Justice for Jolie Gets the Ball Rolling

Update 1:06 p.m. June 13: The June 19 meeting will take place at the Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Road, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Earlier:

What began as a push to see justice served on behalf of a single horse that died after Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies say its owner neglected to feed it has since turned into an organized movement to see tougher laws enacted in Florida.

The Justice for Jolie group wants to bring “additional awareness to Florida’s law makers and law enforcement regarding improvements in the protection of all of Florida’s unwanted, abandoned, abused, neglected, starved and slaughter bound horses,” wrote Lauren Dudley, president of Equestrian Inc., in an email.

Equestrian Inc. was thrust into the news recently when it took possession of four horses that had been neglected in the Carrollwood area. One horse, Jolie, was in especially delicate condition when she arrived at the nonprofit horse rescue.

She eventually died.

While Jolie’s former owner, Linda Evans, has been charged with felony animal cruelty, supporters of Equine Inc. say current laws don’t go far enough. Their outcry gave birth to the Justice for Jolie movement.

The grassroots group held its first meeting June 5 to organize supporters. It plans another meeting June 19 at 6:30 p.m., but hasn’t set a location.

“The first meeting went very well,” Dudley said. “We set up four committees to divide and conquer researching our goals.”

During the June 5 meeting, group members identified four main problems they’d like to address to improve conditions for horses in Florida, according to an email to supporters:

• Florida laws in regards to horses are not definitive enough to provide the protection necessary as currently written
• Grants and campaigns specific to help aid Florida horse rescues are lacking to nonexistent
• Law enforcement lacks proper training in identifying horse abuse/neglect
• Fire department lacks proper training in aiding in horse rescue

There’s still time to get involved in Justice for Jolie. Four committees have formed to address the problems the group wants to tackle. To get involved in them, just email:

•    Laws - Dale Wellhofer - dwellhofer1@aol.com
•    Grants - Karin Beauvais - bkbeauvais@aol.com
•    Law Enforcement - Lauren Dudley - horserescue@equestrianinc.org
•    Fire Department - Lockie McNeish - lmcneish2003@yahoo.com

You can also keep up with the Justice for Jolie movement on Facebook.

Do you think Florida’s animal cruelty laws need strengthening? Tell us what you think by commenting below!

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