Complicity - n. involvement as an accomplice in a questionable act or crime.
Complacency - n. a feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, especially when coupled with an unawareness of danger, trouble, or controversy.
Click here for Channel 5 story brief
Alot has happened since NickerNews first reported this story of abuse and neglect by Alexis and Brett Ingraham at Fair Play Farm in Clinton.
After several media outlets attempted to take a look around the farm and interview the Ingrahams, the husband and wife team have made deliberate efforts to remove those horses from the property, owned by Ivy Rasco.
Several witnesses observed truck and trailer hauling off horses over the weekend.
NickerNews firmly believes their horses were killed and dumped on properties owned by friends or family members of Alexis in Burnham or surrounding locales.
According to a long-time Clinton resident who asked to remain anonymous, the town's Animal Control Officer, David Huff, is complicit in the goings-on at the Tardiff Road farm. According to this Clinton resident, Huff himself has a record of shooting unwanted animals, severely neglecting livestock, and abusing his powers as an ACO.
Meanwhile, NickerNews readers have come forth with their own stories of this two-pronged insult of abuse and state complacency.
The coupling of equine abuse AND inaction on behalf of the state Animal Welfare program has been repeated daily, weekly, monthly.
Indeed, readers have email documents and photos to illustrate abuse and AWP inaction dating as far back as 2002. Readers have despaired that their reports, offers of assistance, and pleas have been ignored and rebuffed by Animal Welfare, which operates within the Department of Agriculture.
Click here for original story
To read weekend story, click here
To read the complaint sent last week to Animal Welfare, click here.
To read about Creepy, click here.
To read about Paula, click here.
To read Tony LaPore’s conversation with NickerNews click here
On the positive side, NickerNews has become a hub for charitable horse owners. We encourage your participation and efforts! Concerned readers from as far as Ohio and Mississippi have emailed their support and offered an array of ways they can help.
- NickerNews is collecting names of those willing to foster any horses seized by the state.
- NickerNews is collecting names of those willing to donate hay and other essentials for neglected horses.
- NickerNews is collecting names of those with truck and trailer and an interest in helping transport horses.
Click here to offer help and to receive updates via NickerNews newsletter
Click here to download Take Action flyer -- Please print and pass along to your local barn, feed stores, supermarkets, book clubs, sports bars, etc.
Keep up the good work, readers! And stay tuned.
Add your comment!
Megan this has been goign on with her sense 2002 at her place in burnham .. its jsut been moved to the farm in clinton last year is what thy are saying ,, that SHE has been doing this to horses sense 2002
Hello Margy and other NickerNews readers,
In response to your question about what do AWAC members do beyond warming chairs, kindly note that I have asked the same question from time to time. Personally, I put in a fair amount of pro bono time reviewing legislation, attending public hearings and work sessions, serving as the AWAC member on Maine's Pull Events Commission, and working with anyone willing to improve the lives of domesticated animals in Maine. To be candid, I have not found the Dept of Agriculture to be open to a more meaningful role for AWAC. I would be more than happy to participate in the hiring of agents, drafting of legislation, rules, and operation of any program within the Dept of Agriculture. If anyone wishes to suggest a way for AWAC to be more meaningful and productive, please send it my way and I will share it at AWAC. Please note that AWAC is an advisory board, per statute. Thank you, Margy, for contacting me. As I told you, I will be happy to pass your message along to those in state government with authority to act. Cordially, Meris
.Ivy rents this property to Lexi and her husband..She is not resonsible for their horses...Nor does she even go there that opten. I do not know how much of this is true. I hear things but dont know 1st hand..If what is being said is true I do not think the state does enough..They go after the small issues not the big ones like what is being presented here..Innocent people are going to get hurt here and I do think that is wrong...Does anyone realize that Lexi is pregnant? I dont know if she is guilty or not but this stress could hurt her baby...
