Atlanta Humane Society's Director Bill Garrett
Says Critics Are Like 9/11 Terrorists
By Ferrari of Kitty Village

I received a copy of the following e-mail as part of discovery for my
lawsuit. I have reproduced it verbatim - misspellings and grammatical errors
included - for your information. I am glad to fax the original to anyone who
is interested. Please disseminate this message to anyone who might be
interested. My comments follow.

> From: Bill Garrett [SMTP:bgarrettahs@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 2:17 PM
> To: abhinton@kyhumane.win.net; astensrud@animalhumanesociety.org;
> belinda.lewis@ci.ft-wayne.in.us; brohde@ddfl.org; cagostino@hsbroward.com;
> ChristieS@potterleague.org; director@seaaca.org; dogman@hcspca.org;
> eblow@co.jefferson.ky.us; GTiscornia@spcamc.org; hspca@houstonspca.org;
> jcasey@ddfl.org; jmccall@dbqhumane.org; jojabrit@aol.com; JSnyder@hsus.org;
> KathyW@HSMO.org; mpboatfield@hotmail.com; mulliganrr@aol.com;
> nancy@seattlehumane.org; patb@indyhumane.com; RAiken04@aol.com;
> sheri.downey@lnk.goexel.net; tedford@lollypop.org; victoria@humane.mil.wi.us
> Subject: update yo our gang of fellow rogues
>
> I just wanted to give you an update since it has become obvious that a
> simple defamation/libel case seems to be making the national rounds. Here
> are some dull straight forward facts. Yes, the Atlanta Humane Society and
> myself personally have filed more than one suit against individuals for
> libel. (The printed version of slander). There could very well be more
> suits.
>
> I do not think it is hype when I say "September 11th" changed all of us
> forever. Some of us certainly a lot more than others. One of the changes I
> experienced personally, and I know some of us joked about this before the
> 11th when everyone saw just how vicious and evil a zealot could be. I no
> longer joke about those in the animal world who think it is their mission
> from God to bring down the successful, effective main stream agency and the
> hard working men and women (many of whom have been involved for years
> engaged in this work). These people operate under the same premise as those
> who ran airplanes into buildings. They simply do not care who gets hurt -
> not the animals, certainly not the people, and not the organizations which
> they see as mere buildings and symbols to be brought down.
>
> We need to take a lesson from the animal researchers, medical schools,
> psychologist and psychiatrist who have known for years that with the zealot
> it has nothing to do with animals. The zealot is only interested in
> self-aggrandizement and is absolutely in love with that one-eyed monster
> called a TV camera.
>
> I, in no way, will attempt to speak for any of my colleagues; however,
> Marsha in Indianapolis; Pam and Becky in Hawaii; Al in Minnesota; Patti in
> Houston; Eric in Kentucky, and hundreds of others can tell you just how
> destructive a very few people can be (to any of you I've mentioned I
> apologize if in any way you wish I hadn't). There are those in our field who
> know what it is like to be stalked; to have to have police or body guard
> protectors; to wear body armor and in some instances go armed. The general
> public thinks this is because we fear the dog fighters, the gang bangers,
> the unscrupulous breeders and the gamblers. This is simply not the case.
> Those criminals understand the rules and hide from the law and publicity;
> the zealot embraces it. They are the ones who send hate mail , phone in the
> death threats, burn the shelters and attack you and your personal property;
> and, simply do not give a damn about any people or animals that may get
> hurt.
>
> Again, I truly am not trying to be guillty of undue hype, I say without
> emotion that after "September 11th", I said to myself "never again". I do
> not intend to take the high road anymore and sit back and just pray these
> vicious little campaigns will just blow over. I am extremely fortunate that
> so far I have had 100% support from my Board and I do not believe there is a
> zealot in hiding sitting on my Board. I know many of you have one on your
> Board, or fear you do. I also know that all of us have well-meaning,
> well-intentioned Board and supporters who simply do not grasp that there are
> people who will behave in such insanely vicious behavior. I urge you to
> please do whatever you can to convince them they truly will. "The best trick
> the devil ever pulled was to convince us he didn't exist".
>
> A brief report on my situation is that a tabloid type TV reporter using a
> combination of mis-statements and out right, provable lies, along with
> edited and incomplete stolen documents ran a story. Even though he had
> access to and refused evidence refuting the story. He made the statement,
> "I don't care if these people are lying, I'm doing a story. If they are
> lying, sue them". People, these reporters hold these zealots in contempt,
> ridicule them and still use them. Our zealots have reported straight out
> that the Atlanta Humane Society was under investigation by the Attorney
> General of our state. A straight out lie. The Attorney General's office had
> only been asked for an opinion on a legal question concerning records.
>
> The other component is a small group of people (less than a dozen) with
> several little "cutsie" organization names engaged in a vicious Internet
> campaign of more out right lies.
>
> Courts all over the country (and we have received help from, of all places,
> the Washington Post) in getting this data and have found that Georgia is one
> of those states that even the appellate courts have said, "the Internet is
> the newspaper, it is printed on a screen and you can print it on paper. It
> is not private, it can be and is frequently sent to people uninvited (a lot
> of you have received this about the Atlanta Humane Society and myself; it
> is untrue and, it is libel.) We have chosen to go after these people and
> fight.
