The Mules had an encounter with Riverside County Sheriffs this morning. We were walking along Van Buren Boulevard when the sheriff pulled up in front of us, got out of his vehicle and bid us a good morning. We did the same.
He immediately started asking us questions. We countered with our own question. We told the officer we did not call 911. We did not ask for any police help. What was it that he wanted? He replied they were getting calls about a man walking with a horse along the road. We’re not breaking any law. He then started asking more questions. We stated we don’t answer questions. He then stated we had to answer his questions as he was running an investigation. We said that’s not true. Frasier versus Croup 1969 Supreme Court decision gives the police officer a right to lie and pay no consequences. We gave the officer our card and he accepted it. The Mules then said we’ve got to go so we did.
NOTE: the Mules often get comments that were hostile towards police. Well actually we’re not. We recognize the job they do is necessary and valuable we the Mules couldn’t do it even if we wanted to. The Mules appreciate their willingness to do this job.
That being said it’s the citizens job to know his or her rights and how to protect them when dealing with authority. Even though the police are sworn to protect the Constitution you can’t expect they’re going to protect your individual circumstance and the rights attached to it. It’s the job of the citizen so we the Mules do our part to try and keep a free country.
Some people want to live like this some people don’t but will and some people won’t. The won’t people and the Mules will need to be very creative. For the Megatropolis and it’s blueprint for the future does not include the won’t people. The 3 Mule Journey is making itself known as the spiritual platform by which the won’t people can work together peacefully and steadfastly to secure their place in the blueprint.
The Mules left Menifee yesterday morning walked 10 miles and got to were we’re at. We met some people along the way. One being a park ranger for the city of Perris. He was curious and asked us questions. It made us curious, so we asked him one does the City of Perris have the notorious no camping law which is vague and unclear and allows any police officer to arrest you for anything except blowing your nose? He said yes. He said we were allowed to stop at the park and rest during the day, but at 10:00 p.m. the Park closed and it would be illegal to be there past that hour.
So the mules did what everybody has to do. We left the park and found another place to rest for the night.
March 27, 2026 The Mules stopped in this open vacant field where there were no signs informing anybody entering that field that they were trespassing. I took all the gear off of Rosie, put her on a picket line, and was preparing to go to sleep.
This lady showed up and claimed I was on her property and I had to leave. I questioned her to the fact that there was no signs against trespassing anywhere to be seen. She said it didn’t matter I just didn’t believe her that it was her property the house was too far away anyway. She called the police.
Murrieta Police showed up and demanded I leave. They also offered no proof that the property belonged to her. They threatened me with arrest and jail if I wouldn’t leave so I did.
After getting packed up and leaving I was informed by the officers that if I stopped anywhere in Murrieta to do anything, rest or sit down, I would be arrested under their no camping law and taken to jail.
So right now we are forced to stay on our feet until dawn in Murrieta and we will go to City Hall to protest this treatment. The Murrieta Police offered the Mules no alternative place where they could spend the night. Instead they forced us out into the dark to wander up and down the streets in the city of Murrieta with the threat if we stopped anywhere or any amount of time to rest it would be considered camping and we would be arrested.
March 28, 202612pm The Mules are on their way to Murrieta Police Department to bring the energy of an ages old way of life to the doorstep of the Murrieta Police department and the center of City of Murrieta, California. The effect it will have we do not know. We don’t control that. We do control the effort we make. The reward for us is to our soul. The Mules will be wandering and roaming through the city of Murrieta and then we will seek a good place to rest for the night. It might be a city park. It might be a vacant lot. It might be someone’s private property that we’ve been invited to stay for the night. It might be off to the side of the road. We’ve been living like this in California for 13 years and the Western U.S. for over 40 years. It’s doable we’ve demonstrated that there is no good reason to try and stop us or anybody else.
March 28, 2026 2:45pm The Mules at Murrieta Police Station to bring the energy of an ages old way of life to their doorstep.
March 28, 2026 7:06pm
The City of Murrieta – City Government made the following statement on their Facebook page: “The City of Murrieta and the Murrieta Police Department are aware of the situation involving a man traveling through our community with his mule.
We’re pleased to share the matter has been peacefully resolved. He and his mule have been connected with a safe place to stay in Murrieta for the night.
