Letters to the DA on Behalf of the Hayward Rabbits

Many supporters of the Hayward Rabbits are joining the letter-writing campaign to ask County of Alameda Deputy District Attorney Jill L. Nerone, to persue the most stringent sentencing possible in this case. Please use these letters as a source of encouragement for your own letter-writing. The most effective letters are polite, brief, and to the point.  Also, be sure to reference Case # 378403.

Thank you, for your support of the Hayward Rabbits.

Address your letters to:

Jill L. Nerone
Deputy District Attorney
County of Alameda
1225 Fallon St. Suite 900
Oakland CA 94612
Phone (510) 272-6222
FAX    (510) 271-5157

Reference: Janine Marie Cazares, Case# 378403

March 2, 2005


Tom Rogers, Esq.
Hayward District Attorney
24405 Amador Street
Room 104
Hayward CA 94544

RE: HAYWARD RABBITS

Dear Mr. Rogers:
I've had an opportunity to review photographs and
reports concerning the way which rabbits were held and
mistreated by Marie Cazares of Bruno Street in
Hayward.  I've recently been called upon to take in
and to care for a rabbit.  I've discovered that
rabbits are remarkably gentle and defenseless
creatures.  They are entirely unable to utter sounds
to express distress.  I'm a resident of Alamdea County
and its my hope that the outrageous acts against these
animals will result in an appropriate prosecution.

Very truly yours,


Dean Feldman
 

February 24, 2005

Jill L. Nerone
Deputy District Attorney
County of Alameda
1225 Fallon Street, Suite 900
Oakland, CA 94612

Dear Ms. Nerone:

I am writing to you regarding the case of the Hayward Rabbit Abuser (Cazares Case #378403). Am I concerned by the continuing delays caused by the defense lawyers' "scheduling conflicts". I fear this is a ploy to keep delaying the case, in hopes that the county will eventually get fed up and drop the charges.

But I must admit: I do have a bit of a personal interest in the case. You see my partner (Todd Lindo) and I adopted one of the Hayward rabbits. Her name is Janet, the rabbit whose ears had been chewed in half and her eyes were swollen due to injury and infection. In the 7 months since she has been part of our lives, we have always made time in our schedules to drive her to an animal eye care specialist in Fremont (an hour each way from our home in
Albany) at least once a month. We have taken the time to make sure that she gets the proper food and nutrition to help her regain her health. And most importantly, we have arranged our schedules to spend time with her every day. To let her know she is safe. That she has a good home. And that she is loved.

We schedule this time mainly because she means so much to us. But we also do it out of responsibility of being her caregivers. That's why I'm asking you for your help in getting the Cazares defense lawyers to live up to their responsibilities and to stop playing the "scheduling conflict" card. To stop looking for loopholes in order to shirk their duty, so that Janet and the rest of the Hayward rabbits, so horribly abused, may finally see justice done.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Christopher Weakley
Albany, CA

October 30, 2004 

Dear Mr. Rogers, 

I’m writing to you in regards to the cruelty case involving several rabbits rescued from the home of Janine Marie Cazares ( case # 378403). 

I was horrified when I read the story, and believe that this person should be prosecuted to the fullest extent that the law will allow.  She should serve jail time, undergo mandatory counseling, and should NEVER be able to have pets of any kind in the future. 

Please do the right thing and let others know that this behavior of torture and neglect will be punished.   

Thank you for your time.

Regards,            

Linda Knorr  
Lake Arrowhead, California

October 22, 2004

Dear Mr. Rogers:

I am writing to request that you prosecute Janine Marie Cazares to the fullest extent of the law, and
bar her from ever owning animals again. Her horrific neglect of the large number of animals in her care shows that she has no compassion or respect for life. The witness report states that the house, car, and yard were all evidently well-kept. This implies that she does not suffer from lack of money or resources. Yet she neglected to provide even minimal care to her animals: the basics such as adequate food, water, and sanitation. This extreme callousness resulted in ten years' worth of suffering for what must sum to
hundreds of animals, who lived their lives with disease, infections, and filth.

Her failure to remove several years' worth of piles of feces and dead bodies is testament to her disregard for the rabbits' lives-living or dead, they received the same inattention.

This case has received media attention, both within and outside of animal welfare organizations, so it is a good opportunity to show the public that such abuse will not be tolerated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would appreciate your using your position to do right by the hundreds of rabbit victims in this case, and by example help to prevent other abuse cases from occurring.

Sincerely,

Daisy Huang
California

October 22, 2004

Dear Mr. Rogers,

I am writing to encourage you to pursue the maximum penalties in the animal cruelty case against Janine Marie Cazares of Bruno Street in Hayward. I have been involved with animal rescue for over 15 years and have never before seen a case so appalling that has involved so many animals and had gone on for such a long time. Since May, I have spent many, many hours of personal time helping to rehabilitate and care for these rabbits. My first hand experience with these rabbits and years of experience in rescue qualifies me to ask that you please handle this case with the seriousness that it deserves.

While I am thankful that your office is prosecuting this case, I am disturbed that Mrs. Cazares has only been charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty rather than several counts of felony animal cruelty. Mrs. Cazares’ denied these animals every single basic need. As outlined in CA Penal Code 597 f, Mrs. Cazares failed to "provide the animal with proper food, drink or shelter or protection from the weather." Every day for years she denied care 50 times over!

Lastly, I am deeply disturbed by reports that the Cazares family currently keeps one last rabbit in a cage inside the home. Along with any compassionate person, I would be grateful if you would advise the judge hearing this case of the poor rabbit’s plight and insist that the lone rabbit be removed from the premises at once. Mrs. Cazares severe neglect demonstrates that this lone rabbit will not be cared for very well, if at all. I would also like to see her prohibited from owning or harboring any animals in the future. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Kelle Kacmarcik
San Francisco, CA

Tom Rogers
Hayward District Attorney
24405 Amador Street, Room 104
Hayward, CA 94544
Phone:510 670 5100
FAX 510 670-5159

October 21, 2004

Dear Mr.Rogers:

My husband and I urge you to prosecute to the maximum extent possible the defendant, Janine Marie Cazares, in an animal cruelty case so outrageous that it has caught the attention of many people, such as ourselves, even though we are thousands of miles away.

The numbers of animals involved, the length of time the cruelty occurred, and the despicable nature of the cruelty makes it imperative that you handle this case with the seriousness it deserves.

Sincerely,

Evonne and Fred Vey
Lusby, MD 20657

20 October 2004

Tom Rogers
Hayward District Attorney
24405 Amador Street
Room 104
Hayward CA 94544

Dear Mr. Rogers:

As the companion to four house rabbits and a board member for the rabbit  advocacy organization RabbitWise®, I have been following the horrific case of animal neglect perpetrated by Janine Marie Cazares.

I urge you, sir, to prosecute this inhumane person to the fullest extent of the law. I saw the photos posted on the House Rabbit Society website of what was found on that woman's property. They brought tears to my eyes and wrenched my heart. How could any human being with a heart and a soul permit such
    cruel neglect to those wonderful rabbits? If ever there was a individual who needed to be made a lesson of, it is this Janine Marie Cazares. Please send a clear message to the rest of the country that such cruel, heartless treatment of animals will not be tolerated and seek the toughest punishment possible for Cazares.

Sincerely,

Paulette Lincoln-Baker
Volunteers Director
RabbitWise®
www.rabbitwise.org
Sterling, Virginia 20164

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