Response to David Boyd, Tim Hieter and Jill Boyd Court Testimony
Testimony David Boyd
Defendant’s Response to Court Transcripts
Page 553
23. All volunteers are asked to check the horses water buckets and if needed to fill them up first thing in the morning, afternoon and evening. Late evening Craig and Debbie would check the buckets. Many times filling them as late as 11:00 PM. Sometimes volunteers would dump the water out of the buckets and then forget to refill them. Waters were checked often. In the summer months the horses drank more so the buckets were checked often. Those that weren’t sponsoring a horse for $100 a month were asked to donate for feed. It is understood and several signs on the ranch and on the gate asking for a minimum of $5.00 per visit to go towards the feed and care of the horses. All rescues and sanctuaries ask for donations. You can currently go on Facebook and rescues ask for donations because they don’t have enough donations to buy hay, supplies, farrier and funds to pay a Veterinarian. Common practice. Some rescues even say they don’t enough donations for the next feeding. The goal for a rescue or sanctuary is for the Board of Directors to not have to pay for the care and feed of the horses. But many times they have to. Craig and Debbie always made it clear they were a volunteer ranch.
27. Craig and Debbie did not send a text to David or Jill there was no hay for them to either buy hay or just donate money for hay. Craig recalls a time Melodee took it upon herself to text David for a hay donation and it angered Craig and Debbie. Those that donated $100 or more per month a text asking for a donation wasn’t meant for them. The donation request was meant for those that don’t donate for the feed and care of the horses. Melodee was always in a panic mainly because of Jill. Hay deliveries were usually late morning and sometimes they ran late and it could be as late as 6: PM. Everytime Melodee texted Debbie if there was hay Debbie then checked and there was hay in the barn and the evening feeders had already fed the horses.
Page 554
13. All volunteers are asked to donate. Preferably hay. By the end of 2016 volunteers were starting to encourage no donations. They wanted Craig and Debbie to pay for everything and sell their personal items to pay for everything. Craig and Debbie had personal cars that were 2003 models. The volunteers had issues with their cars that were 14 years old. For years Debbie wrote flyers and websites encouraging hay donations either by calling the local feed stores. For years this was asked on the Oak Meadows Ranch website asking for donations or they could call a certain feed store and just pay for the hay and Craig and Debbie could pick it up or it could be added to the next delivery. The volunteers late 2016 started buying not needed items instead of the important items such as feed and grain.
Page 555
15. There was never 90 horses on the ranch. Craig or Debbie didn’t claim to have 90 horses.
19, Senior horses, horses with health issues and ones having difficulty putting on weight were kept near the round pen and DVM Charles Edgerly office trailer. They were not kept near the road. Debbie has video of when Special Needs children would come out as a school event visiting the horses. They really connected to the horses that had some issues.
20. Debbie has photos of the pasture David is referring to and those horses in the large pasture are not skinny.
Page 557
11. Each one of these Prosecution Witnesses wanted a horse. They became very upset when they choose a sanctuary horse or a personally owned horse by Craig and Debbie. There was always horses that were available for adoption. On the Oak Meadows Ranch website there has always been an adoption application. Also there had been adoption days.
19. No one was ever threatened with weapons.
Page 558
9. It was clear on the sign out front by the gate Oak Meadows Ranch was a rescue / sanctuary, flyers and website. The purpose was not to not rescue and resale. Oak Meadows Ranch mainly took in horses that owners no longer could afford. Some that didn’t even have feed that day for horses but they knew that their horses had a home that they could always visit. It was a sanctuary that those that wanted horses could come to Oak Meadows Ranch and be with horses. They enjoyed being able to do the chores to maintain a horse. There was many mothers and daughters that came almost daily to help feed, water, muck and groom the horses.