Thank you for your concern and compassion! We remain committed to approaching situations like this delicately while upholding public safety and local laws.
The Mules were invited to rest at the property of Murrietta Councilmember Dr. Lisa DeForest and her husband Lance.
Traveled 8 miles from Vista to get here to Bonsall last night. No rain, but a lot of moisture in the air. Stuff got pretty wet. Got dried out, packed up and left.
The following is a factual encounter the Mules had with Ventura County Sheriff. Nothing more and nothing less. The Mules were traveling south along the bike path yesterday when two officers pulled up got out of their cruiser and approached us. We pulled out our phone and took a picture. They said no worries you’re not in any trouble you’re not doing anything wrong. We said we didn’t call 911 we didn’t call for any help. They replied we’re just curious we don’t see mules around here too often. One officer said we can offer you resources. The Mules said if we need help we will call you and be glad to get it.
Then the questions started coming and we did respond with we don’t answer questions. They wanted to know where we were coming from, where we were going, do we live around here, how long have you been in the area. We replied to all their questions with we don’t answer questions.
They seem to have determined no progress was going to be made. So they left. So the Mules continued on their way walking just walking carrying no weapons. Living as all monks of the outside do one day at a time and doing nothing else.
Our journey has been on pause in Kern County, California, as we rest and repair gear. As we wait, the Mules have been invited guests on private property of a long-time friend Lori Ann Wiley. On November 24, 2025, something unexpected happened that reminded us how fragile the right to live freely and traveling by horse can be.
The Visit from Animal Control While I was on the driveway sorting through my pack gear, a Kern County Animal Control vehicle pulled up. Officer B. Tipton, Badge #46, approached me and asked if the mule belonged to me. I said yes. He explained that neighbors had called, concerned the mule had no shelter.
Temperature on November 24, 2025 at the Mules current location.
I was surprised. Rosie doesn’t need shelter—she’s fine. The officer insisted that Kern County law requires horses to have shelter from the elements. I’m thinking, we’re in clear sunny Bakersfield with mild temperatures. Rosie has grown her thick winter coat. I sleep outside in the same weather temperature as Rosie and I don’t have a fur coat.
Officer Tipton in his Kern County Animal Control vehicle writing citations to impound Rosie.
Officer Tipton went back to his truck to write a citation. He exited his truck, walked onto the private property to post the citation on the front door, and told me I had two days to provide shelter for my mule Rosie, or she would be impounded.
The Notification After he left, I took a photo of the yellow piece of paper from Kern County Animal Services.
NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO SEIZE ANIMALActivity #25-110122 Date 11/24/25 Time: 12:28pm Pursuant to Penal Code sections 597.1(a), 597.1(b), and 597.1(f), Kern County Animal Services intends to seize the animal(s) as described below on 11/26/25.
Animal(s) (Description including special markings, collar, forms of identification, license, microship, ID): Brown mule
This animal will be seized because: PC 597(b) and KC Ord 7.08.110(F)
Officer Tipton, Badge #46
The owner, person authorized to keep the animal, or agent must contact Kern County Animal Services within 2 business days of the notice date or all animals on the property will be seized.
The cost for care and treatment of the animal seized are the responsibility of the owner. No animal will be returned until all charges are paid. Failure to request or attend a scheduled hearing on all animals seized shall result in the liability for all charges and may result in the relinquishment of ownership.
He also posted a yellow paper titled NOTICE TO COMPLY paper that was checked “INADEQUATE/NO SHELTER” with written remarks.
“Mule is required to have shelter and failure to provide shelter will result in impound of the animal and criminal charges.” A reinspection will be made on 11/26/25. Failure to correct may result in legal action and/or your animal may be impounded. Please contact us if you have any questions. Officer Tipton, Badge #46.
Since the Mules had only two days to respond to the NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO SEIZE ANIMAL, the Mules had to respond. Lori, savvy with the law, researched the matter and sent emails to Kern County Animal Services and the Kern County Board of Supervisors.
On Tuesday, November 26, 2025, the Mules walked 3.5 miles (about 2 hours) to Kern County Animal Services to deliver our response to their charge to Nick Cullen, the Director of Kern County Animal Services. We called in advance to notify them that we were going there. After waiting for about 15 minutes, Director Cullen finally came out and said that our issue had been abated and that our mule would not be seized. We requested this in writing and he gave us a document stating “Compliance Verified; Situation Abated.”
