on may 6th, a concerned citizen of washington sent me an email about a scandal involving STEVE MARKWELL of the
olympic animal sanctuary. you might remember MARKWELL, he was the featured
pit nutter of the month in december 2009 after an aggressive pit bull in king county named SNAPS was spared his dirt nap and allowed to live out his life at the OAS. i am opposed to sparing the lives of aggressive dogs. i am also opposed to warehousing them.
before i could launch my attack on MARKWELL, ANOTHER tip came in
from ANOTHER concerned citizen of washington about ANOTHER rescue
scandal in washington. as i began looking into ROSE ADAMS and her associates, as well as MARKWELL'S, i discovered
there is some interesting overlap among the scandals. most of these rescue freaks are connected. the situation in washington was beginning to resemble a dog rescue / pit bull advocacy crime syndicate. but first MARKWELL...
MARKWELL earned his
BA in "youth work" from a christian university and then acquired an
on-line masters degree in "non-profit management" three years before launching OAS. despite the fact that he has no training in dog behavior, he began marketing himself as some kind of
über dog whispering lion tamer magician on steroids and scooping up dogs, dangerous (and not dangerous) to live out their lives on his bucolic "sanctuary" on the washington peninsula while aggressively seeking donations in the hopes of one day expanding his rescue operation to include wolves and big cats. MARKWELL boasts on
linkedin that he specializes in:
Rehabilitation of fighting dogs
Socialization of feral dogs
Addressing fear in captive animals
Animal transport
Habitat design and construction
last april,
Inside Bainbridge did a three part series on MARKWELL'S "sanctuary". since then others have come forward to complain about the horrendous conditions at the "sanctuary". dogs were photographed emaciated and severely neglected and in need of basic maintenance like nail trimming and serious veterinary care of open wounds. some dogs were found spinning in circles in their small filthy cages with disgusting bowls of water or living in crates, stacked on top of one another in a dark building with no heat. MARKWELL has also had his share of yard accidents. three dogs that were killed in just over a week from dog fights, their deaths were shrugged off. MARKWELL said that
while not an ideal situation it is how dogs function in the wilda slow painful death at the hands of humans or being savagely killed by other dogs is acceptable but a humane death at the hand of a human is an abomination. and obviously in his feeble mind, alive and spinning is preferable to no life at all. despite the outcry, local law enforcement has been unwilling to pursue charges or even force him to COMPLY WITH STATE LAW. it seems that the lion tamer is well connected. you can see all of the ugliness at the olympic oasis for yourself -
HERE. MARKWELL'S facility looks more like a third world shanty town than an animal "sanctuary". and he brings in $150,000 a year in donations.
the most famous resident at OAS is SNAPS, a pit bull mix sentenced to death after he was ordered to attack the woman who tried to stop a group of juvenile delinquents from beating SNAPS. instead of a dirt nap, pit nutters managed to have him spirited away to OAS.
this is SNAPS the marketing tool right after he arrived at OAS.
i'm sure MARKWELL raked in boo coo bucks with this rags to riches story.
this is SNAPS today, after his sad story fell from the headlines and MARKWELL no longer had any use of him.
despicable.
the animal cruelty charges have brought unwelcome attention to MARKWELL'S financials and raised questions about the potential for misappropriation of funds. he raised money specifically for pit bull housing, small dog housing and the clearwater hounds housing. interestingly, he met the goals for small dogs and hounds but the pit bull fundraiser fell short, yet those facilities were never built.
the most recent
OAS 990 shows that OAS brought in over $150K, yet the dogs are emaciated and living in filth.
i would like to know how this huge man, who works 80 hours a week, maintains his "beefy body" on NO INCOME? i can't even begin to wrap my brain around the amount of money needed to provide the necessary calories to maintain his weight while doing 80 hours of hard labor he claims to do each week. and what about clothing? personal items? medical care? if he is not drawing a salary, MARKWELL is treating the OAS checkbook as his own personal funds. unless he is living off of a trust fund, there is no other explanation.