Page 559
25. Before the days of heavy rain in January 2017 David and Jill wanted to buy certain horses. Cody was the first horse Debbie personally rescued. It was owned by a family that the 2 teenagers rode. The parents were divorcing. The family could no longer afford the horse but wanted to be able to come and visit. Like many the concern was they wanted a permanent home for their horse and they didn’t want it to go to slaughter. Also Little Joe David and Jill wanted. An elderly couple donated Little Joe and wanted him to remain with Craig and Debbie. David’s wife Jill became obsessed with Debbie’s personal horse Sapphire. Sapphire was purchased in November 10, 2012 by Craig and Debbie. No Blue Pearl Project funds were used. Sapphire had just given birth and had to have surgery correcting her torn vagina. That’s probably why she was up for auction. Sapphire was purchased with the intentions to never selling her. Jill kept offering to buy her paying even $1,500.00 Debbie said no and it angered Jill. Jill would walk up and down in between the horses stalls saying she offered $1,500.00 and Craig and Debbie won’t sell Sapphire to her. However Jill was sold an available horse named Autumn in March 2017. Craig and Debbie only leased the property. It would also require city permits to add piping for the rain to drain. The owner of the property would not want to get involved in something like that. The owner didn’t even want to pay to fix the broken fence. He did no repairs. David’s offer for the $2,500.00 drainage system was in exchange for Sapphire. Craig and Debbie declined the offer. Each rain it was an easy fix to fix the arena with the tractor. At the time when the large arena was closed off for safety reasons 2 other smaller arenas were available.
Page 562
11. David and Jill were only on the ranch for about one month when JJ passed away. At that time David and Jill were volunteering on the other side of the ranch. Volunteer Kathy Smith was cleaning JJ’s leg daily. Kathy Smith was at the ranch daily volunteering doing every type of chore on the ranch. Kathy had her personal horse Red on the ranch.
Page 573
8. Craig had at that time had 4 years of training by DVM Charles Edgerly how to treat a horse that is collicking and giving injections in the jugular.
Page 575
1. Debbie is diabetic. She can not go hours without food. She crashes. Unfortunately having to check on Serenity from 8:20 AM finding her stuck in the pipe stall then checking on her throughout the day to see how she was coming along Debbie’s blood sugar at the time was crashing. Due to an event at the ranch she didn’t get a chance to eat. She didn’t buy items for lunch or dinner thinking she would eat at the event. She needed a meal. From time before Serenity got a bath which was 1:30 PM Serenity had improved and was doing well including afternoon, late afternoon and evening. Debbie has a photo of Serenity January 29, 2017 at 9:17 PM doing well. She had just finished eating a wet bucket of feed.
Page 576
8. Photo shown in court is not Serenity. Debbie has the photo of Serenity when Debbie found her January 30, 2017 at 8:08 passed away several feet from her feed bucket. When Debbie found Serentiy no volunteers were at the ranch yet.
Page 577
3. David and Jill made an agreement to purchase Autumn March 2017. The agreement included that they would leave Autumn at Oak Meadows Ranch for 6 months. David and Jill removed Autumn the very next day. Since they didn’t keep their agreement keeping Autumn at Oak Meadows Ranch and took her to a boarding facility it was felt and especially how Craig and Debbie were treated by David and Jill because they couldn’t buy Sapphire felt it was best they don’t come back. Jill for about 3 months was causing problems on the ranch. Such as a horse named Little Joe got lose out of the pasture but in a fenced off area she called Animal Control. She believed Little Joe got injured. Debbie took several photos of Little Joe with no injuries and texted Jill the photos. Jill thought Little Joe wasn’t eating. Craig took a video of Little Joe eating then it was texted to Jill. When Jill volunteered she gathered many times approximately 6 volunteers and when Debbie was near they would just stare at Debbie. Jill became a bully.
Page 582
13. David and Jill Boyd started volunteering around September 2016. That was approximately the time Barbara Barnaba had retired. She was the person all the volunteers went to. There was not a reason for David to go to the city of Wildomar or see Officer Middleton with Animal Friends of the Valleys. Daily there was a minimum of 5 volunteers morning, afternoon and early evening. Volunteers to clean and fill water buckets. 2 volunteers per feeding to feed horses. Horses or any of the animals never missed a feeding or the proper amount of feed daily. The stalls were mucked daily. Throughout the years Debbie has thousands of photos of the animals and conditions. The ranch these disgruntled Prosecution Witnesses claim is because they couldn’t get a certain horse. They were on the ranch to do the chores that they are complaining about. What they are complaining about was taken care of each day.
