Suzanne Kelly reports the latest claims from controversial commercial farm-cum-rescue for farm animals – an alleged break in, vandalism and deliberate ‘poisoning’ of a young Shetland pony.
As has been demonstrated in previous AV articles, Northfield Animal Haven owner, Kelly Cable has engaged in some bizarre fundraising schemes, and animals have been injured, frozen to death and overfed to death at the New Pitsligo premises.
On the afternoon of 15 November 2015, a woman named Jackie Dow posted on facebook that Northfield Animal Haven had suffered a break in on the night of 14 November.
She wrote:
“hello to the evil people who went to Northfield Animal Haven last night. hope you are proud of yourselfs as you cut all the wire so the sheep could get out. and you poisoned my pony who sadly died today. call yoursels animal lovers. I don’t think so. This vendetta needs to stop before any other animals suffer and thanks to you I will have to spend a fortune on vet bills. what did my boy do to deserve it…. and if the people who did this are reading this hope you are proud of yoursels.”
– Jackie Dow on NAH’s facebook page, 15 Nov 2016.
Aberdeen Voice sent Ms Dow an email to clarify why she thinks she knows who did this act, why she thinks they are animal lovers and what vendetta she is referring to. When / if she replies, we will print her response.
Northfield also echoed this allegation; on its Facebook page owner Kelly Cable wrote:
“got up this morning to find fencing cut out onto main road for the sheep and horses, lovely little auguero who everyone met at the Super Saturday locked in a portacabin and sadly he was very toxic, no gut sounds at all so he had to be pts [put to sleep]. Very evil twisted people out there and when they get caught I hope they throw the book at them.”
– Northfield Animal Haven Facebook page.
It seems that Ms Dow and Eric Cable had suspects for this very odd crime in mind – and Eric decided to name me and blame me for this event:
“Well the haters have really done it this time. A 22 month old Shetland pony poisoned last night after locking it in a feed store I hope that cowbag Suzanne Kelly is f**king happy with her work now the most evil bast///on on this planet I believe that she is now encouraging activists and it looks like they decided to pay a visit last night cut fence wire let sheep out locked a trusting wee pony into a portakabin and poison the wee toot… the vets want to speak to the police when they arrive.”
The Cables assert in their posts on the incident that the press and police were informed.
However, when alerted to this development, I telephoned the Police Scotland media arm – the spokesperson could find no such report. On Monday 21 November the police now have an incident report – which only concerns a fence. No pony is mentioned.
The police have been asked to say when this incident was reported considering there was no such report on their books when Eric Cable’s post claimed the vet wanted to speak to the police when they arrived. It currently seems that while Cable wrote those words about police arriving, the police had no information whatsoever about the incident.
Sources associated with local newspapers were unaware of anyone contacting them about a poisoned animal or vandalism. No news reports have been published about this alleged incident which was meant to have happened 6 days ago. There was no outreach from Northfield to other shelters in the area to warn them of potential vandals in the area.
The very idea of the crime is a bizarre one. There are many incidents of livestock being stolen, and last year there was a horrific attack on a mare in a field.
But to cut a fence and then, oddly, to sneak past the CCTV system it is understood operates at NAH, for the purpose of taking one of the 170+ animals and locking it inside a feed store beggars belief.
In the past, two animals at Northfield were allowed to overeat with fatal consequences. In a separate incident, an elderly horse was left to freeze to death in a field. Could this possibly be yet another instance demonstrating that a woman with health issues (in her own words) might not be best able to look after 170 animals?
Things took a dark turn following Eric Cable’s post. Several people made threatening posts, and one man who had in the past made threats, shared Jackie Dow’s post over 2 dozen times. The threats were reported to Police Scotland. Many have since been deleted from facebook.
Two of the more concerning threats were:
“They won’t be so smart when we get hold of them. Silent justice and as for that f**king reporter and her pals it’s on f**kers”
and …
“I will find you. I will hurt you.”
There are many times over the course of investigating how the Cables operate that I have been called a liar by Eric and Kelly Cable. I have asked them to apologise for the defamatory remarks – or to at the very least point out what portions of my articles they consider to be ‘lies’.