concerned activists have launched a
facebook campaign to have MARKWELL shut down as well as an
online petition. usually i shun on-line petitions but i occasionally get involved, like this one.
here is an eye witness account of the "sanctuary" from Jason Victory:
Myself and 3 other Animal Advocates (all who have nothing to do with the creation of this page) who live in the Seattle WA area found the Olympic Animal Sanctuary through animal rights newsletters and other activist, we visited the facility inside and out a total of 12 times, from the very first day Steve Markwell was an odd character in our minds, we've all done work parties on numerous sanctuaries and something wasn't right from our very first visit! Steve wouldn't allow us entry to the building (ok fair enough), in fact unlike every sanctuary we've been too Steve never gave us a warm welcoming or a tour, instead he talked a lot about himself, how he carries a gun strapped on his ankle and even took the time to show us, he had one person bring dogs out individually, all the dogs we met were friendly or shy, when we finally gained access (legally) to the old windowless metal building we instantly knew this sanctuary was not good! we were hit in the face with a smell so enormous and foul it made 2 people in our group exit the building and vomit, here's what we documented:
Dogs living in travel crates stacked 3-4 high, animals on the higher crates defecating and urinating on the animals below, animals to big for their crate, they couldn't turn around, rotting urine soaked hay, some hay soaked with bloody diarrhea/vomit, some animals in kennels had dead rodents in their bedding, dogs with broken teeth from trying to escape via chewing their way out (you can see in one of my photos where a large dog chewed a hole in the side of his crate), animals with open sores, worms living around the anus of one animal, some animals shivering from being cold in a building without heat, animals living in the cold in a metal horse trailer without water, food or bedding and sometimes in the dead of the heat during summer, many animals with water buckets had filthy greenish/black water, dogs living in crates under a staircase in total darkness and scared! animals in an upstairs room we we're never able to gain access too, rotting raw meat intended for dogs setting out without being properly stored, some of this raw meat had turned color and rancid smelling, dogs with bald patches, dogs covered in fleas, Dogs not getting socialized, animals not getting exercised, no plan for training or rehab, no schedule, no paid workers, no staff and on Steve's own admission to us, several dogs were killed due to fighting in less than a weeks time, some animals being kept in rooms sealed with a glass partitions, filth everywhere.
Steve and his supporters have stated these conditions happened due to a volunteer not doing their job correctly, NOT TRUE! Steve actually lives in this building in a room on the lower level just across from the dogs in crates and kennels, Steve and the OAS board of directors are the only ones to blame! Some of his supporters keep insisting nothing can be wrong since the police did an investigation and found nothing wrong, well we all should know by now that animals wellbeing aren't always on the priority of the police, and we've got word that the police are now blocked to the premises by Steve's high paid attorney and the Police are admitting to possible overlooking the situation!
We ask any reader to look into Steve's behavior, the facts, tax records, and the articles recently done by poor journalism, in these recent postings from either journalist who have never been to OAS or went with scheduled announced arrival, you'll see photo's of animals, and sure some of those photo's seem reasonable, but in those photo's you may see about 10 animals, lets see the other 120+ animals and lets see a article written by a reporter who hasn't arranged an arrival and visits OAS unannounced, lets see an article of the full access of OAS, we guarantee a completely different story! a story of abuse, neglect and horror! Steve and his supporters keep saying "Donate, Donate" and "Volunteer", people have donated 100's of thousands of dollars, people have tried to volunteer, Steve has a secret and if you can't keep that secret, you won't be allowed entry! and why donate to this new property that promises to be larger with more room for the dogs, if Steve failed these animals in his care for the past several years at this smaller location, what in the right mind of any smart common person makes you think he'll do any better with a larger piece of property (keep in mind this new proposed property has no buildings on it)?! if he couldn't provide basic care and safety to these animals on a smaller scale, and if he's struggling with money on this smaller project, what makes it better or different to make it a larger situation/problem, at the end of the day, the only one's paying the price is those animals, period! this is all happening in Forks WA in a windowless, non heated, non cooled, non ventilated, old Logging Truck maintenance building
let's take a look at some of MARKWELL'S own words.
