Nadas is a family dog who belongs to 18 year old Sean Roach of Ashland OR. Nadas has been imprisoned in solitary confinement since September 1996, when the neighbor's 13 year old daughter claimed that he had chased her horse. Nadas was "confiscated" by Jackson County Animal Control under the same archaic law that resulted in the imprisonment of two dogs, Chase and Jessie in Deschutes County Oregon early this year. However, in an attempt to prevent the kind of media attention that helped free those dogs, Jackson County Animal Control and the Jackson County Commissioners refuse to permit anyone to visit Nadas or check on his condition. The owners are being "charged" $250 per month for Nadas being "housed" at the pound against their will. This is all in addition to the unconstitutional nature of the government's taking of someone's pet without due process of law. Nadas in fact was confined to the owner's property at the time county officials took him away.
The Jackson County Commissioners have had the power to stop this atrocity, however, they are the primary proponents of killing this dog. We have contacted them on several occasions offering to adopt Nadas, and remove him from Jackson County and keep him in an urban environment away from livestock. The county has refused to consider non-lethal options. On September 18, 1997, almost exactly one year after Nadas was seized, an appellate court heard arguments that the law was improperly applied by Jackson County since the dog did not exhibit any predatory intent towards the horse, nor did he cause any injury or damage. The attorney for Jackson County argued vigorously that the county had the right and the obligation to kill this dog. The Jackson County Commissioners have also indicated that they have no intention of passing an ordinance to supercede state law, as was done in Deschutes County, to permit a second chance for a dog impounded under this statute. On October 22, 1997 the court rendered a decision. They let stand the county's decision to kill Nadas.
The case has been appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court, which is the final appeal permitted under Oregon law. However the court may decide not to review the case.
Click Here to read the full story of Nadas' capture by county officials by Sean's mother, Sharon Roach
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