All of my claims have sources – very often I am quoting back contradictory claims that Kelly Cable has herself made over the course of time.
One day she will say NAH rescues all farm animals; the next she claims everyone knows they also sell animals at the Thainstone market and it’s not her affair what happens to such sold animals.
She will one day say that no animal will ever be put to sleep whilst her fundraising appeals clearly say that unless money is found, animals will be put to sleep.
The Cables have been asked to apologise on Facebook, Twitter and to the Aberdeen Voice for publication of a full apology, or I will have no choice but to seek legal remedy for the ongoing, serious defamation – and not least this latest unfounded attack by Mr Cable which seems to have led to threats of violence.
In a previous facebook post, Kelly Cable had gave her permission for me to see her veterinarian’s records; I wrote to the vet at the time, who refused to release any information.
After this alleged pony poisoning and Eric Cable’s post saying the vet wanted to speak to the police (who had not been told about a poisoned pony it should be remembered), I emailed the vet once again. A source made me aware of The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ position:
‘The duty of confidentiality is important but it is not absolute and information can be disclosed in certain circumstances, for example where the client’s consent has been given, where disclosure can be justified by animal welfare concerns or the wider public interest.’
Considering Northfield has been asking the public for money for years and, as previous articles demonstrate, sometimes doing so under false pretences, and considering the number of animals injured and neglected at Northfield over time, it is hoped the vet will release information.
Since this poisoning tale appeared on Facebook, someone was in touch concerning a pony that died there of blood poisoning – how many avoidable deaths and injuries will it take for the vet to raise concerns with the authorities and let the donating public know what is going on?
I posted this request for apology and many questions about the incident on the Northfield Animal Haven Facebook page. The page is now offline.
Aberdeen Voice will follow this story and report any and all updates.
Aberdeen Voice is sorry to hear that yet another animal has had an avoidable death at Northfield. If indeed vandals cut a fence, snuck in, and put the animal in a feed store – then we are confident the CCTV will have caught them, and we hope they will be brought to justice.
Should it be conceivable that the truth is still to be determined and information has been withheld or warped, possibly to cover a further incident of fatal animal overfeeding and/or other form of negligence, Aberdeen Voice is equally hopeful that the truth will come out. In the mean time, we are receiving yet more stories from people who have had business/animal welfare dealings with the Cable family.
Anyone with any further information is invited to please contact Aberdeen Voice in strictest confidence.
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If an animal has had to be PTS then surely it would have had done by a vet. I am wondering if SSPCA would investigate this at all.
Not necessarily unless it can be proven that the animal’s welfare had deliberately been put at risk. All they can do is serve a notice of warning to improve matters within a certain amount of time and then take animals into custody if this does not happen. As long as animals are being fed/watered, looked after appropriately with proper shelter and are kept free from avoidable pain, injury, suffering and disease then their hands are tied. They will only take animals if their welfare is in immediate danger but if there are 170 animals finding places for them within the Drumoak rescue centre would be nigh on impossible unless other REPUTABLE sanctuaries (of which there are a few in Aberdeenshire/Angus/Morayshire) can step in to provide assistance (although they all have the welfare of their own animals to put first) but seeing how these have all been shunned by the Cables in the past I can see no reason to help them apart from the fact that none of us wish to see an innocent animal suffer.
Without doubt the Cable family have overstepped the mark this time. Personally, I have no doubt that this incident was originally nothing more than a case of unfortunate circumstances. Let’s face it, incidents with unsecured food stores and Shetland Ponies are hardly unknown.
However on this occasion, their talent for sensationalising events in order to maximise sympathy for themselves, possibly in the hope of securing some donations from their savant followers has hopefully backfired.
It would appear that in order to avoid any possible blame being laid at their door for yet another animal death at their so called ‘haven’, they have concocted what they consider to be a suitable cover story blaming ‘haters’, mysterious ‘activists’ and even alluding that AV’s Suzanne Kelly is to blame and actually responsible for this supposed attack on their ‘haven’ is to say the least disgusting and I hope that this is taken seriously by the appropriate authorities and investigated by the Police, the Scottish SPCA and the governments appointed animal welfare agency in Inverurie.