Page 591
15. June 2, 2017 an Animal Control officer did come out to the ranch. She walked the ranch with the live in ranch hand. The Animal Control officer while still at the ranch called Craig when he was in Utah. She informed him Oak Meadows Ranch passed inspection. Craig was in Utah that day caring for his sick dad. That week was an unusual week. Debbie’s mother was ill and each day Debbie spent several hours with her and Debbie’s daughter went missing and Debbie spent time each day trying to find her daughter. There were several volunteers each day feeding, watering and caring for the horses and animals. David had not been on the ranch since March 2017. On August 14, 2017 David called Animal Control reporting that the horses don’t have enough hay, They are being fed a handful of hay per day. The horses at all times were fed the appropriate amount of hay.
Page 598
9. October, 4, 2016 a horse known as Gorgeous George was donated to Oak Meadows Ranch to be a sanctuary horse to be shared with the visitors and volunteers. The owner had him for 2 months paying $8,000.00 for him. The daughter felt the horse was not compatible for her so they donated him. That was the horse Tim Hieter wanted and wanted him for free. Tim became disgruntled. He took it upon himself to trim the California Pepper trees and the way he did it the trees no longer put off shade. There was not very many trees on were the ranch it was very upsetting how he trimmed the trees. Tim even trimmed right after Thanksgiving the live Christmas tree that was planted in 2012 that was just about to be decorated by the volunteers for Christmas. He trimmed the Christmas tree into a ball. Debbie was very upset.
Page 600
17. The previous renters were raising game chickens for cockfighting. When they moved out 11 hens and 1 rooster was left behind. They were free range. They slept in the trees, under the house and in the barn in the rafters (garage) with the previous tenants and with Craig and Debbie. The only chicken coops in the barn was 2 chicken brooders for baby chicks to be raised in. Then when they no longer needed a heat lamp and were large enough they went into a chicken coop. Debbie raised purebred chickens.
25. The chickens at that time had each 2 gallon galvanized water containers and in the large chicken coop had 2 2 gallon galvanized water containers. All the waters were filled daily. Chickens were fed daily Chicken Scratch and Chicken Lay Mash. Chicken feed and food grade Diatomaceous Earth (gray) were kept in metal containers near the large chicken coop under a No Smoking sign. Empty chicken feed bags were on top to protect the chicken feed from moisture or rain. It may appear to someone it may be a trash can but no many farms and ranches store their feed in metal trash cans. Pine shavings were next to the barn and the chicken brooders. Yes chicken coops were cleaned out. Diatomaceous Earth and pine shavings were put into the chicken coop. Then chicken manure was sold in 50 pound bags to gardeners.
Page 601
1. Where hay was stacked chickens weren’t roosting over the hay.
Page 602
10. When pasture horses were fed flakes of hay were thrown and spread out and also put into a large feeder. There was no competition for feed. Plenty of flakes was spread out. The pasture was very large and the horses weren’t aggressive.
Page 603
3. Fawn and Dawn were well taken care of. Numerous volunteers mucked that section of the ranch. Volunteer Kathy Smith was a volunteer starting in 2012. She also had her horse Red at the ranch. Kathy came everyday to visit and feed her horse. She did all the types of chores throughout the ranch including mucking Serenity’s, JJ’s, Fawn and Dawn’s stall daily. Kathy was part of a program that paid seniors to volunteer. It’s called SCSEP program. Kathy volunteered more than the required hours daily. She would also bring her dog Cowboy to run around. Cowboy would run around and play with Lucky Craig and Debbie’s ranch dog. Kathy wanted to testify but Mr. Bruggeman refused to call her. Kathy during the time had a male friend come with her to volunteer. He wanted to testify, Craig and Debbie don’t recall his name.
Page 604
10. There was never 12 to 16 inches of manure. That section of the ranch was taken care of by several volunteers each day. Kathy worked that area daily, dumped and cleaned horse water buckets. Debbie has on a security videotape Kathy even discussing that area. It’s insulting to Kathy saying that area was not taken care of because she was getting paid by the Senior Program to do so.
Page 606
15. Craig did call a Veterinarian and talked to a Veterinarian. It was the weekend, it was Sunday and its hard to get a Veterinarian out immediately or that day. Serenity was weak when she was first found, shaky and would go down. As time went on she improved. By late morning she improved greatly by 1:00 PM enough to have the mud washed off her. Debbie has photos. Serenity ate wet feed approximately 9:00 PM sitting up. Debbie has a photo.
