Disturbing letter about Smilin Pit Bull Rescue - Buffalo, NY

Postby Marinepits » June 13th, 2008, 4:59 pm

Folks, please limit your comments to facts, and avoid speculation.
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Postby iluvk9 » June 13th, 2008, 5:28 pm

Here is a fact: :dance:

I personally donated $2,152.90 from 8/05 to 5/06 to SPBR because I thought I was helping dogs in need. My paypal will show this.

I also donated a large amount to Eric's sister's memorial fund (RIP) as I thought Eric was my friend.
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Postby gayrghts » June 13th, 2008, 6:00 pm

Another fact:

When Eric was transporting Mighty, and Lemmy to their new owners, he had mitzi and another of the siblings along for the ride, they were going to a meet and greet on the way back home.

I needed to meet him to hand off 2 dogs to him, that were not SPBR dogs but were dogs that he'd agreed to transport back to Buffalo to Erica (remington) who she'd rescued privately, and i'd taken off the transport vehicle that had come up from the south. We met in the parking lot of the Cracker Barrell in E Greenbush just off I 90.

Eric had Mitzi and the other sibling in a small wire crate in the hatch back of his car with the hatchback closed... the sun was hot on the glass, they had defecated and were siting in it... and he refused to let myself or my roommate help him out at all to clean them up. He left them sitting in it on his return to buffalo, saying nah, they'll just do it again, they are fine.

He then added the 2 i'd brought him, by shoving one of them into a very small crate in the hatch back... and he was going to let the other one ride loose in the hatch back sitting on a tire. I said no, and moved his beloved huge camera case so that she could sit on the front seat with him.

He was very skiddish with both of these dogs, and the dogs both acted like they did not like him....

I always trust a dog's gut feeling.
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Postby muse » June 16th, 2008, 3:35 pm

Fact..

I fostered a beautiful blue pit for Eric about 3 years ago named Blaze. He never had me sign anything and never compensated me for anything. He ended up allowing him to be adopted by someone with no bully experience and eventually he became to much for his owner and attacked a neighborhood dog. Sadly, the owner had him put to sleep.. Eric would not take the dog back when she asked him to and I was not in a position to take him, since my own 2 dogs were in care elsewhere until I was able to rehome them with me. Had he kept his "rescue agreement" that he would take back any dog adopted out, then Blaze would have lived, though, in what conditions I dont know. Sadly, he was a very good dog, just needed a strong owner, which, though she was a good owner, she wasnt the best choice for a bully breed.

Im sure people probably thought when I was banned years ago that I too was one of the Eric Harem, but, I wasnt. :| I was just fed up with his martyr attitude and kool aid.

Its all just so sad.
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Postby airwalk » June 16th, 2008, 6:12 pm

mnp13 wrote:We can't "do" anything. Unless law enforcement makes it into his house and finds dogs living in squalor they can't take them. If crates are clean and dogs are clean then they can't legally do anything. Even if the dogs or crates are a mess there may not be legal standing to confiscate them and a "clean them up or else" warning would be given. Animal control takes dogs all the time, but a lot of the time it's an officer convincing the owner that they should hand over the animals, it's not a seizure. YES, seizures happen but there has to be a lot of evidence - like the recent shut down of Brightstar German Shepherd Rescue in Rochester, NY, where there were over 30 dogs living in a house, and pooping and peeing in there as well. If he is keeping them in crates and managing to keep the crates relatively clean then he's in the clear.

It is not against the law to crate your dogs for 23 hours 55 minutes a day. I wish it was, but it isn't and how would you prove it anyway?

There is nothing to "shut down." SPBR is not a business, it's not a non-profit, it's not a not-for-profit. At most he should have a dealer license because of the number of dogs that he is selling, but even that has some gray area.

I tried to turn someone in for tax evasion a few years ago, I had plenty of first hand info, his address, birthday, social security number and everything else I needed. The IRS didn't care, and neither did New York.

The only thing that can be done is to get first hand stories out there for other rescues and shelters to read. Make sure that the rescues or shelters can find you via phone or email so they can can speak to you about it directly.

Fact is, besides tax evasion, most of what we know is true can't be proven. And even if it is ethically and morally wrong, that doesn't mean it is legally wrong. The rabies stuff may be easy to prove, may be hard to prove, but since he's not an official rescue what will be done? He'll get a ticket or citation about it, pay a fine and get on with whatever he's doing.

There have been many many stories about people "ready to turn him in" and "collecting information" and "ongoing investigations" but nothing has ever come of it so I'm not holding my breath. I'm sure there is something being done somewhere, but it's been over two years since I knew about it and there hasn't been much progress that I've heard about, and he isn't that far from me.

Many people have left his group, but more keep coming in. Like any charismatic cult-ish leader, his followers are rabid. The people who have left the group share their stories but are branded as nut cases with agendas, and the cult members keep on blindly following the leader.

I hope you are right about the turnovers of members, but until people start wanting to read and understand, they never will.


I'm sorry to say this guys, but Michelle is right. Seizures do happen, but they are a long, drawn out affair that requires criminal level evidence and nothing I've read here that would be provable reaches that level. While there are lots of stories, without hard evidence there is little any law enforcement agency can do. We can commiserate with you, and we can know something is wrong, but until and unless sufficient evidence can be gathered to begin a criminal level prosecution...the best thing you can do is keep telling your stories to hopefully stop the flow of dogs in and out of the "rescue" and to slow the number of new "volunteers".

