A Simple Adieu

Well, this is it!  Finally!  Believe it or not, this final posting has been in the making since January 2006; and now that the end of the WAO case is finally upon me, I have so much to reflect and ponder upon.  

There are still a lot of questions that were never answered such as "why didn't the Texas OAG/Charitable Trust Division prosecute the WAO board of directors when there was overwhelming proof of misappropriate of funds" and "why didn't the USDA/APHIS prosecute the WAO board of directors when there was overwhelming proof that the WAO violated the Animal Welfare Act numerous times?"  I am frequently asked these questions and all I can say is that there was no justice for the WAO animals that died because of apathy and greed.

I am haunted by so many WAO animal faces--I see them everywhere and I still tear up when I talk about the amazing animals that lived at the WAO. I don't think my heart will ever be completely healed until I see them again in Heaven someday.  I've been assured by my Heavenly Father that I will see them again.  Only then will my heart will be completely restored.  For you see, God knows how much I love the WAO animals and how much they mean to me. The Bible doesn't directly address whether animals will be with us in Heaven, but I do know that God loves us and wants us to be happy. The Bible says, “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11, NKJV). I  can trust God that Heaven will be a place filled with everything necessary for my happiness--and that includes the WAO animals and my pets that passed away!

I want to thank all the wonderful people who helped me with this case!  I cannot thank each and every person enough for their contributions over the last eight years:

Thank you to all who wrote and called the Texas OAG and USDA in support of the WAO animals;

Thank you to all who went on undercover tours at the WAO, documenting the life and loss of so many WAO animals--especially the lady who traveled all the way from New York;

Thank you to the gentlman who put me in touch with several key people who helped me with the WAO case;  

Thank you to lady who helped save the CU monkeys from coming to San Antonio and who gave me encouragement to carry on -- my fellow animal warrior!

Thank you to the people who wrote to the WAO to obtain valuable information needed as part of the WAO investigation; 

Thank you to all who gave me wonderful advice on how to proceed in this case;

Thank you to all who listened to my cause and gave me the encouragement to continue on;

Special thank you's to Fatima M., WOAI (Maritza Nunez Salazar), KSAT-12 (Shari St. Clair), San Antonio Current (Enrique Lopetegui), and KONO 101.1 radio--all were an amazing group of people who helped me get the WAO story out to the public; 

Thank you to the folks who sent me WAO newsletters so I could track the false statements made by the WAO board of directors to the general public--your help from CA, CO, and TX was very instrumental! 

 A huge thank you to Laurie R. and Jan M. who went above and beyond the call to help me and the WAO animals--you ladies were fantastic;

I want to thank all who provided me intel on the inner workings of the WAO at great cost to either their employment, health and personal safety--you made a difference; 

Thank you so much to my NC friend, Sue B., who stayed in contact with me until the end of the case (and beyond) and was willing to listen to me almost every day of the week for many years!  I just want you to know that your friendship means the world to me!

I give thanks to those people who are no longer with me to see the end of this case.  I will always hold a special place in my heart for Linda, Jeanette, and RG; 

Thank you Zuzana for posting the WAO story on your website.  Thanks to your website, a lot of animals were SAVED from being shipped to the overcrowded WAO. We were also able to inform folks on what was happening at the WAO--something no one else was willing to do.  Because of you, LIVES were SAVED.  

(http://www.rexano.org/WAO.htm).  Thank you!

I also want to thank In-Sync Exotics for taking in Sabu, giving him a loving home when no one else would.

And a huge thanks to K-Love radio and its supporters.  Without all the inspirational songs and words spoken at the right time when I needed encouragement the most, I don't know if I could have gotten through the "fire" without you!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I also want to thank all the local law enforcement and government workers who provided me valuable insight and information regarding the WAO case.  I learned so much from each and every person who took the time to educate me on how to prepare statements, conduct investigations, and most importantly, conduct research into the WAO.  I spent hours and hours and hours of research and thankfully I had some really great guides who pointed me in the right direction.  These amazing folks wanted to see justice for the WAO animals and were just as disappointed as I that the Texas OAG and USDA failed to protect donors and animals alike. I still cannot believe the Texas OAG agreed to close the WAO case without prosecuting the criminals in exchange for the WAO's closure.  All that money, gone.  All those lives, lost.  And the criminals got away, scott-free. 

On this Thanksgiving Day, I give thanks to the Lord that many of the WAO animals have a second chance at happiness.  I pray several times a week for the WAO animals, on Earth, and in Heaven, that they are happy,  healthy, and strong.  While I still check for story updates former WAO animals on Facebook, I find that I spend less and less time doing so and spending my time enjoying life again.

I plan on releasing this blog very soon; between now and then I plan on rereading the blog and perhaps clean it up a bit.  While I am concerned that this blog will upset a lot of people, I hope that it will serve as a guide for those individuals who are facing a similar situation on what to do and not to do.  If you wondered what happens behind the scenes at a wild animal sanctuary, well here ya go--this blog will give you this type of information...and then some.

Anyhoo, as I look back at this case, I've come to realize I only have three regrets.  Many years ago, a person who was instrumental in the beginning of the WAO case gave me a bottle of wine.  I was suppose to toast a happy ending for the WAO case whenever that took place.  Sadly, I never got to enjoy the wine because my foster dogs knocked it off the shelf, shattering it into hundreds of little pieces on my tile floor.  My point in sharing this with you is this; if you are waiting for a special occasion to enjoy a certain bottle of wine, open it today!  For you see, the special occasion may never come. 

My other two regrets are personal and are between me and the Lord.

Other tips I learned from the WAO case include:

• Never rely on the government to do the right thing;
• Learn to forgive those who will tell lies and half truths to the public and government regarding your personal character and actions;
• Don't take "no" sitting down;
• Never stop believing in miracles--know that God has a plan and it it may not be the one you are praying for;
• Measure good deeds not by words, but by actions; 
• Accept the things you can change, and let go of the rest;
• Network, network, network -- you don't have to connect with animal groups, just with like-minded people willing to seek justice for the animals; and
• When the case is over, move on with your life.

Here's my final tip for individuals that may be facing a similar situation that I went through for the last eight years => if you are on the fence and you don't know whether or not you should go forward with an investigation for fear of what may happen to you or the animals, all I can say is go with your heart.  If the good Lord is nudging you in a certain direction, you really should get off the fence, do the right thing, and save the animals--for if not you--then who?  

Well, enough said for now--it's time to move on with my life.  If I learn additional WAO information in the future, I will be sure to post it to the blog.  I consider this blog a work in progress, and I have a feeling that it will never truly end...

So until later, I bid you a simple adieu...

I have fought a good fight, 

I have finished my course, 

I have kept the faith.

May God Bless You.

Oh, and remember that despite all the pain, suffering, and apathy you see directed at God's creatures, you have the ability to 

#SpeakLife, 

#SpeakLove, 

#SpeakCompassion...

...you just have to #SpeakUp!