Humane officer accused of skirting animal laws

The allegations come after a man with a history of taking on the establishment posted a message on Craigslist asking for information to help him take on the Peninsula Humane Society. The man, Jim Knapp, had a previous dispute with the PHS but said there is no connection between the two situations. Now, the PHS is filing a trespassing report with the police and standing behind DeNardi.

Yesterday, Colma police visited the home of DeNardi, captain of field services and humane investigations for Peninsula Humane Society. They received reports DeNardi was keeping two miniature horses, two pygmy goats and too many golden retrievers on her property. The city rarely allows residents from keeping any livestock on their property and requires breeders to apply for a special permit.

DeNardi admits to the animals and not having permits but denies breaking any laws. Instead, the PHS filed a trespassing report with the Colma Police Department after photos surfaced of her backyard that could only be obtained by walking on her property. She is removing herself and one of her horses from a parade this weekend and said she is concerned about the safety of her animals and family.

Police and the Colma Planning Department received an e-mail this week from Jim Knapp, of Citizens for Accountability, a watchdog group that previously took on Redwood City for its use of eminent domain in redeveloping its downtown. The e-mail alleged DeNardi was violating the law and had pictures of the animals to prove it. Knapp received information about DeNardi from a Craigslist message he recently posted soliciting any information about the PHS.

Colma police and Colma code enforcement officers visited the property at approximately 10:30 a.m. yesterday. They had not determined by yesterday afternoon whether DeNardi violated the law, said City Planner Andrea Ouse.

Colma requires breeders to have a special permit and only allow limited livestock permits for nonprofit, such as the 4-H club. If DeNardi is in violation of the city law, she would be issued a infraction citation, said Ouse.

DeNardi claims the two miniature horses, which weigh less than 200 pounds each, are normally housed at a separate stable. She keeps them at her house before and after shows. "Ruler" the miniature horse won most interesting pet at last weekend's Pet Parade in Burlingame. It is scheduled to be another parade this weekend, DeNardi said.

Now DeNardi is concerned for her own safety.

"I've had these [horses] since January and there's a reason no one knew about them," DeNardi said. "Because they are not kept here."

Knapp learned of the horses from an e-mail sent to him in response to a Craigslist message posted on Sept. 27. The message was in the form of a press release with a headline of 'watchdog group takes on Peninsula Humane Society." In the message, Knapp details his version of an Aug. 2 incident in which a client's dog was put to sleep at a private animal hospital with the help of DeNardi. Knapp ends the message with, "Citizens for Accountability believes that PHS, acting under the color of authority, is a de facto governmental agency and is acting as an arm of San Mateo County government."

A person responded to the posting with information about the DeNardi residence and pictures of the animals. Knapp visited the property to confirm what the e-mailer claimed.

Knapp posted the message after he became upset that the PHS would not deliver a copy of its report when he requested it after the incident. He also insists the incident has nothing to do with his recent e-mail to Colma police.

The PHS isn't taking any chances. It filed a trespassing report and DeNardi plans to keep a low profile now that she knows her personal address in circulating on the Internet, said PHS spokesman Scott Delucchi.

The case Knapp refers to on Craigslist happened in early September and involved a severely sick dog that the vet saw numerous times before. The owner wouldn't agree to euthanize the sick animal and the vet called DeNardi to help talk to the dog owner. The vet felt she would be contributing to the cruelty of an animal if she let the dog leave the hospital, Delucchi said.

Delucchi said the PHS stands behind DeNardi.

"Of course, Debi knows these laws more than anyone else," he said.

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.<