Hello Ms. Bickford,
Thank you for your response here, I guess I am used to a much more active AWAC. I am referring to the days that produced the Red Report. And a very active AWAC that did participate in drafting of legislation. And it was only 7 years ago that Ms. Ann Jordan was sitting in on hiring process for AWP. Hence my puzzled reaction, and the comment of "warming chairs". I do see a trend in the process that has depleted the public input into the AWP it seems to have started in 2003 and has progressed from that point. I wish I could tell you how to make AWAC more meaningful and productive, I'm not even sure how that ability was lost. Maybe finding the source of that loss would be a good starting point?
..if lexi is pregnant like she says then she has no bussness haveing so meny horse to care for,,it would seem to me that the health of my baby would come first, and with that meny horses how can she care for a baby?
Well considering I know the ACO Dave Huff he has no shot any unwanted animals in the past, Um he has been out ot the fairplay farm but as an ACO he cant do a whole lot he has turned all the evidence he has over to the state he cant do anything until the state does there part, SO dont go downing people. the one to down is the people a fairplay farm the state for not doing much and the helper at hauling horses in and out of the stable... hauling there horse in and out os state and to canada with no dealers license. But in all gods honest truth I have been there with the ACO and we have taking pictures and turned them over to the state and now his part is done with the case being turned over to the sate of maine now it is there job to haul the animals out of there. I am leaving my name anamyous but I would be more then willing to use my truck and trailer to haul animals out of there. BUT DONT JUDGE DAVE HUFF JUDGE THE STATE OF MAINE AND THE PEOPLE WORKING FOR THE STATE HANDLING THE CASE. BECAUSE THE ACO HAS DONE HIS PART.
Did anyone else see what I did on the channel 5 at noon? The girl doing the watering. Has she was walking into the barn She KICKED the horse that was standing by the barn door in the left hind leg to get it out of the way. To me that is abuse.
She needs someone to kick her!!!!!
I wonder how many time she has hit them with the hose.If she was really FILLING the water buckets
why was the horses head over it's eyes in the bucket. Because it was EMPTY.
I didn't see the girl but I saw the horses and they were quite rounded. I'm getting a bit skeptical about the credibility of some of the comments on this sight. They are getting too far fetch to me.
Well to begin with , i also know the so called ACO Dave Huff very well , and you really can not trust him at all. I know very well that he has killed many animals .... including horses for his friends and Family.. His daughter in Burnham , Jessica Huff also has had many , many complaints on how she cares for her horses and once again nothing has ever happened to her or her close friends ... and they all know who they are ..... because Dave Huff would be called to her rescue and nothing would be done.Everyone seems to be intimadated by him because he is a so called an ACO , so i think we should let him go and elect another well Qualified ACO that will do the JOB the way it should be done.
I have a contact in PETA. Anyone with pics and first hand information as to whats been seen on this farm in the last month or so expectantly the past couple weeks. please please email me... blueangel1314 @ hotmail dot com
I did watch the news, I believe this is getting a little out of hand. I saw the horses and they looked fine to me. The older the horse, they start looking worse because of age, not being abused!!! I think Terry is right, they need help, because I believe they are taking care of the horses, but mabe have one too many at this time. Sometimes others have good intentions to call animal welfare, because they know nothing about caring for horses, but should just stay out of it unless it is extreme, and a vet agrees!!!! But not EVERYONE agrees on how lHorses should be housed!!
I'm just trying to get this clear in my head ...Are you saying that they got rid of these thin horses before the state came in and their farm vet isn't credible?
I have seen the farm vet there a number of times because I use the same one! And he does not give per bono work either. He's darn good and extremely reputable. And I know he has been going out there since October. I have been following this case since it started, some of the information is good and some is totally bogus. True credibility comes from first hand experience and the truth. There are too many people relying on "credible sources which ruins the true voices who care." That's my two cents!!
hi there.
i am with WGME and am coming up to clinton this morning to do a story about this farm.
if anyone has pictures - or would be willing to do an interview - please call me ASAP. thanks. +207-653-3492