the City of Ferris had the opportunity to do the right thing "again" in this situation. These people should have been arrested when all the animals were at the Ferris shelter. Instead of contacting law enforcement Mr. Strong allowed these people to remove these animals from Ferris and relocate them, allowing the suffering of these animals to continue. So in my opinion Mr. Strong and the City of Ferris hold the responsibility of the suffering of the animals also. Once again the City of Ferris shows its lack of willingness to take care for the weakest members of its community. The City of Ferris and Mr. Strong will always be known for the atrocities these animals suffered due to their incompetence.
This situation is beyond repugnant. The people deserve an accounting of what happened to the animals. Disgusting. Shame on the despicable James "Soaring Eagle" Vonda, Melinda Pappa, Yolanda Duke and Cody Sims.
My,how quick people are to judge a situation without knowing all the facts. The Ferris shelter was originally set up as a no-kill shelter. The DARESS contract was set up to support "no-kill" operations of the shelter, and only the city and DARESS knows exactly what was in that contract. The few pictures posted by the ASPCA, showing less than 10 dogs and no cats, do not support the charges of emaciated, mistreated animals. Additionally, Mr. Vonda's lifestyle choices are completely irrelevant to the matter and serves only as prejudicial information in a reprehensible attempt to disparage the character of someone who tried to help those poor animals by giving them a yard to run around in, instead of sequestered in cages at the shelter.How many of you can say YOU lifted a finger to help these animals? How many of you donated food, supplies, and/or volunteer time or took a shelter animal into your homes and hearts? At least DARESS tried, which is more than I can say for most people.
Hi Rev, The ASPCA has nothing to do with this. I think you mean the SPCA of Texas.
Where do you get the idea the animals had a yard to run in? They were all tethered with only barrels for shelter or confined.
A lot of the information in my article came from the volunteers who did try to help. They donated food and supplies, adopted some of the animals in order to get them vet care, and supported efforts to find the animals homes. They also coordinated an offer from the SPCA of Texas to the Ferris City Manager to take in the animals or help Ferris' staff care for them until a solution could be found. That was the Sunday before the animals disappeared.
Whether or nor Mr. Vonda's lifestyle choices apply to this situation is yet to be seen, but if he's going to post it on Facebook, it's public information.
There is in fact more to this story, and it will all come out in due time. But Mr. Vonda will not likely be vindicated.
"How many of you can say YOU lifted a finger to help these animals? How many of you donated food, supplies, and/or volunteer time or took a shelter animal into your homes and hearts? At least DARESS tried, which is more than I can say for most people. "
And to use your words again "My,how quick people are to judge a situation without knowing all the facts."
I have 5 animals at my house RIGHT NOW that were set to be euthanized at the shelter. I donate food, money, time, and my heart to these animals. Get the facts before YOU judge!
The Rev, we're too quick to judge? Since it seems like you can't read, let me give you a short summary of what went on:
First, Vonda lets the animals live in their own filth and starving at the shelter, then he rejects much needed help from rescues. When discovered, he smuggles the animals out and LIES about their new whereabouts and hoardes them in his own place instead - dead and/or barely alive. Yeah, no biggy, right? The man seems highly qualified. Maybe if he hadn't spent so much time swinging, he could have done his damn JOB.
As to your question regarding what WE have done to help animals, here it goes: First of all, the author of this article dedicates her entire LIFE to animal rights issues and helps in innumerable ways. I personally had 4 foster dogs until last week, one as od now but more to come. And I spend all my weekends at adoption events trying to get rescue dogs adopted. Is that sufficient in your judgemental eyes? Now let me throw your own question right back at
We have the same callousness in Garland yet several residents did go to Ferris to help.The city manager has the power and control over this operation.He should be charged also!
Judge, isnt that what you are doing? Judging the people that have responded to animals in need? What did you do?
Who cares about his lifestyle choices.
More people have tried to help then you know.
We are one of many rescues who stepped forward to help when Ferris' council decided on immediate euthanasia. What astonishes me is that a simple Web search by Mr. Strong on the name James Vonda should have given him pause, the man is a con and has numerous complaints against him - but I guess Mr. Strong couldn't think to do that? As a result animals died, were subjected to starvation and suffering under the City of Ferris' oversight. Someone needs to face criminal prosecution in Ferris besides Vonda - start with Mr. Strong as ultimately HE made the decision to contract with him and then failed to follow up.
As for Rev? You're one sick duck if you think Vonda was acting on behalf of the animals and this was not another con. Let's toss you in a cage, without adequate food or water, and leave you to stand in your own sh1t for a month - but then again, seeing your slave-like slathering defense of this a55hole? You're probably into that stuff.
Beth and The Rev are delusional enablers. Every animal hoarder, a.k.a. "puesdo animal rescue" is the same in their capacity to misrepresent the facts regarding both the deplorable conditions where the animals are forced to live and the obvious signs of neglect like broken limbs, open sores, starvation, parasitic infections. Beth and The Rev need a reality check regarding animal welfare and legitimate animal rescue/sheltering.
Wanna hear something really funny? Misty Clark has admitted to being a thief and stealing equipment from the Ferris shelter which is one of the reasons the City of Ferris got rid of her in the first place.
This is just another one of James "Soaring Eagles" Vonda's aka James Herbert scams. He is a thief and charlartan. He deserved to be arrested long before this.A year would not suffice as far as I am concerned for any of them. Those animals did not deserve what they suffered. First he's not Indian, second his credentials oh having a Ph.D. are bogus. He claims to have earned a PhD at the London School of Economics yet his writing ability, spelling and grammar barely meet that of a high school graduate. Not one word that comes out of his mouth is truth.He has left a wake of victims from NY to Texas People lost money to another one of his schemes, Axiom commercial funding. He supposedly filed bankruptcy June 1, 2008, citing the "staggering fraud" perpetrated by both brokers and borrowers. yet, i found a mortgage website (www.vondafamilytrust.com) that was last updated 4-20-10. the ripoffreport.com has documented his antics. There is an interesting chat about JAMES VONDA on the mortgage grapevine, and VONDA shows up to defend himself. the BBB gives him an F. The pissed consumer has a lot to say about this trickster. Don't believe me? Look it up on the internet, it's all there in black and white. Here is another one of his scams http://www.shf.us.com/. No, this place does not exist. It's a sham and only exists in the imagination of James. James doesn't work, doesn't have a job and has no ability to hold one down. His "slaves" provide all the money for him which he freely spends on himself. They pay the rent, groceries, bills and other spending money and give it all to him. One of his slaves emptied out her 401K when they lived in Kansas so that he could "rehab" an old hotel that they were living in. He purchased thousands of dollars in construction equipment and then abandoned it all when it got out in the very bible based area that he wanted to open up an S&M club. He was charged with hiring underage kids to do the construction. Then he and his slaves split moving yet again to set up another one of his scams.
As an S&M master I would encourage any submissive to stay far far far away from this guy or you'll be dragged down to the depths just like his current slaves.
So what ever happened to Vonda and the other people indicted on these charges? Were they ever thrown in jail or fined? A follow up might be nice.
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