Page 614
9. Debbie would start to do chores at 6 AM. After caring for the dogs she drove a golf cart around the 21 acre ranch. Debbie checked on horses to make sure there was no problem such as a horse down, if it needed water, if a water pipe was broken. Debbie would text Craig if such and such was an emergency and needed Craig’s help or what should be done as soon as a volunteer came which would be at 8:30 AM. Debbie again usually drove the golf cart the entire ranch checking on everything. This was repeated afternoon and in the evening. Before 8:30 AM Debbie would wash dog kennels out, give them fresh water, walk them, play with them, feed grain to the goats and pigs. Debbie has hundreds of photos and videos of Debbie walking the dogs. The routine never changed when the first Zeus was murdered with poison that was never on the ranch November 19, 2014.
Testimony Tim Hieter
Defendant’s Response to Court Transcripts
Page 613
10. Craig and Debbie paid farriers since the start of the ranch in 2012. When a volunteer or sponsor pays for a farrier they aren’t forced to it is their choice. Craig and Debbie never stopped paying for farrier services.
Page 614
It wasn’t that Debbie became emotionally attached Craig would ask Debbie if a certain horse is a sanctuary horse. Most of the horses Craig and Debbie promised the previous horse owner the horse would never be sold. It would remain with Craig and Debbie being shared with the volunteers and visitors. Some were very expensive horses that the previous owner paid $200,000, $8,000, $3,500 for. They didn’t donate a valuable horse like that just to be flipped. They would have sold the horse themselves if that was the case. Tim was interested in a horse named Gorgeous George. The previous owner donated him as a sanctuary horse October 4, 2016. He cost the previous owner $8,000 and he was meant for her daughter. The daughter felt the horse was not compatible to her. The previous owner only had him 2 months then donated him to be a sanctuary horse. To be shared with those on the ranch that wanted to be with horses. So when Tim asked to adopt Gorgeous George in November 2016 for free to get some horses off the ranch Craig and Debbie had to say no. Craig and Debbie had to respect the wishes of the previous owner. Some horses there was an agreement with the previous owner if Craig and Debbie no longer wanted the horse to not sell it but to give it back such as Soldier and Little Charlie.
Page 615
1. The trees Tim trimmed were not in the way of horses and were not in the place to slap people in the face. Debbie several times a year would trim trees. They mainly were in the area horseback riders would take their horses being on the horses back and get shade. There wasn’t much shade on the ranch for people.
Page 617
28. The pine tree was about 20 feet away from Kathy Smith’s horse Red. Where it was located was not near anyone walked horses. The pine tree was a live planted Christmas tree from 2012 that is decorated each year. Debbie has photos of before and after.
Testimony Jill Boyd
Defendant’s Response to Court Transcripts
Page 625
9. Jill started volunteering after Barbara Barnaba retired in September 2016 until March 2017. That was approximately 6 months.
Page 631
1. The ranch normally had 2 volunteers feeding the morning and 2 volunteers in the evening. There was volunteers at the same time giving horses water. In the cooler months normally twice a day. Hot summer times 3 to 4 times a day. The horse may at times be low on water first thing in the morning but it get filled in the morning. Volunteers started 8:30 AM and it would take about 2 hours to fill water buckets. Then it got repeated. Debbie around 3:00 PM would drive around the ranch in her golf cart because its 21 acres and check the ranch and the horse water buckets. This is done with all the animals including chickens.
6. Kathy Smith was a paid volunteer by a Senior program and did the chores Jill is complaining about. The ranch was not in the conditions Jill is stating that is why Kathy Smith should have testified. Kathy took pride in the work she did daily and for hours. The horses never missed a feeding. If Jill believes there was no hay at times is because it was on order and the hay truck was running late but the horses did get fed.
Page 633
2. Cody was a sanctuary horse. He came from a ranch in Temecula and the couple were divorcing. Cody and Radar came from that family and Cody and Radar were their teenage kids horses.
27. Debbie did every type of chore on the ranch and had helped build the ranch including designing it. Debbie designed flyers, websites, took photos, uploaded photo to websites and Facebook for the ranch. Debbie often got out of bed in the middle of the night to check on the animals and scare off coyotes. Debbie had a sensitivity to heat and sun due to her diabetes. Times Debbie has to sit down. Diabetes is a terrible disease.