"I didn't really understand animal welfare as a movement. It was a way to get free snakes."
this is one clever opportunistic parasite. he now understands the
animal welfare movement and he knows there is much more to be gained from the bleeding hearts than a few free snakes.
"In a town like this I've been able to get my reputation established and do a lot of things I'd have a hard time doing in a place like Seattle."
yes, things like fly under the radar. it's no accident that MARKWELL
landed in forks, a remote rural area surrounded by indian reservations
and armed hermits fanatical about everyone minding their own business. animal rights and welfare types are scarce
and law enforcement tends to be run by redneck good old boys that drink beer and hunt
together on the weekends.
compare these two comments both made in december 2009
He
scoffs at "dog whisperers" and rejects potential volunteers who say
they have a "spiritual kinship" with animals. "I have absolutely no
place for people like that because they're dangerous," he said. "What it
takes is common sense and experience. That whole 'animals like me' --
well, animals like me too. But I take a really bad bite about once a
month. Let's not rely on that as our safety mechanism." 12.11.09
and
"I
use my magical affinity for animals and my mystical connection to them
to reach into their souls and become one with their spirits." 12.24.09
"We
have 57, and that’s about as many as we’re going to take. Even at the
next property we move to, I don’t want to take many more." 12.24.09
MARKWELL currently has somewhere between 120-150 dogs. and he is still on the SAME half acre property.
"Marketing to a younger demographic is something few charities try to do, but it’s a big part of our marketing philosophy." 12.24.09
with his educational background in "youth work", religion and non-profits, MARKWELL is perfectly suited to target the young gullible idiots with no real world experience and of course the pit bull demographic. that's where the real money is.
despite the obvious contradictions, slippery MARKWELL has many bamboozled. he is well connected and has loyal
supporters. they claim a single disgruntled individual is on a hate campaign.
DIANE HAWKINS, treasurer and mommy. she apparently owns the property that OAS currently occupies and draws monthly rent income, well until he can find a larger property where he can torture even more dogs.
MATTHEW RANDAZZO, vice chair of MARKWELL'S little house of horrors. RANDAZZO is also the
special assistant to the state commissioner of public lands and has been involved with local democratic orgs. he is in a position to curry favor with local government. last december,
RANDAZZO and his wife MELISSA were named as defendants in what appears to be action taken against them for unpaid debt. RANDAZZO claims to be a successful author of crime dramas and his wife MELISSA
polishes turds for a living.
ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND thinks highly enough of MARKWELL to invite him to speak last year at the university of washington law school continuing education:
The Pit Bull Public Health “Problem": Myth Not Menace. the non-profit, christian youth dude appears to be the only non lawyer in the lineup.
and now things get interesting...
BRANDIA TAAMU dedicated a
facebook page to defending MARKWELL. TAAMU chides his critics who have not seen OAS first hand, and while she admits that she hasn't actually visited the "sanctuary", she is convinced that MARKWELL is being unfairly persecuted. she states that the photos are real but the filth, emaciation and spinning behavior occurred under the watch of volunteers while STEVE was out of town. some of the photos of the "sanctuary" are dated june, july, september and october 2012. i guess STEVE travels a lot. and when he does, he takes the dog food with him?
it comes as no surprise to me that BRANDIA TAAMU would defend MARKWELL for neglecting his animals. the state has taken TAAMU'S
children and
animals from her due to neglect. i don't think i have seen anything quite like TAAMU. she is definitely one of the screwier no kill kooks that i have come across. she has more websites than
KRIS CRAWFORD and TAAMU definitely gives off con artist vibes. TAAMU has uploaded her
protracted legal battle with the city of everett for animal cruelty onto facebook. it's ALL there. nothing has been redacted, not her address, not even her social security number.
let's take a look at some of TAAMU'S own words.
