Last week I wrote that a Clallam County judge found Olympic Animal “Sanctuary” founder Steve Markwell guilty of 48 violations of Washington’s charitable solicitation laws.
Since Markwell set up the “Sanctuary,” Clallam County’s largest newspaper, the Peninsula Daily News, rarely, if ever wrote anything critical about it despite hundreds of pictures showing starving dogs living inside crates and kennels on top of filthy straw soaked with their own urine and feces.
Any objective person who spent a day outside the warehouse had to at least have an inkling that something wrong was happening to the dogs inside due to the disgusting, fetid smell emanating from the pink warehouse where Markwell stored the dogs and the constant barking and howling of 120+ dogs inside.
But instead of investigating what was going on there, the Peninsula Daily News, in my opinion, served more as a public relations arm for the “Sanctuary” rather than an objective newspaper.
The News printed a number of old quotes from Markwell and his lawyer defending his treatment of the dogs and blaming his problems “the egregious acts of self-described animal activists” despite the fact that he was found guilty of violating charitable solicitation laws. 48 times.
The News also failed to get any quotes from the people whose work exposed the animal cruelty and financial mismanagement of the “Sanctuary.”
After writing dozens of articles in the last year and a half about the attempts by Markwell to justify what he did to those dogs and demonizing the people trying to save them, I’m not going to address the rehashed quotes in the News’ article about Markwell’s conviction.
Instead, I’ll just use pictures.
“Markwell also told the court he used the funds to buy food for his dogs, which he said numbered up to 164 dogs, for volunteers and for himself. ” Peninsula Daily News, April 8, 2015
“I lived, by choice, in poverty during the entirety of OAS’s short history. . . . Most importantly, very nearly all the money I raised at OAS was used to care for the animals.” Steve Markwell, Peninsula Daily News, April 8.2015
His attorney, Jackman, wrote to the court, “If anything, Mr. Markwell did a great service to the community by accepting canines who would either be homeless or euthanized without his charity. . . .” Peninsula Daily News, April 8, 2015.
Rainbow is s sweet dog who has a great new life since she was rescued. Image from Safe Haven Rescue Kennel.
“He has been at a severe detriment since the inception of OAS given how hard he has been wounded financially, emotionally and personally from the egregious acts of self-described animal activists.” Statement from Steve Markwell’s attorney in the Peninsula Daily News, April 8, 2015.
Julie Jo says
Robert, Thank you for staying with this story. It is so important that this is kept out there so that animal abuser gets his just desserts. He deserves nothing less than what he did to those dogs. Just tragic.
SDogSpot Author says
Thank you. I wish I could stop writing about it.
Joann Douglass says
RESCUE THESE POOR ANIMALS AND PUT THIS AWFUL HUMAN BEHIND BARS WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER!!
Catherine says
And besides the horrid conditons of the dogs, the people who rescued them and voiced their outrage against the cruelty became targets of the few but rabid supporters of OAS. Hate pages were generated to publicly and falsely accuse innocent people of crimes, call them names and post the most vile things. Death threats, calls to people’s employers and families, criminal stalking and harassment were just some of tactics that the Markwell supporters employed.
Thank you, Robert, for your tireless dedication to bringing the truth to light!