In writing the letter to the Contra Costa Animal Care and Control, I was trying to get fast results for their negligence and apathy. The officers who followed up on our reports wrote in the files that they could see no inhumane conditions in each case. I won’t delve into this issue further at this time.

However I would like to clarify who I am with regard to animal advocacy and my purpose in making this world a better place.

I am well educated, have two successful businesses and my life is devoted to animal and parrot advocacy, rescue and education, above all else. If John was paying attention, he would have noticed that my business, soon to be a 501c non profit, is PREEN.
I have lived and worked around the world, including living and working on a ten million dollar estate as a horse and animal caretaker. I’ve learned that there are people like myself who are gifted, creative and passionate about animal advocacy, who use their background to contribute to animal welfare. We are dedicated to protecting and caring for animals and to making this world a better place.

That being said, I am fortunate to have animal clients and friends all over the world, who appreciate the work that I do and who are as passionate about their animals as I am.

You apparently have no job, at first I thought you were a teenager, but now I can see you are certifiably crazy.
Why don’t you do yourself a favor and get a real job instead of wandering around marin county harassing pet owners. People like you should not be allowed out of rooms with padded walls

Please read and publish this letter that I have written to the director of the Contra Costa Animal Care and Control. Please let me know if you, as a journalist can do anything to help us save these parrots. Thank you so much, Sarah Sweet, PREEN

Email letter to dbarr@asd.cccounty.us (Anyone can email him and respond to this letter):

Hi,
My name is Sarah Sweet and I have been rescuing, rehabilitating, and working with parrots for over fifteen years. I own a parrot rescue called PREEN in Marin County and I am a co founder of the Wing Foundation, a parrot rescue based in San Francisco that helps parrots throughout the entire Bay Area, owned by an ER doctor, Dr. Dana Strome. We have been contacted and made aware of two existing and very severe parrot abuse cases in your county that we have personally witnessed and reported to your animal care and control and no action has been taken to help these terribly abused parrots that are living in illegal and in humane conditions. One is in Martinez, at a Metal welding plant a few businesses down from Ace Tires on 3450 Pacheco Blvd in Martinez. Dana Strome and I filled out and made a full report of the half dead parrots exposed to the elements in filthy cages and with serious issues such as self mutilation, dehydration and malnurishment several years ago. Nothing was done. More recently Dana Strome witnessed then reported that there are two large blue and gold macaw parrots that are housed in the back of Yellow Cab Company’s garage in Walnut Creek. An ex employee somehow contacted Dana at the Wing Foundation and she told Dana that she reported the extreme conditions that they must live under such as inhaling large amounts of carbon monoxide, never seeing the light of day and also in filthy cages with dirty water and no consistent food. It has been scientifically proven that these parrots have the cognitive and communicative abilities of a six year old human child and that they are supposed to live 60-90 years. In both situations we have followed up and nothing is being done by your animal care and control under your jurisdiction. Our next step is the press. I plan on launching a full press attack because we have no further choice. Fortunately for the welfare of parrots we have a great and experienced Animal Care and Control Seargent in Marin County who understands the severity of parrot abuse and she takes action in a swift manner. We also have a wonderful Animal Care and Control officer in San Francisco. I don’t know if you have ever been made aware of these two situations but soon Contra Costa readers will know that nothing is being done in these horrendous cases. I am just notifying you that we are taking action to save these parrots and I would like to hear from you as to why nothing has been done.

Please contact me at your earliest convenience either by email or phone. We are not going to let this go. We would like your help but will do whatever is in our power to save them.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Sarah Eve Sweet, 415 233-2449
PREEN, The Wing Foundation

Dr. Dana Strome, President, The Wing Foundation
415 722-0320

There would have to be sufficient factors predisposing to the occurrence to justify a claim of intentional neglect. And, there would have to be factors AFTER the occurrence to support the claim.

The Starrs made a mistake, and they sought medical assistance for the dog. Were they not concerned about the dog, they could have just let him die.

I feel safe in presuming that the dog was not as active of a passenger as he was in his younger years. I also believe that a CEO of the SPCA just would not leave a dog in the car, regardless of weather conditions.

Actions involving outright animal cruelty are intentional; and, they expand way beyond a glitch in common sense.

Having a dog for sixteen years; holding a position with an agency that advocates animal rights; and then being accused of cruelty apparently because of non-communication simply doesn’t jive.

I think that the Starrs are paying for their error in common sense. For that reason, I would keep the concentration upon intentional acts of animal cruelty–especially when committed by people with past histories of similar crimes.

If anything, what the Starrs have learned may provide them assistance in reaching the members of society who just don’t get what the words “animal cruelty” mean.