The city and the Friendship Animal Protective League (APL) rescued 37 animals from Avon homeowner Haydar Bektas’ Kinzel Road property.
Over the last few weeks, news reports have detailed the situation, which culminated in Bektas being arrested by Avon police for obstruction while the APL served him with a search warrant to examine the animals’ condition.
According to police reports, Bektas became more animated and agitated as the APL examined the animals in question.
His statements to police and APL case workers became increasingly violent and menacing, with Bektas once telling police to “go ahead and kill him,” and that they needed to bring in the entire Army because no one was taking his animals.
He addressed the animals as “my family.”
Following his arrest, Bektas was processed and released on bond.
However, his arrest for obstruction may be the least of his worries, as the APL seized 37 animals — 15 sheep, eight goats, 13 dogs, and a cat — that were found to be in various states of distress.
The animals were found to be dehydrated and malnourished, and they were not receiving adequate general care.
According to the APL, the animals’ poor conditions may result in criminal charges for animal neglect and cruelty.
During the search and seizure, Bektas requested the business card of the APL caseworker so that he “knows who to sue.”
Her name is Victoria McDonald.
“We served the search warrant at the property on June 25 and I had attempted to make contact and examine the animals a couple times before then, but was told by the homeowner I was not welcome,” McDonald recalled.
“The call had come in about the animals’ welfare, so when we receive a concern, the first thing we do is go out and try to make contact with the animals and look at them.
“At that point, nothing criminal — it’s just like any other investigating agency just to check on the welfare,” she told me.
“The first time I went out, nobody was home. There was no answer at the door. So, a few days later, I went out again and received, shall we say, a lack of compliance.
“There was no intention for me to be able to see those animals or even have a conversation with this person,” she recalled.
“But upon leaving the residence and when I got thrown off the property, I did have the chance to see a couple concerning things in plain sight from the road.”
She described her initial observations as heartbreaking: animals in a dry lot without grass, baking in the hot sun with no shade or water.
She could easily see sheep and goats that were not walking naturally and were limping heavily as a result of neglect.
She saw several goats with dangling legs because they could no longer bear weight, as well as hooves that were severely overgrown and untrimmed.
She knew immediately that it was time to involve the court and the police.
The court issued the search warrant. It is standard practice for local law enforcement to assist in both serving the warrant and protecting the APL from an incident.
“I did observe animals competing for shade, as well as evidence of overheating, with lying down and heavily panting,” McDonald pointed out.
“Not every animal, but several did not have enough water and were unable to access the small amount remaining in their buckets.
“None of the sheep and goats had access to any food, so not the same violation with every single animal, but in general there were food and water violations, and the space lacked sanitation and shelter.”
The animals were then seized. Bektas will retain ownership provided he pays the bond and reimburses the APL for the animals’ care.
McDonald said she doubts Bektas will do so.
While in the care of the APL, the animals will be housed at either the Friendship APL or nearby approved temporary foster homes.
They also cannot be euthanized unless a veterinarian determines that it is medically necessary.
The animals will now receive all necessary medical treatment and general maintenance to help them recover, such as shots, cleaning and trimming, food, water, and lots of love.
“When we see an animal, it’s not about if someone isn’t loving them; it’s if the animal is the subject of an offense, and that can be intentional, unintentional or even a financial issue,” McDonald told reporters.
“Not all neglect is deliberate.
“I do think that this man cares about his pets very much, and some of the images I’ve seen actually makes it seem like he humanizes them.”
McDonald encourages everyone in the community to contact the APL if they notice anything suspicious.
A welfare check that turns out to be ineffective is preferable to an animal being mistreated or suffering, she said.
McDonald explained that in this case, there was a civil proceeding in which a judge determined whether seizing the animals was justified.
That was determined to be the case on July 7.
At that point, the animal owner has the option to surrender any or all of the animals and sign them over to the APL while the case is reviewed for criminal charges.
The animals have a care bond placed on them. There are 37 animals in this case, so the care bond was set at more than $16,000.
That bond would have to be paid monthly during the criminal investigation to maintain ownership, even though the animals would remain in the APL’s care and custody.
McDonald believes it is highly unlikely that Bektas will reclaim the animals.
Bektas denies the accusations, claiming that racism is the root cause of the animal abuse report.
He also claims his rights have been violated.
According to Avon police, the signs he recently erected on his property disparaging neighbors, police, and animal care workers are completely within his First Amendment rights.
The City of Avon is investigating the entire incident and plans to review its zoning laws. The city is also investigating the legality of owning this number or these types of animals in Avon.