>
> People, in concluding this epistle, I am now going to be guilty of some
> hype. "This is not an effort to send you a wake up call like those nice
> little soft rings you get in some hotel (where you are probably doing a work
> shop for free or at your own expense), but it is a trumpet in your ear
> sounding out loud, clear and long.
>
> We all need to wake up and start fighting back. These people are small in
> number, but are capable of huge destruction. Less than a dozen people
> brought down the World Trade Center and killed thousands. I guess you can
> say, someone has figuratively flown a piper cub into my building. The fight
> is on. We are looking to win, we intend to stop this evil.
>
> These zealots will seek the help of every vicious little cell in your
> community and sadly they will get it. I ask that you and your Boards
> consider "If we don't do something, will it ever stop and when will it be
> our turn?" The answer is never and your turn is now.
>
> Best, Bill Garrett
>
> Thank you for listening. I will try to respond to any inquiries you may
> have, but things are going to be a little busy around here.
>
> ----- END OF MESSAGE -----
>
> If you are interested enough to read this far, you probably know how
> outrageous Garrett's claims are, so I won't bore you with a point-by-point
> rebuttal. I have only four comments to make:
>
> 1. If I didn't care about animals, I would support Bill Garrett, not
> criticize him. A very effective way to get rid of a lot of animals quickly
> is to keep Bill Garrett in charge.
>
> 2. I find it interesting that Garrett likens himself to the animal torturers
> in research labs.
>
> 3. Before I was sued, the sum total of my involvement with AHS was to
> publicize their fundraising events on Kitty Village just like all the other
> Georgia groups, and to comment about a TV show in a private (and yes, it is
> private) Yahoo! group. This is what Garrett calls a "mission from God to
> bring down the successful, effective main stream [sic] agency" and a
> "vicious little campaign".
>
> 4. The twin towers of Garrett's arrogance and hypocrisy are indeed going to
> crumble to the ground.
>
> -----
>
> I did a little digging around to identify the recipients of this psychotic
> delusion of persecution. They are:
>
> abhinton@kyhumane.win.net - Brent A. Hinton, President and CEO, Kentucky
> Humane Society
> astensrud@animalhumanesociety.org - Alan T. Stensrud, Animal Humane Society,
> Minneapolis, Minnesota
> belinda.lewis@ci.ft-wayne.in.us - Belinda C. Lewis, Director, Fort Wayne
> Animal Care and Control, Fort Wayne, Indiana
> brohde@ddfl.org - Robert Rohde, President, Denver Dumb Friends League,
> Denver, Colorado
> cagostino@hsbroward.com - Christopher Agostino, Humane Society of Broward
> County, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; also on the board of directors of Society
> of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA)
> ChristieS@potterleague.org - Christie Smith, executive director, The Robert
> Potter League for Animals, Middletown, Rhode Island
> director@seaaca.org - Dan Morrison, Director, Southeast Area Animal Control
> Authority, Downey, California
> dogman@hcspca.org - SPCA Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio; could be Harold
> Dates, general manager
> eblow@co.jefferson.ky.us - Eric Blow, Director, Jefferson County Animal
> Control and Protection, Jefferson County, Kentucky
> GTiscornia@spcamc.org - Gary W. Tiscornia, executive director, SPCA of
> Monterey County, Monterey, California; also on the board of directors, SAWA
> hspca@houstonspca.org - Generic e-mail address at the Houston SPCA, Houston,
> Texas; probably intended for Patricia E. Mercer, executive director
> jcasey@ddfl.org - Joan C. Casey, Director of Animal Services, Denver Dumb
> Friends League, Denver, Colorado
> jmccall@dbqhumane.org - Jane A. McCall, Executive Director and CEO, Dubuque
> Humane Society, Dubuque, Iowa; also Secretary, SAWA
> jojabrit@aol.com - Martha Armstrong, HSUS, VP of Companion Animals
> JSnyder@hsus.org - John Snyder, Program Director, HSUS Companion Animals
> KathyW@HSMO.org - Kathy Warnick, President, Humane Society of Misouri, St.
> Louis, Maryland Heights, and Union, Missouri
> mpboatfield@hotmail.com - Unknown
> mulliganrr@aol.com - Unknown
> nancy@seattlehumane.org - Nancy B. McKenney, executive director, Humane
> Society for Seattle/King County; also on the board of directors, SAWA
> patb@indyhumane.com - Pat Bohannon, Administrative Assistant, Humane Society
> of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana
> RAiken04@aol.com - Unknown
> sheri.downey@lnk.goexel.net - Unknown
> tedford@lollypop.org - Jim Tedford, Executive Director, Humane Society at
> Lollypop Farm, Fairport, New York; also President, SAWA
> victoria@humane.mil.wi.us - Victoria Wellens, Executive Director, Wisconsin
> Humane Society, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
>
> Ferrari > Dogs have masters, cats have staff.