A Richardson municipal judge this morning called a halt to the trial of a Plano wildlife rescuer charged with theft, pronouncing her not guilty after the prosecution failed to show enough evidence to even send the case to the jury to deliberate.
Bonnie Bradshaw, a licensed Plano wildlife rehabilitator, had been charged with theft after rescuing a raccoon caught in a local pest control company’s trap and left in the hot sun in near-100 degree heat for almost 12 hours. On June 23rd, Bradshaw was summoned to the Marquis At Waterview Apartments in Richardson by Stacey Hughes, a resident at the complex. She had seen the raccoon in the trap at 7:00 a.m. that morning, notified a maintenance man at the complex, and asked him to call animal control. But when she returned home around 6 p.m., the raccoon was still in the trap, barely alive, unable to even raise his head. Stacey tried unsuccessfully for nearly an hour to find help for the raccoon, even trying to give the raccoon food and water through the bars of the trap, until finally her daughter found Bradshaw listed online.
When Bradshaw arrived, according to cell phone records at a few minutes after 7 p.m., she found the raccoon, near death and still in the trap. She located two apartment leasing agents, who told her they weren’t even aware there were traps on the property. She explained who she was, gave them her business card, and told them she was taking the raccoon and would try to save it. Bradshaw was able to get the raccoon cooled and rehydrated and released it later that same evening. The next day she took the trap, along with another one she’d found on the apartment property, to Richardson Animal Services and dropped them both off, explaining the situation and asking for an investigation into possible animal cruelty charges against the trapper for leaving a trap unattended for at least 12 hours. It was later that day, after she’d dropped off the traps, that Bradshaw got a call from Richardson police detective Gibson telling her the trapper, Lawrence Menafee of Cridder Control, insisted on pressing charges for theft, even though the traps were at the shelter waiting for him to pick them up.
Detective Gibson testified this morning that he investigated the case thoroughly, and determined that the raccoon was clearly in distress from the heat and near death. He testified that based on the status of the animal, Bradshaw had acted in the “best interest of the animal”. He also mentioned a recording Bradshaw had forwarded to him of a threatening phone message left on her voice mail from Mr. Menafee.
Mr. Menafee took the stand at one point and testified that he had checked on the traps at the apartment complex around 5:45 on June 23rd, and by that time they were gone. He contacted 911 and filed a police report immediately. When questioned about leaving a trap unattended for so long in the heat, Menafee stated that he had complied with all local ordinances, and even placed the trap under a sprinkler so if an animal was in the trap, it could “catch the water”. Menafee also contradicted the Detective Gibson’s testimony, telling jurors that he had never contacted Ms. Bradshaw. Menafee claimed that the traps she had taken were vital to his business and his ability to make a living. Bradshaw’s attorney, Randy Turner, however, pointed out that Mr. Menafee did not pick up the traps from Richardson Animal Services until nearly 3 weeks later.
At a press conference after the directed verdict, Bradshaw told reporters, “If somebody who reads the newspaper or sees the media covers, if it prevents them from setting one of these traps it’s all worth it.”
Menafee will be back in court on Monday, this time as the defendant, facing charges of animal cruelty.
For information on humane methods of dealing with urban wildlife, visit the 911 Wildlife website.
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