Rescues, are by and large, unregulated and as such until they break a law at a level sufficient to reach criminal prosecution levels, there is little that can be done.
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Postby gayrghts » June 16th, 2008, 7:43 pm

Diana,

Can you give an example of what type of evidence would be needed to push it to criminal charges?

I'm wondering if there isn't something right under our noses... that we're not aware of.
Heather

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Postby airwalk » June 16th, 2008, 10:13 pm

It depends on the laws of the States in which he operates. It depends on the working practices of the DA's in the County's and States in which he operates.

You would need to know what the specific requirements are for abuse or neglect and you would need to know whether the DA's are willing and able to take on the case and what their track record for taking a case to court are.

You would need to work with, not against, not in spite of, not around the outside of, but with a local law enforcement agency.

So I can't give you specifics because it varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
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Postby mnp13 » June 17th, 2008, 8:31 pm

gayrghts wrote:Can you give an example of what type of evidence would be needed to push it to criminal charges?

I'm wondering if there isn't something right under our noses... that we're not aware of.


You'd need hard proof of an actual crime, the only thing that he seems to have done that breaks any law is the rabies shots and the missing health certifiations for dogs going to states that require them.
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Postby gayrghts » June 17th, 2008, 8:38 pm

So the dogs in the mass grave on his property would not count either?
Heather

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Postby Marinepits » June 17th, 2008, 9:07 pm

Michelle just answered that:
mnp13 wrote:You'd need hard proof of an actual crime


Again, keep this thread to FACTS only. Last warning.
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Postby Marinepits » June 17th, 2008, 9:40 pm

Obviously, some people just don't get it, considering the PM I just received.

By questioning the posts made here and throwing out ideas on how to "Get SPBR", the more ideas you are giving the trolls on how to cover up and destroy evidence for SPBR. THIS IS THE INTERNET AND ANYONE CAN READ IT.

Do you get it NOW?
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Postby airwalk » June 17th, 2008, 9:47 pm

:goodStuff:

Now maybe you understand why Jen and I will not give specific directions and information??
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Postby Lovemydogz » June 17th, 2008, 10:55 pm

SO TRUE. Some things need not to be posted for just anyone to see. Especially when plotting! Be smart. I thought of that as Ive been reading this stuff. We all know SPBR reads this!
"If you stand for nothing...You'll fall for anything."
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Postby rescuedogmama » October 19th, 2008, 5:26 pm

Just thought I'd throw out another fact.

I have still not been paid for my trip to NY back in May. $150 in gas, down the drain. And I don't have this money to throw around.

I have been told that I'll get the money soon, as soon as a donation clears, etc. The last I heard, I was not able to get reimbursed because the money isn't there. Funny, since there are a TON of new puppies on the site, and looks like a bunch have been adopted.

He hasn't brought in $150 since May? I find that hard to believe.
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Postby Lovemydogz » October 22nd, 2008, 10:32 am

This has been going on for years. Why did you think you would be any different? If you chose to be a part of/or help SPBR despite everything everyone has said :| , than you should have done it purely for the love of the dogs and not expect anything in return because thats what they give back....NOTHING. Of course he has the money....have you not seen the pictures of his new bathroom :puke: ? Hes putting you off in hopes that you will give up. You live and learn.
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Postby rescuedogmama » October 22nd, 2008, 10:51 am

New bathroom? The one that's bigger than my house isn't enough? Great. I'm banned from the forum so I can't see.

I have been told that my name is brought up when the topic of "people who we are owed money" is discussed. Not that it means much.

I really don't think I'll get it back, but I'm not going to roll over and die like he expects. I'll be a pain in his ass as long as I can. :mrgreen:
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Postby mnp13 » October 22nd, 2008, 11:32 am

Do you have proof of the funds being promised to you? do you have receipts for gas?

Sue him in small claims.
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Postby bunnyfoofoo » October 28th, 2008, 11:26 am

The problem with suing SPBR is that it is a corporation separate from Eric Gray. It has no assets since it has no bank account. All the Paypal donations, cash and checks go into Eric's personal bank account. I am sure that he carefully matches all expenses against income at tax time to come out at zero. It is still worth it for ANYONE who has a small claim to file it and see it through to court. It is only $20 to file and there is a link to the State of NY small claims site if you search. I also think there are some members on here who have his physical address or his work address and can let you know what that is so he can be served by the sheriff. If there are too many judgments against him, it will effect his law liscensure in the state of NY and he will be disbarred. Bye bye big house, bye bye big bathroom. Since the AC seems not to care about his animal abuse and hoarding, at least this may be a way to throw a wrench in the works. Hell, if you do get a judgment for the $150 you could take all his dog crates. At last count, he had about 15 or so of them filled with feces-covered dogs in his basement.

I am sure he only spoke money terms with you over the phone and not via email, therefore no evidence. See what you can pull together in actual evidence. You won't need it to file, only when you appear in court.
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Postby bunnyfoofoo » October 28th, 2008, 11:30 am

Also, at last count, SPBR had placed over 60 dogs so far this year and counting. That's almost $18,000. And that is a fact, not a rumor.
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Postby mnp13 » October 28th, 2008, 12:11 pm

Appreciate the info, but we're back in the speculation area again. If anyone has something to add to this thread please PM a staff member and we'll open it again.

For now, it's closed.
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