He pointed out on the document the Memo section on what the person was complaining about: “BARKING DOG/COMPLAINT FORM…REASON FOR COMPLAINT – MULE ABUSE/NEGLECT” and said it was in the “animal care ordinances.” As well, he provided the additional pages below on Animal Services Requirements with 7.08.110 F highlighted “All persons shall provide proper shelter and protection from the weather for all animals at all times.”
Kern County Animal Services Activity Card/Complaint
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Kern County Animal Services Activity Card/Complaint
We said that it doesn’t apply to us since the ordinance applies to an animal that is sick or in extreme weather conditions. We also told him that before a complaint is acted upon, it should be investigated, and there was no investigation.
Director Cullen said, “To be honest with you, if you read that law, it’s vague. And, if you provide (shelter, they’ll still stand outside). We did abate it and you got proof of that.”
We then left Kern County Animal Services shortly after 4pm, and walked two hours back to where we are staying. Attending to this situation took up three days time and mental stress for myself and my host family. The Monk lost three days needed to work on our gear.
Challenging the ILLEGAL Citation
We had one day to contest and research the law as the threat to seize Rosie was in two days. [Note: The Mules thank Lori for her work in helping with the research, writing the letter in support of us, and accompanying the Mules in the visit to Kern County Animal Services.]
California Penal Code 597(b) is the primary statute used by law enforcement, including Kern County Animal Services, to address animal neglect and cruelty.
California Penal Code 597(b) verbiage.
Kern County Ordinance 7.08.110(F) states: All persons shall provide proper shelter and protection from the weather for all animals at all times. This includes, but is not limited to, shade to protect animals from the direct rays of the sun and prevent overheating with care given to proportion of animal and positioning to provide maximum protection; flooring or platforms raised off the ground, of suitable size to accommodate the animal and allow for retention of body heat. When animals are housed outdoors when the mean temperature is forty-five (45) degrees Fahrenheit or below or is eighty (80) degrees Fahrenheit or above, animals shall be so acclimated.
“A Guide: Minimum Standards of Horse Care in the State of California (February 2023) by the University of California, Davis – School of Veterinary Medicine – Center for Equine Health (link), Shelter (pages 27-31): “Shelter in the form of a structure should be available for horses in cases of prolonged extreme weather conditions (below freezing temperatures, excessively high temperatures and/or humidity, high winds, excessive rainfall), regardless of the horses’ age, breed or body condition. However, any horse that shows physical deterioration, loss of body condition or weight, or failure to adapt to the weather conditions (weight loss, lethargy, anorexia, wasting) must be provided with shelter adequate to stabilize their body condition without severe loss of weight, injury or illness.“
Shelter requirements apply to confined animals or those exposed to extreme weather. Rosie wasn’t confined, nor was she suffering from freezing temperatures, high heat, or dangerous winds. She is healthy, grazing daily, with natural windbreaks and shade from a mature tree. When Officer Tipton wrote us up for abuse and neglect, the temperature was 67F, and Rosie had access to water next to her.
Rosie has grown a thick winter coat, which she will shed when temperatures warm up in late spring.
What “In Transit” Means Being “in transit” means traveling from one place to another. For the 3 Mules, this is a way of life. I have lived outside with mules for over 42 years, and we deal with the weather by going North in the summer and South in the winter. We don’t use a barn nor do we pull one behind us to jump inside when the weather gets bad. For Kern County to have Ordinance 7.08.110(F) “All persons shall provide proper shelter and protection from the weather for all animals at all times” is RIDICULOUS!!! The Mules are outside all day every day walking. How does one walk and move with an animal with a shelter over us at all times?
Discrepancy in Kern County case report The Activity Card /Abatement that Director Cullen handed back to me has an offense shown different than what he handed me the previous day. On the Activity Card dated 11/25, it states “OWNER/RESTRAINT – MULE TIED ON SHORT RESTRAINT TO FENCE.” No where on this Activity Card talks about shelter PC 597(b) or Kern County Ordinance 7.08.110(F).
