By Raymont Jackson

On Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, a jury of my peers, all from San Juan County, unanimously exonerated and cleared me from the false, reckless and hurtful accusations against me regarding my beloved 12-year-old dog Sasha. No amount of words can express the gratitude I have for the jurors in doing their civic duty.

And while I am not surprised by the verdict — because I knew the allegations were untrue, unsupportable and without any merit — I am beyond words to describe how devastated I am at the state’s efforts to take my family’s dog Sasha — a close family member — without first hearing the evidence or, more accurately, the lack of evidence, to support the allegations.

Two things I heard that the jury said after the verdict struck me hard: First, the jury all collectively were surprised that Sasha would still not be returned to our home even after their verdict; and secondly, that why did our local government officials waste our community’s time, resources and collective power to target me in a case with absolutely no evidence of any cruelty toward Sasha.

We should all be concerned that the San Juan County Sheriff’s Department and the San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney can simply make an allegation of animal cruelty, as they did in this case — however flimsy and without credible support — to permanently and irreversibly remove our beloved Sasha from our home before hearing our side of the story. I call upon the community to help me and my family reunite with Sasha.

The San Juan County Sheriff’s Department took the unusual step before my trial to send Sasha off-island to be adopted. I am not sure, but it seems they took this unusual move to make it ever more difficult for me and my family to locate, reconnect and restore Sasha to the only home she has known for over 12 years.

Sasha’s 13th birthday is Oct. 31. We would love to have Sasha get home for her birthday. I am begging the community to contact the San Juan County Sheriff’s Department, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Animal Protection Society to encourage them to locate Sasha and help us reconnect, even if just for one last visit.

I hope anyone who hears and really listens to the facts of this situation, rather than the unsupportable and sensational rumors, would agree that displacing a 12-year-old beloved family pet from her family is the real cruelty to animals in this situation.