I know this is going to blow a few minds but I have NEVER liked the "Sanctuary" premise one bit. May 30, 2013
My hope is to be able to create an animal & people sanctuary in the future. that contradictory statement is from the most bizarre linkedin page i've seen to date. this animal rescuer/minister claims to have 30 years experience in "conflict resolution, mulit-tasking and event planning AND she has autism, "so don't ask for her opinion unless you truly want it". TAAMU is the very definition of CONFLICT.
while TAAMU fights for MARKWELL'S right to neglect 100+ dogs, she is also railing against another rescue abuse case. enter lice infested
ROSE ADAMS, the second rescue scandal to hit my gmail box in may. TAAUMU has been instrumental in bringing down this white trash nutter welfare queen. why? cuz ROSE ADAMS reported TAAMU for neglecting her dogs and cats! tit for tat. TAAMU was staying with ROSE and keeping her 2 cats and 3 dogs (i think) IN HER CAR. hell, i'm not sure how many animals were living in her car. i got dizzy trying to ride her crazy train.
instead of giving BRANDIA TAAMU what she really needs, intensive psychiatric treatment, the state of washington gave her
non-profit status.
brilliant!
ROSE ADAMS is a train wreck in her own right. according to BRANDIA TAAMU who apparently has written ROSE'S
unauthorized biography, ADAMS has an extensive criminal history including theft, forgery, assault, child abuse, animal cruelty.
ROSE ADAMS was critical of another animal abuse case I blogged about,
SERENA and JASON LARSEN. ADAMS didn't think these two fucktards suffered enough at the hands of the courts for keeping dogs in crates.
you really can't make this shit up!
ANNA LUDWIG thinks
"STEVE is just a nice man in need of some help". she is trying to rally the troops for food donations. i think ANNA LUDWIG is just another miscreant. the
washington courts database reveals LUDWIG as another frequent flyer of the washington court system.
CHRISTINE JAMES (CJ's dog rescue in snohomish) stopped by to
show her support for MARKWELL'S right to neglect 100+ dogs.
CHRISTINE JAMES is connected to another corrupt rescue organization that i have blogged about, DRAW -
dog rescue around washington. you might recall, DRAW likes to play "hide the pit bull'. DRAW is run by CARINA COLLARD aka VIOLET.
here is CARINA COLLARD aka VIOLET, distancing herself from another washington criminal rescuer that i blogged about, big time embezzler
CARINA BORJA.
RENDA LUVAAS added her voice and extended a hand to the man who defends pit bulldogs.
I don't give a crap if the photos are real or not at this point! When this first broke last weekend I was just like most people and all spun with emotion and the urge to "do something" because I am so close to OAS , then when my feathers unruffled I began thinking how much this person has done. How much of his life he has worked to achieve what he has.The blood sweat and tears that has been into this sanctuary. For years he has been running a sanctuary under less than ideal conditions and ran it very well. He has been on a one man mission, literally for the underdog of dogs.
what a convoluted mess. how the hell do all of these miscreants know
each other? did they bump into each other in the waiting room of their probation
officer?
THICK AS THIEVES
when i look at all of these rescue angels' court profiles, the first thing that comes to mind: PARASITES. these people are nothing but social parasites. they fed off of the system before finding their sweet spot in animal rescue then the host shifted from the tax payer to gullible donators and helpless animals. this is despicable. animal rescue needs to be heavily regulated by the state to ensure that animals do not suffer at the hands of people of poor character who are either looking for an "easy" living or are trying to work out their issues.
the second thing to come to mind, ALL of those other annoying washington nutters, rescuers, breeders, advocates! i went a little crazy with that court site.
enjoy.
plug in the name of YOUR favorite washington state nutter and see what they have been up to, AND...
Report STEVE MARKWELL for animal cruelty
1)
360-902-4111 or
email
3)
Clallam County Public Health
Report STEVE MARKWELL for fraud
1)
better business bureau
2)
Washington State Attorney General
3)
IRS
Ethics and Nonprofits
