Edhat Staff
Animal Rescue Team in Solvang
By edhat staff
The Solvang-based wildlife rescue and rehabilitation program had its permit revoked by the State of California, reports KSBY.
The California Fish and Wildlife Department stated it was a rare decision, but the founder of the Animal Rescue Team, Julia Di Sieno, said losing her permit won’t stop her from saving animals as it’s her lifelong passion, according to KSBY.
“A revocation is pretty rare but there were multiple violations including not separating domestic animals from wildlife, there was not having visual separation from particular species which is required by law, there was numerous violations of record-keeping and there was possession of species which were not permitted for her to possess,” explained Jordan Traverso, Deputy Director of Communications for California Fish and Wildlife.
Most of the rescued animals have been released back into the wild, but Di Sieno has 30 days to appeal. The Animal Rescue Team is located in her backyard at 875 Carriage Drive, just outside the Solvang city limits, and is equipped with cages and kennels. It has also been the source of many complaints from neighbors. KSBY reached out to neighbors for a comment on this development and they declined to comment for fear of retaliation.
Last February DiSieno was arrested over a feud with neighbors and for violating a criminal protective order involving alleged threats, stalking, and unlawful firearm activity. She was sentenced for violating court orders and unlawful firearm activity. In March, she was arrested after allegedly assaulting her neighbor with her vehicle.
According to KSBY, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating claims she violated her probation.
The Animal Rescue Team primarily focused on large mammal rescue but claimed to not turn away birds, raptors, and reptiles. They also rescued fawns and occasionally fostered domestic animals until a home is found. During the Jesusita Fire, the organization states they rescued over 200 wild and domestic animals with numerous fire-related injuries.
Past Articles
February 7, 2018: Wildlife Rescuer Arrested Over Feud with Neighbors
March 26, 2018: Wildlife Rescuer Arrested Again Over Feud
I’m sad for the animals – I wish circumstances could be different. We’ve seen some big falls-from-grace for wildlife rehab in the last few years. First Peter Howorth, now DiSieno.
I’ve always known ART to do good work, but I can understand the location problem. We live adjacent to people who have horses and other animals, and sometimes the smells can be overpowering. Julia needs to find somewhere that’s not in a residential neighborhood so she can resume her mission.
What a shame. She has done good things in the past, but seems to be having problems with irrational behavior. I hope she gets help.
“Most of the rescued animals have been released back into the wild . . . ” What? Were the animals ready to be released? All of their injuries/disabilities mended? If so, why was DiSieno keeping them? That makes no sense whatsoever. I, too, feel this is a big loss for animals. I don’t know Julia personally but I do know she has a big heart and has done a lot of good with her rehab work. I hope she can continue to help animals. And I hope her neighbors can learn to be as altruistic as Julia.
I hope she finds a new place because I believe ART is a necessary organization. Not many people are willing to do what Julia and her team have done for our local wildlife.
Too bad Julia cannot seem to play well with others.
Still, she seems to have some made bad choices in her interactions with some people.
Yes I agree but she loves animals more than people…
Understandable in many cases. Sadly, one still has to deal with people on occasion. Heading towards someone with a truck is not the best way to get any cooperation from that person.
Sometimes a wood chipper helps.
Believe Me I know about threats and people coming at me with weapons it’s happened a few times since I have been here I had to stand up on a couple of occasions and fight back I take no pride in that I was scared as hell. I stay away from those kind of people I know of one who is still around. He stays away from me to and we go on with our lives. That is what you have to do sometimes hope that whatever bothered that person doesn’t anymore and move on..I remember one time back home I got beat up by a bunch of bikers good thing they were wannabes broken bones, sliced diced I was really scared for along time I thought about getting them all back but why it was over I let it go after a bit moved on..Let it go pray for them and you’ll feel better Believe me I know I got beat up alot in my life, alot..I was the official Hammond, Indiana Punching bag.
Well, if Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network takes in wild animals in need of help seems that will fill the void. Are 2 places necessary? Not like the wildlife will be left high and dry.
There is the SB Wildlife Care Network so animals aren’t left without any help.
I’ve wondered about professional Animal Rescue groups after having dealt with 3 or 4 of them over the decades. It seems to my wife and I that they mostly only “save” the cute critters. When we have sent them crows or pigeons or opossums and follow up a few weeks later – we are more often than not told that they had to be put down for some reason or the other.
