Letter to Stevens County from a resident and rescuer

Dear County Commissioners of Stevens County, My apologies if this letter comes off as harsh, but it is being penned shortly after I assisted a Spokane Humane Society employee and other residents of our county seize puppies at 7663 Hwy 291 in Tum Tum.(Feb. 16, 2014) I can not convey my embarrassment for living in a county that has allowed this type of situation to occur AGAIN! Our reputation as a "reactionary" county with no humane law enforcement has to come to an end.  We must become proactive in this arena! The total seizure, with the puppies, is over 22, with at least seven dogs left to intake on Monday.  Of the seven left to intake, three are chained, and it looks like three are pregnant. There were also at least 5 dead dogs still tied to trees, and garbage bags tossed about that may hold even more carcasses. As if the situation with the dogs wasn't bad enough, the two elderly women who lived at this address should have had assistance long before conditions got this bad.  The social worker who returned with one of the ladies, to verify her residence, could not believe anyone could live there without running water and toilet facilities. The women were not in good physical or mental condition. This was not even 100 yards off Highway 291.  How many Police/Fire calls have gone out to 7663 Hwy 291 before February 12, 2014? The reality is, this residence has had attention, but no care, and not one official stepping up to enforce basic RCW's. Where is our pride? Our responsibility? Our compassion? Our desire to take care of this county instead of letting it rot from within? The time for action is NOW, not tomorrow and not yesterday.  If you want to be a part of the solution, great!  I look forward to seeing progress!  If you don't, and you don't mind being mentioned as part of the problem when news media gets this story, great!  That will happen sooner than you think!  (No, I am not giving an interview to the paper, but I am not the only Stevens County resident who was present.) Please do what has to be done for our county to set the bar a little higher, because what we are doing now is not working. Sincerely, Rebecca Washington Chewelah, WA