Facing a deadline to remove his flock from the Bridgeport animal shelter, Chris Toole has reached out to Craigslist and rescue networks to take in his animals ordered off the premises by city police. Toole, with permission from Mayor Bill Finch, had turned the animal control shelter into an experimental urban farm including chickens, goats, donkeys and a pig. State inspectors, however, determined the venue was not an appropriate location for an urban farm and city police ordered him off the premises. Toole said he would slaughter the animals if he could not find them a new home. CT Post scribe Brian Lockhart has more:
That rescue is actually Animal Nation out of Rye New York, confirmed Patrick Moore, who helps run the nonprofit and its rescue work in New York and in Fairfield County. “We’ve been in negotiations with him for close to a month. He was trying to find somewhere to keep his animals and keep them his,” Moore said Friday.
Moore said while usually Animal Nation does not buy animals, Toole had reiterated comments made last month to Hearst Connecticut Media that if he could not sell the animals he would slaughter them for food.
Entire story here.
This guy O’Toole has now earned the “Mustang Sally Horse Shithead” of the year award.
Those animals are better people than he will ever be. And they don’t deserve to be reduced to economic casualties. They are living beings with more dignity than this jerk could ever hope for.
I don’t find this situation remotely humorous.
I would suggest adding His Honor the mayor as co-recipient of your award in this case. Not researching the laws, first publicly supporting the urban farmer, and now stepping away from the issue without offering a viable solution for this farmer and the animals is award-winning in my opinion.
Jennifer–I’m finding it difficult to believe the mayor would grant this man permission to house all these animals adjacent to the animal shelter. Is this a fact or just hearsay from the farmer? I’m glad these animals are moving on to better locations more conducive to their well-being. I’ve been following this saga out of curiosity and recall an article from Hunt’s Point NY (I believe) stating he had a fish hatchery in the bathtub of his apartment. I just can’t help but wonder if there is a missing piece of this puzzle. I may be off base, but Mr. Toole seems rather eccentric and lacks the experience to raise farm animals.
This has never been rebutted by the Mayor’s office:
www .ctpost.com/default/article/Chicken-guy-finds-city-space-for-brood-4890863.php
My daughter is a vet and I grew up on a working farm in Indiana. Five hundred acres of corn, wheat and soybeans, along with Angus Beef Cattle, pigs, chickens and one milk cow, so I do think anyone wanting to have a herd of anything except goldfish in a city is thinking outside the box.
Jennifer–I reviewed the article. I may be misinterpreting, but seemingly it states the mayor gave him permission for chickens, not farm animals. How did the four-footed creatures get into the mix? It appears to me Toole took advantage of the situation. I still feel a piece of the puzzle is missing.
Need a farm, a pig sty? Send them to Hartford with the other animals!!!
Sally, I agree with you 100%. These animals should be taken away from this shithead.
Mistreatment of defenseless animal laws should be stricter and enforced.
The guy is a total scammer who scammed a total scammer. Serves Finch right Now Bridgeport taxpayers will pick up the tab for two guys who couldn’t make a living–without government subsidy–if their lives depended on it.
A “self-described burnt-out banking executive.” I guess he opted for another career path raising these unfortunate animals and got in over his head. Where did he get the money to purchase them? Thankfully, they’ll be moved to greener pastures. As for him, he should be put out to pasture.
I agree! He got into deep shit way over his head. 😉
Take it easy on the farmer. In fact he was taking good care of these animals.
I hope you are right Bridgeporteur, but he hardly looks as if he takes care of himself. I’ve been following this saga, and I recall reading he was tossed out of his apartment in NY for turning it into a fish hatchery of sorts in his bathtub. He also made some sort of statement about seeking for ways to slaughter these animals such as slamming them in the head with a brick. I just don’t think this man has the experience or capability to properly run an “urban farm.”
“Who is going to clean up the mess?” Bill Cosby as Noah.
We are sooo into history around here … Perhaps someone can find a historical recipe in the library for roasting goat and the other animals, after coming up with the way animals were slaughtered. That would be a real back-to-nature guide for the kiddies.
*** Nothing like fresh chicken & rice soup or curried goat stew in the winter to make the day just a bit warmer, no? *** Just Saying! ***
Now that it’s been determined those chickens have to move, wouldn’t it be best to refer to them as poultry in motion?
On a serious note, Christopher O’Toole manages a fish farm in New York and had Bridgeport’s best interests in mind. What’s good for him is good for us.
I hope things change.
LE,
Come home. All is forgiven!
“Poultry in motion” … such a turn of phrase … we do not deserve anything more today … you have raised our vision from “chicken s#!t” to “fowls in flight!!!” Perhaps we will erect a monument to this historic occasion at some future date. Time will tell.
Cute. Add why did the chicken cross the road or new meaning to “he got your goat.”
I’d prefer this meat to the CAFO method, any day.
Absolutely guys. I remember after all the Vietnamese refugees came to town in the late 1970s opening up Asian restaurants. They were great. It was years before you could find a stray cat around.
Jim–Good grief! Are you saying that wasn’t chicken in my chicken chow mein?
*** GOAT CHEESE IS GOOD FOR YOU, AND CHICKEN POT PIE! ***