| Bruce
Van Bramer |
56
dogs & 29 cats removed from hospice shelter |
Lake
Katrine, NY
Ulster
County |
August 7, 2006 |
On August
7th, shortly before noon, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department
and Ulster County SPCA Officers arrived at Bruce Van Bramer’s home on Potter Hill Road. Sheriff Richard Bockelman stated they had obtained enough evidence
to proceed with a search warrant. The initial investigation was prompted
after receiving a tip from a ‘concerned citizen’ regarding possible animal
abuse. At 7 p.m., Bockelmann stated they were about a quarter of the way
through taking control of the animals. Bockelmann also stated that a veterinarian
was examining the animals before they were crated and put in vans. He would
not say how many animals were involved or where they were being taken. Bockelmann
did state that the animals are considered to be evidence and at that point,
they had not made an arrest.
Van
Bramer operates a shelter run as a nonprofit organization.
He stated that officials would not tell him when they would be returning his
animals. They wanted him to give permission to adopt out the animals or euthanize
them on the spot, which he refused. Seized animals included geese, chickens
and a goat.
Van
Bramer has operated the shelter at the countryside
location for more than five years. The 3,000 square foot former inn is almost
entirely open to the animals. Van Bramer stated that he takes in animals
that are considered to be un-adoptable for reasons as varied as being too
old, aggressive or terminally ill. He would not speak about the number of
animals he cares for but did state his dogs go through 200 cans of dog food
and 50 pounds of kibble each day. The cats consume 20 pounds of dry food
and about 160 cans of moist food daily.
William Szarka of LaGrange
is making a documentary about Van
Bramer. He states
he has been inside the house filming and was able to observe Van Bramer in action. Over 11 hours of footage were
shot, showing the vet taking care of each dog and giving them medicine. Szarka
stated he never saw anything he would consider abusive. The dogs were all
very happy and they all got along.
Billie McFadden who volunteers for Van Bramer stated that what the SPCA was doing to Van Bramer was going to kill him – that the animals
are his life and he is so good to them.
Looking
out a neighbor’s second-story window, Van
Bramer recognized
one of the dogs being put in a van. It was a dog that had come to him from
a puppy mill where it was living on fecal matter and urine and had very little
fur. He sadly stated that the dog had been thrown away, but had come back
from it.
Update
September
1, 2006:
An Ulster grand jury declined to file charges against
Van Bramer. 80 dogs and cats seized will be returned
to Van Bramer’s
animal shelter. 4 dogs and 1 cat were euthanized after they were seized by
the SPCA after a veterinarian determined they were suffering and near death.
The
SPCA has been criticized for the way the gunpoint raid was conducted and for
euthanizing the animals after they were seized. Doug Neiderkorn, the humane law enforcement officer who was
responsible for the care of the animals since the raid has resigned.
Veterinarian
Jayme Motler testified that the dogs were being treated
for canine influenza that has spread through Van Bramer’s home 9 days prior to the raid by the sheriff
and the SPCA. Dr. Motler stated “those animal adored Van Bramer”. If he was starving them or beating
them or abusing them, I wouldn’t see that response from the animals”.
The
Ulster County SPCA Humane Law Enforcement Officer, Doug Neiderkorn, has resigned.
(Photo courtesy of The Daily Freeman
- Van Bramer (in red shirt) holds one of his dogs at the Ulster County SPCA
as the animals are examined and vaccinated before returning to his hospice
rescue.
Reference:
Poughkeepsie Journal
The Journal News