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A despicable travesty of justice has been perpetrated in Fort Collins, in this instance against an individual, Holiday Christi, who was using what means she had to as safety as possible transfer what little she had in this world from one place to a hopefully better life in Texas. But that better life has been shot to shit due to an unforeseen mechanical stop in Fort Collins. What is this lady's actual crime that originated the initial arrest? Wasn't that a pure judgment call on some individual's part, that the way she was transporting her animals amounted to animal cruelty?

Rather than assist this poor lady, maybe offer her temporary shelter for her animals, assist in the repair of her vehicle, or provide other meaningful assistance, as is the Christian thing to do, no, …, law enforcement decides to create a crime, and take a person's property and chattel summarily, without due process. It's no wonder that the majority of commentators on the Coloradoan bulletin board on the subject are incensed and in favor of the woman. The ludicrousness of it boggles the mind. How many of us have been in this lady's very shoes during a move?

As can be seen below, here's an individual that will now be a liability on the community and State of Colorado, but previously wasn't. The system shows an astounding disregard of the rights of this individual, creating a crime where none existed. Authorities set impossible contidions to retrieval of the animals, using failure to comply with the impossible conditions ($40 impound fee plus $10 daily boarding fee for each animal, or pay a $6,300 bond for a hearing on the fees.) as pretext for an illegal and unconstitutional seizure and sale (unless the Humane Society of Larimer County is willing to waive the fee, a sale it is) of personal property, all the while disregarding the fact that this person is in the middle of a move across the country. SHAME!

Finally, and most honestly, it shocks the conscience that the Humane Society took upon itself to put more living creatures out of their alleged misery with absolutely no right to do so. Two that had homes mind in Texas, and that may have been old and sick, but where alive prior to their encounter with the so-called Humane Society of Larimer County. It's kind of moot to argue the legality of the forcible euthanasia of a creature without the consent of it's owner, isn't it, after you've killed the poor things?

Quoted Story: Request to reclaim pets denied
Author: Robert Allen

Holiday Christie lost what's likely her last chance at reclaiming her dogs, cats and goats when a Larimer County Court judge denied her attorney's request in the pet-cruelty case.

Christie, 57, who was arrested July 19 off Interstate 25 east of Fort Collins while moving from Idaho to Texas, returned to jail this week after jumping bond for Texas. She faces 19 counts of animal cruelty after the 19 animals were found overheated and dehydrated in the back of a U-Haul truck she was using to move.

Public defender Daniel Jasinski said the animals are of "extreme importance" to Christie, who remained in custody Thursday afternoon. He asked Judge Christine Carney to give his client a chance to put down money preventing the animals' disposition even though the 10-day window had passed. After a brief recess, Carney denied the request, citing "mandatory language" in the law.

Carney set Christie's bond at $10,000 cash, property or surety, and the $2,500 bond from Christie's first incarceration can be put toward it.

Before bond was set, prosecutor Mathew Munch said Christie is a "very serious flight risk" with mental health problems. Before her first arrest, she had tried to get back to the truck's cab, where she had a loaded semiautomatic handgun concealed, he said.

Munch said Christie is reported as saying, "Only God will stand between me and my animals."

Jasinski said she had brain surgery to remove a tumor in January, and problems with anxiety and seizures could best be treated outside of jail. He said the issue with "fleeing" the state is mischaracterized, for Christie was counting on an acquaintance in Texas for help with her pets and legal issues, providing transportation back to Fort Collins.

But the acquaintance didn't follow through, and Christie ended up taking a bus from Dallas to Limon, where she picked up her broken-down car. The car's transmission went out when she arrived in Fort Collins, and she was interviewing with the Coloradoan at Best Western Transmission shortly before she was arrested.

Bellvue-area residents Marlies and Randy Figi reached out to help Christie - who has no friends or family in Colorado - after hearing about her troubles. They appeared in court Thursday and are allowing their address to be used for Christie's bond records.

Marlies Figi told the Coloradoan she and her husband planned to give Christie a place to stay for a couple nights, helping her with what has become a difficult situation of "one thing after the other" for Christie.

"I understand there's a lot of injustice in the world, but this woman needs a helping hand," Marlies Figi said, adding that the criminal case has been a "total, complete obstruction of justice for this poor woman."

She said Christie planned for weeks on how to move the animals to Texas, and her method for caring for them was adequate. She also said law enforcement "should have been there to help her."

Deputies made Randy Figi leave the courtroom Thursday after he repeatedly tried to make contact with Christie.

Christie's case, which also includes a misdemeanor charge of obstructing an officer, is scheduled for a pretrial conference Aug. 11 at the Larimer County Justice Center.

As of Thursday, no charges had been filed regarding the concealed handgun the prosecutor mentioned. There was no mention of such a weapon in the arrest affidavit, and the Larimer County District Attorney's Office declined to comment after Thursday's hearing.