The scary thing is that the Cable family are unable to accept being wrong in any shape or form. Their default response to anybody questioning the things they do is either denial or deflection. If that does not work, then Step 2 is to intimate that the person commenting is a ‘hater’ or a ‘Vegan’ or cast aspersions on their character in the hope that they back off. Step 3 is to suggest that police or solicitors are going to be involved in the belief that most people will not pursue the matter in case they end up in an expensive court case. Step 4 has now been auctioned. Stick their heads in the sand and shut down communications with the outside world until their critics get bored and go away.
I don’t know about you, but I do not feel the need to lose interest in this particular ‘can of maggots’.
These people need to be exposed and prosecuted!
Suzanne says – thank you for this comment Peter. Readers should know that quite a while back Peter read one of my articles on NAH, and sent in questions for me and for Kelly Cable. I answered him with facts; and pretty much since that time, Kelly Cable and NAH supporters have subjected Peter to a considerable amount of abuse for his trouble.
I hope you keep us all updated as to any further actions either NAH make, or you personally have to make? I feel that these are potentially dangerous people. They do not appear to have any boundaries! My concerns are not only limited to the animals in their care, but to the deluded people who they have sucked into their supporters group. It seems to me that the Cable’s take advantage of people, some of whom may have special needs. These people may possibly be in need of support as well.
Suzanne says – thank you Peter; and you are not the first person to suggest there is danger (after all, there are now several documented threats and two police reports filed by me about them). As for a supporter’s group, one of the people cheated out of thousands suggested that a meeting could be called to get everyone with a grievance together – this may yet happen)
As predicted in my previous post. Please see above. Step 2 was used first, intimating the ‘enemy’ is simply a fool. I see that steps 3 and 4 have been actioned by Kelly Cable at Northfield Animal Haven.
I have no idea where the references regarding another daughter is concerned. Perhaps one of her supporters who follow this page would care to clarify? I can not speak on behalf of AV but I am confident your comments WILL be published.
I have no idea of the threats made to her last year other than her stating that threats had been made. Again I would like to see a direct quote of these threats.
Finally Kelly has published that she would rather put her animals to sleep than let other sanctuaries take them.
She is right about one thing. The animals in her care are her responsibility, and for any of them to die in such dubious circumstances as has been described and for that not to be reported to the police, should be considered as an act of gross negligence at the very least.
Her comments also suggest that she looks forward to her day in court facing Suzanne Kelly ‘and I look foward to meeting this woman in court to show her as the liar she is, she started this campaign 22 months ago, i was threatened and still get threats daily because of this woman and her story telling.’
I am not very knowledgeable about these things, but perhaps there is someone reading this who knows how to set up a fund to finance Suzanne or AV to make this a reality?
These people need to be publicly shown as the frauds that they are so that good people are not taken advantage of any more!
Kelly Cable
11 hrs · New Pitsligo ·
Hi everyone sorry havent been on, i am trying to sort out all the carry on but its rather difficult. I have seen that the story has grown arms and legs and I also seem to have another daughter, im pretty sure I only have one. No apologies will be coming from me or Northfield Animal Haven and I look foward to meeting this woman in court to show her as the liar she is, she started this campaign 22 months ago, i was threatened and still get threats daily because of this woman and her story telling. I see from a few comments the threats i was given last year are now in print, so these have all been copied too. Lastly `Northfield Animal Haven has not closed and will not close, no other sanctuaries or charities will have to look after our animals, they are my responsibilty. Thanks all xxx
Thank you Sammy McQueen for clarifying the picture. It was not AV or Suzanne Kelly who made any comment regarding you having another daughter. It was simply a genuine comment from the general public that you have used to try and mock the reporter…..nothing more than a case of wrong identity by the poster which you and your family have pounced on to try and deflect and belittle the article.
Victor Beattie
Gillian Louise Tosh – I read a lot about genuine animal charities and never hear about the kind of dishonesty perpetuated by your mother and her organisation.
Fortunately I have the screenshot available on my page that you so kindly shared 🙂