What’s long and what’s short is a matter of opinion. I took video while Tipton was in his truck writing up the Seize Order that shows Rosie on a 20+ foot rope with plenty of room to safely move about and with a bucket of water. Rosie was tied to the fence because I was on the driveway in the process of packing her up with the gear that I have been repairing and bring her on a walk to test the gear on her.
The Bigger Picture This wasn’t the first time we’ve received notices or threats. Each time, the matter has been resolved with explanation and evidence. The complaint that Kern County Animal Services received from a “concerned citizen” was of “Mule Abuse/Neglect.” Rosie shows no signs of distress, weight loss, or illness. In fact, the officer himself acknowledged that Rosie is in great shape.
So if Rosie “is in great shape” why didn’t the officer move on and go away, instead of issuing a notice to SEIZE THE ANIMAL. He should have just looked the situation over and left. Instead, Kern County Animal Control Officer Tipton was asserting his power to harass me and illegally seize my mule.
The issue highlights a growing tension: more laws are being created that restrict the right to move freely in the way we choose. For us, living outside with the mules isn’t neglect—it’s a centuries-old way of life.
Conclusion The Mules remains happy, healthy, and in transit—just as we have been for decades. The citation was abated, but the encounter is a reminder of how important it is for all citizens, living in the United States of America, to defend the freedom to live simply, peacefully, and legally on the open road.
The Mules believe the above documented experience with California’s animal control laws clearly demonstrates a hidden agenda. The Megatropolis is after all the space for its buildings and machines. It has no intention of sharing it with other modes of living. This is a threat to all those who love and cherish the ages old sacred relationship between human being and horse. Horse ownership requires a certain amount of space that the Megatroplis needs and wants. The Megatropolis is plotting and scheming to destroy this sacred relationship between man and horse. To repeat myself, this experience that the 3 Mules just had with animal control clearly demonstrates the Megatropolis’ real intentions in passing these laws that are vague and subject to a wide range of interpretation.
At the end of May, we were notified about an article that SanDiegoVille wrote about us 3 Mules. The article was titled “Mystery Mule Man Spotted Around San Diego – And his Journey Might Change How You See the World.” We don’t know who wrote the article since no name attached. It sort of sounded like an AI written article. Below, we have crossed out the inaccuracies and provided correction in bold font.
Many have reported seeing him in the past week – an older man walking the streets of San Diego with a mule in tow, sparking curiosity and social media buzz. But who is he, and what exactly is he doing? It turns out he’s not homeless, lost, or part of a stunt – he’s on a decades-long mission that challenges the very way we live.
San Diego residents may have recently spotted a man walking alongside ahorsemule along the streets from Oceanside to Chula Vista and everywhere in between. He’s not lost, nor is he simply passing through – he’s living a way of life that predates freeways, smartphones, and suburban sprawl. The man is known as “Mule,” and his journey is part of the decades-long 3 Mules Project Journey – a nomadic mission through the American West to promote a life of simplicity, environmental awareness, and the sacred right to move freely across public lands.
Now in his late 70s, Mule (who also goes by Monk) has lived outdoors full-time with his mule companions for more than 3540 consecutive years with 22 of those 40 consecutive years doing nothing else other than the sacred act of walking with his mule companions. Together, they travel by foot, covering 5 to 20 miles a day, depending on food, water, and terrain. They’ve migrated up and down California for decades, following seasonal cycles – south to San Diego in the winter, then back north through the Central Valley and up to Sacramento during warmer months.
Their presence may seem anachronistic, even eccentric, to passersby accustomed to the pace and priorities of modern urban life. But to Mule, his animals, and a growing number of followers (over 64,000 on Facebook alone), this lifestyle is a form of resistance against the encroaching sprawl he refers to as “the Megatropolis” – the unchecked spread of concrete, development, and car culture that has consumed open spaces and limited access to nature.
The 3 Mules ProjectJourney isn’t a performance or stunt. Mule lives entirely outdoors, foraging for food, relying on donations of oats and vegetables, and sleeping wherever he can find a quiet place that won’t land him in legal trouble. That’s harder than it sounds. California’s laws often prohibit overnight camping on public land, leading to occasional arrests and citations. He’s even been jailed and briefly committed to a psychiatric facility, as happened during an arrest in Gilroy. His mules were sent to a shelter, and he was locked up for six days before a patients-rights advocate intervened.
