June 2 protest planned for USDA $90K rabbit fine

protest against government intrusion “into every aspect of our lives.”

Rady Ananda, Contributing Writer
Activist Post

A Missouri group has vowed to continue protesting the USDA’s outrageous $90,000 fine on Missouri rabbit breeders engaged strictly in intrastate commerce. Their “crime” was selling without a license over $500 worth of rabbits in a single year to a reseller, which invoked federal statute, according to the April 19 USDA letter and attachment.

Wearechange Branson has set the next rally for Thursday, June 2 from 4:30–6 pm at Congress Member Billy Long’s Springfield office, 3232 E. Ridgeview Street. They rallied last Wednesday in front of a USDA Service Center in Ozark.

In a video, the Dollarhites conveyed much gratitude for the local and national support they’ve received since the news broke in alternative media.

“The support has been tremendous. I’m so full of hope that our people are coming together and supporting us. They’re fed up with the status quo of the way our government has taken over every possible aspect of our lives,” Judy Dollarhite said.

Bob McCarty at Big Government thinks that the USDA will cave based on an email he received on May 24 from USDA/APHIS Spokesperson Dave Sacks who advised:

“We are working out an alternative to the $90K fine and plan to reach out to Mr. Dollarhite over the next week to discuss. We are hopeful he’ll be amenable to discussing it with us and let us visit his facility as we work the issue out.”

McCarty included a bit of wisdom from Paul Hamby of Campaign For Liberty in Missouri: “Don’t declare victory yet. If a thug steals your car and then calls you to sit down and work out the terms of returning it to you, is that a victory?”

Rally organizers agree. On May 29, Sam Garner wrote: “As the USDA has not dropped all fines and allegations against the Dollarhite family, this issue is not over, it has not been resolved.” Hence the June 2nd protest.

Punitive measures against USDA inspectors are also in order. The first inspector lied to Judy Dollarhite when he claimed her cages were “a quarter inch too small.”

“In fact, there are no actual written USDA standards for what constitutes proper care of a rabbit by a wholesale breeder of pet animals,” Jonathan Strong wrote after speaking with Sacks of the USDA.

Sacks also admitted that the USDA is even going after entertainers who use rabbits, which begs the question: Why would the USDA be so concerned with controlling a prolific, natural food source?

Representing the Dollarhites is Richard L. Anderson who rejected the exorbitant fee and demanded a hearing in his May 19 letter to the USDA.

The protest will include speakers from the Well Fed Neighbor Alliance and the Feed Missouri First Coalition.

Rady Ananda specializes in Natural Resources and administers the sites, Food Freedom and COTO Report.