Page 634
9. Many of the volunteers had a problem if they Debbie saw sit down and take a break especially working all day. They had a problem if they saw her on her phone thinking she was playing games on her phone but in fact she was working on her phone. That particular day Jill was angry with Debbie. Debbie was taking a break sitting down and Jill was running up and down in between the stalls shouting out that Debbie wouldn’t take $1,500.00 for Sapphire. Just prior to that a volunteer was in that area filling up the horse’s water buckets.
Page 636
26. Craig and Debbie have no idea how much Jill donated for the feed and care of a horse. Craig and Debbie don’t know what she purchased other than she was purchasing unnecessary items many times. Craig and Debbie always stressed about donations being hay or grain.
Page 637
6. JJ was owned by Elizabeth Wiley. Elizabeth had many Veterinarian’s look at his leg including DVM Charles Edgerly. It was determined he was not in pain or suffering but should that happen he’d be euthanized. Elizabeth checked on him often. Kathy Smith would treat his leg everyday doing how it was suggested by DVM Charles Edgerly.
12. Jill was upset that the grounds were western themed. The ranch didn’t have white horse fencing and rolling green grass.
Page 639
JJ was Elizabeth Wiley’s horse. Elizabeth had numerous Veterinarian’s treat him. Not one Veterinarian had told Craig and Debbie JJ needed to be euthanized.
Page 640
6. Debbie was donated 2 baby ducks. The owner purchased them from Tractor Supply and they were too messy for her. They were in a temporary wire dog crate for protection. There was enough room for the 2 baby ducks. A large dog kennel was purchased and they were moved to the larger dog kennel with a plastic swimming pool, dog house and 2 gallon galvanized water container. The live in ranch hand was taking care of many of the animals between January 2017 until June 2017 in exchange for free rent. At that time he was the one feeding, giving water, cleaning out chicken coops and the ducks which included dumping the duck swimming pool. Debbie has a 90 page text communication with the ranch hand making sure certain duties are done each day. Debbie was always in communication with the live in ranch hand either by phone calls or texts. Early spring during mating season roosters would get in fights and had to be put into a dog wire crate for protection. The crate would be in what is called the chicken patio area and wounds treated with Vetrycin. The chickens in the chicken patio area liked sitting on top of the roofs of smaller chicken coops such as for Silkies. Those chicken coops such as you can buy at Tractor Supply aren’t heavy duty and a coyote can easily break it. So it’s inside the chicken coop area for protection. The upside Sparklets bottle hadn’t been used for about 6 months it was broken. In the chicken patio area sitting on 2 pavers was 2 2 gallon galvanized water containers filled everyday.
21. Jill started going around opening doors and animals would get out. Doors started to have to be locked. The cats were in a brand new insulated log cabin 8 x 15. The area where the cats were was 8 x 10. It had 2 windows, a ceiling vent, oscillating fan that was always on, radiator heater, 2 cat trees, a chair for Debbie to sit on, a cat door. Of course a cat would go to a window and meow. It was still cold at night in the 30’s and 40’s at night. Debbie has photos of the interior and the receipt. The receipt shows that there was a roof vent when it was made. Jill was a complainer. She would call and say Little Joe wasn’t eating. Craig went out and took a video of Cody eating. Jill would call Animal Control because Little Joe got out of the pasture there was no need to do so it was fenced in. He was caught and brought to an arena. She complained he was injured. Debbie went out to Little Joe and took photos of his entire body. No injuries, no blood.
Page Jill kept calling Animal Control. She was hardly at the ranch. Wasn’t there during hay and grain deliveries. Was not there during feedings.
Page 645
16. Autumn when at Oak Meadows Ranch in 2016 and 2017 was not under weight. In a short period of time being owned by David and Jill and at another ranch Autumn would die from colic under David and Jill’s care. The agreement with Jill to get Autumn at a certain adoption fee was she was to keep Autumn at Oak Meadows Ranch for 6 months. David and Jill were not very experienced with horses. Before David and Jill would leave with Autumn Craig and Debbie wanted to make sure Autumn would be in good hands.
Lies to the DA, Judge & Jury from Prosecution Witnesses
Rosemarie Eisner, Holly Wilcox, Melodee Latta, David Boyd, Jill Boyd, Tim Hieter, Officer Monquenec Middleton, Therron Hubbell, Bill Hepburn, Dr. Susan Eyer-Anderson, Lt. Lesley Huennekens, Dr. Celeste Martin, Dr. Allan Drusys