When my wife and her like-minded mountain friends began working with these injured animals on their own instead of calling these savior companies, they found that few, if any, needed putting down.
What “professionals” and “companies” are you referring to? SB Wildlife Network and private individuals work with skunks and opossums; even animal control contacts specialists to respond to calls. Wildlife Network has helped me with a crow and a dove over the years. Is WILDE still taking animals? Probably is behind the scenes. All these rescue groups and individuals are non-profits.
http://www.sbwildes.org/
—————————————————————————————————
https://www.sbwcn.org/
—————————————————————————————————
and our local skunk lady and opo lady. I’m sure there’s more. Oh, the seabird lady whose yard was superseded (maybe) by new wildlife care.
@11:17: I believe in that situation involving her neighbor she was found not guilty in court.
I personally know Julia. I know that her heart is in the right place. She’s a sensitive person and she has been overwhelmed by some horrible behavior on the part of her neighbors… they have done some truly heinous things to her. She’s on her own, trying to do good work. We need more people like her who help and not hurt our native wildlife. Wildlife is the forgotten animal: the dog and the cat get all the help, while wildlife often suffer… I hope Julia can continue her good work.
I also know her. And I have respected the work she has done and tried to do. With a loss of the state permit, unless her appeal is upheld, it’s not at all likely she will be able to continue, unless it’s working as a volunteer or staff with another organization. Getting a license is not easy. Maybe she can seque into a dog and cat rescue. It’s an interesting thing about animal care, including wildlife: not infrequently human egos expand. Maybe it’s because it is hard work and most of it is unseen and thankless. With a domestic creature, there can be some bonding, some gratefulness. With a wild one, not so much AND importantly, there must not be much human contact because of the danger of imprinting. The point is to rescue and rehabilitate for life in the wild. …So, it can be very lonely work. And residential neighbors are not always friendly, welcoming….
To those of you who are friends and know her so well, which portions of the following news report is incorrect and which are correct: /////”The Santa Ynez woman who runs a wildlife rescue center was arrested again in a dispute with her neighbors. This time she’s accused of assaulting a man with her vehicle.//////Julia Di Sieno, the 57-year-old owner and operator of the Animal Rescue Team (ART), was arrested Saturday evening for allegedly following her neighbor in her truck to the El Rancho Market. When the man exited his vehicle, Di Sieno is accused of driving her truck in his direction, striking him on the shoulder with a side mirror, and fleeing the scene, reports KEYT News./////According to reports, although the victim was uninjured and declined treatment, witnesses at the scene and video evidence supported his claims. ////Di Sieno was arrested on Sunday morning and charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon and a bail set at $30,000./////This is the second arrest for Di Sieno in connection with the feud between her neighbors.
Residents of Santa Barbara County, including North County residents, are encouraged to call Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network (SBWCN) if a wild animal in distress needs help. The HELPline is 805-681-1080 and the Wildlife Care Center is open 365 days of the year. SBWCN remains a robust and expert resource for wildlife, and will be working diligently to serve the needs in North County to help meet the needs of wildlife in the region. Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and return to the wild sick, injured, orphaned, or oil-impaired wild birds and small mammals.
SBWCN is licensed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Wildlife Baby Season will begin March 1, and it is anticipated that hundreds of orphans will need critical care across the County. SBWCN is also looking for volunteers to help transport wildlife from the North County to its facility in Goleta, which is located at 1460 North Fairview. Animals can also be directly brought the the center 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Volunteer applications can be found online: http://www.sbwcn.org/volunteer/
That arrest was March 2018 but you did not note that.
The permit for that use of that location should never have been granted in the first place. She does noble and important work, but it needs to be done on a ranch property, not in a neighborhood upsetting neighbors.
I understand that her emotional decline was triggered by the reopening of the Golden State Killer case. Apparently he murdered her next door neighbors in Santa Barbara when she was a preteen which traumatized her deeply and she suffered PTSD from it. That’s why she was afraid to turn in all her guns when ordered. She lives all alone out there. It appears that since her security was then also threatened when she had to get rid of her protection (guns) and possibly her dogs too if they were a source of any complaints, that fear alone could have compounded her mental decline and increased her anger at her neighbors. Anyways, I hope she gets through this last blow of losing her license. She has a good heart.