Atlas Stays With Jessi

"Atlas her sire, to whose far-piercing eye

The wonders of the deep expanded lie;

The eternal columns which on earth he rears

End in the starry vault, and prop the spheres.”

-The Odyssey, Homer

This GoFundMe will benefit Jessi Summer and Jason Kaiser as they continue a legal battle for the possession of Atlas. Any funds donated through this GoFundMe will be delivered to their attorney to cover litigation costs and legal fees.

The following is accurate but not all facts could be included due to sheer volume.

Jessi suffered the heartbreaking loss of her mare Zarah in 2021 and Atlas came into her life via Zuma’s Rescue Ranch in 2022. It is important to note that she worked for this rescue from 2019-2023 as Program Director, raising critical funds for the care of all of the animals under the purview of the rescue, and is the niece of the Executive Director there. She began paying for Atlas's health care (teeth, farrier, etc.) in 2022 and finally adopted him January 6, 2023. She built a shelter at Atlas's new home and took every precaution to ensure his safety before he made his transition to her home on July 2, 2023, along with two donkeys named Dolly and Reba, whom Jessi agreed to foster as companion animals for Atlas with the intention to adopt.

However, on July 5, 2023, Jessi, along with the rest of the staff at Zuma’s Rescue Ranch, submitted their resignations, except for one who was fired the same day. The offer to stay on for two weeks to help transition was refused, and staff were given one hour to collect their belongings and leave the property. Within 10 minutes a board member requested that staff leave the property immediately for their "safety and protection.”

Retaliation: noun, “the action of harming someone because they have harmed oneself; revenge"

After the staff submitted their resignations the Executive Director told Jessi to bring the donkeys back. Jessi received several phone calls from the Executive Director and Board Members with threats to involve the police unless she returned the donkeys. After several emotional hours Jessi and Jason complied and returned Atlas’s companions. Jessi spent the night with Atlas as he called for the donkeys, trotting the fence line as he searched.

Within days Board Members reached out to Jessi to ensure she was complying with the adoption contract and she responded accordingly, even offering for a Board Member to come to the property and inspect it to ensure compliance. They did not take her up on the offer.

It became known that the Executive Director threatened the Board with legal action if they did not sue Jessi and Jason for Atlas’s return. Consequently the entire Board resigned and the Executive Director replaced it with individuals of her own choosing, including her husband as President. With the previous Board out of the way she made good on her word and began the legal process of suing Jessi and Jason for Atlas.

After much legal back and forth (including a denial by the Executive Director of ever signing the adoption contract and accusations of forgery), a virtual hearing was scheduled for September 7, 2023. After over three hours of questioning the judge dismissed the replevin action and Jessi and Jason retain possession of Atlas.

Despite the court decision the Executive Director continues her attempts to retrieve Atlas.

Currently the legal fees to fight Zuma’s Rescue Ranch’s unnecessary actions are reaching into tens of thousands, though it is anticipated that these will climb with further provocation. For that reason we are seeking the assistance of our community of family, friends, and like-minded acquaintances to offset these fees and prepare for the future.

Note: this text was edited 9/21/2023 to align with counsel suggestions and language.