Local California press and wider mainstream news sources have recently been running headlines of a rampant case of animal cruelty in Humboldt County. While the situation was grizzly, there’s more to the story than what many sources describe.
After a five-month investigation by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department into “large-scale animal cruelty complaints,” Humboldt county cattle broker Raymond Christie was arrested on March 19.
“During the service of the warrants, personnel located approximately 250 to 300 deceased cows, some of which Christie had heaped into large piles approximately 10 feet high near an excavator; others were located laying in/near waterways,” the Sheriff’s Department announcement described.
“Personnel also found a large number of cows contained in small or insufficient corrals and many malnourished animals.”
According to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department, Christie was arrested on a myriad of charges including animal cruelty, neglect, and water-related violations. He was released on bail later on March 19 following his arrest.
WLJ was unable to reach Christie for comment on this story despite efforts.
A “black eye”
Mainstream reports of the incident have drawn criticism from the public and condemnation for ranching.
“The scene described at Mr. Christie’s property is horrific and disturbing,” said Todd Phelps, president of the Humboldt and Del Norte Cattlemen’s Association, in the group’s official reaction to the arrest and subsequent reports of the incident.
“Animal abuse in all circumstances is indefensible and should never be tolerated. If the alleged accusations are accurate it is clear a crime was committed. Anyone convicted of these crimes or any animal abuse should be punished to the greatest extent possible.
“While some may try to use this isolated incident to condemn all ranchers, I assure you this is not reflective of how myself or hundreds of other ranchers throughout Humboldt County raise and care for our animals. We will continue to use our collective voice to condemn all animal cruelty and continue to promote the highest standards of animal care.”
The announcement noted that Christie was not a member of the Humboldt and Del Norte Cattlemen’s Association.
In speaking with WLJ, Phelps explained that Christie is a cattle broker who buys mostly dairy slaughter cows, dairy drop calves, and other “odd lots” at the area auction barn. Such animals tend to sell very inexpensively but are often high-risk in terms of mortality and morbidity.
“I’m sure there are people who have the highest standards when they deal with these kind of animals. It’s just unfortunate that Mr. Christie is not keeping his scene together,” Phelps said, calling the situation “a black eye for Humboldt County.”
Disposal problems
The detail of Christie’s carcass pits has been the focus of most mainstream coverage. Reports from outlets unfamiliar with industry norms have presented the situation as one of hundreds of recently-deceased cattle stacked up in mass graves.
“That story reads sort of scandalous,” Phelps noted when talking with WLJ. He opined however that many of those carcasses were old “from earlier in the fall when [Christie] was originally contacted and started dealing with the water board about the proper burial.”
Phelps explained that the area, and Christie’s location in particular, has a relatively high water table, especially in the winter. This makes carcass disposal more difficult than usual. Additionally, carcass disposal regulations in the area are not clear.
“There’s a lot of conflicting protocol on animal burial,” Phelps said. “It’s kind of nebulous in California and Humboldt County.”
These are not excuses, however, and Phelps stressed that the ranching community in the area is very upset about it.
“The guy is innocent until proven guilty, but I’ll tell you—there was a lot of negligence involved in some of the ways that those animals were penned up, causing the deaths of some small calves. That’s just not right.” — Kerry Halladay, WLJ editor