Still, Mule remains committed to what he calls the “sacred act of walking,” which he believes is essential not just to individual well-being, but to the health of the planet itself.
Mule travels with the help of his equine companions, most recently a sorrel molly mule named Rosie. Over the years, other mules – Little Girl, Lady, Little Ethel, and Leroy – have come and gone, retired or passed on, but each has been part of the journey. The mules carry gear and food and graze along roadsides and fields. Mule is careful to stay within animal welfare guidelines, ensuring his mules carry no more than 20% of their body weight and are well-fed, hydrated, and monitored for health issues.
Though many assume he’s homeless, Mule insists that he’s simply “from the outside.” He doesn’t live in houses or drive cars. He exists in and with nature, embracing unpredictability, open space, and a sense of spiritual purpose. His lifestyle has drawn praise and admiration online, with thousands of followers tracking his movements and mission on the 3 Mules Facebook page and website. Some stop to offer food or water, or invite him to rest on private land for a night. Others report him to authorities, concerned about the animals or simply confused by his presence.
He’s walked the boardwalks of Venice Beach, slept under BART stations in Oakland, and traversed vast stretches of wilderness on Bureau of Land Management territory, where he’s witnessed suburban sprawl eat into spaces once left untouched. Two years ago, Mule walked the 295-mile stretch from Las Vegas to Ely, Nevada, only to turn back west when he realized how much land was disappearing.Twelve years ago, Mule was driven to walk out of Nevada, enter California, and bring the nomadic way of life into the heart of the California megatropolis. That moment shifted his focus – from wandering the wilderness alone to speaking up about the loss of public space.
Despite frequent interactions with police, Mule maintains that he stops on public lands only to rest at night for a period of less than 24 hours. He doesn’t set up permanent camp or collect garbage. “We’re not homeless. Our home is the Earth,” he says.
Mule’s attorney, Sharon Sherman, who represented himthe Mules pro bono in 2013 was intrigued by the legal and philosophical implications of his way of life. “There is always a balance between people’s freedoms and the needs of a community,” she said. “Mule really made me stop and think about issues I’ve never considered before.”
For Mule, the right to walk freely is not just personal, it’s universal. “Why do you have more rights in a car than if you are walking?” he asks.
The San Diego appearance is just one stop on a continuous migration that Mule says he’ll continue “as long as he can.” And while his mission is unconventional, its message resonates with timeless urgency: to protect the natural world, to move with intention, and to remember that freedom is not something to be taken for granted – it’s something to be lived, one step at a time.
I am writing to you as part of the 3 Mules Journey, a sacred nomadic lifestyle we share with the thousands of spiritual beings who have traveled and served throughout the ages in this sacred place in which the 3 Mules now reside. We never stay on public land for more than a night, always less than 24 hours. We walk, never using an automobile, leading my pack mule behind me, carrying all my simple belongings: a small one-person tent, a sleeping bag, a one-burner camp stove, a cooking pot, food, clothes, and very little else.
We are supported by the spiritual energy that we gather from everybody and everything that surrounds us as we walk from town to town, city to city. The energy we gather then harbors and awaits to materialize into whatever we need as we pursue our journey. This is the way of this place for those who travel and live (non-motorized traveling) in service to it. The 3 Mules Journey spreads the message of living harmoniously with the earth. This way of life is a commitment to protecting the environment and living in tune with the Natural World, one step at a time.
Pictured are our fellow lone travelers who the Mules connect to spiritually all over the world through time and history.
Penal Code 647(e) Conundrum We are deeply concerned that using California Penal Code 647(e) to criminalize a lone traveler such as the 3 Mules or anyone else traveling in a similar way and are not committing any of the abuses 647(e) was passed to prevent is a criminal act in and of itself.
I urge you to reconsider the enforcement of PC 647(e) against the lone traveler, whether traveling by horse, bicycle, foot, or any other means under their own power and speed.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response and to working together to bring PC 647(e) to a more accurate and clear condition on the issues it was meant to address.
Sincerely,
The Mules
The Mules letter of the California Penal Code 647(e) Conundrum that we will hand deliver to all city halls that we walk by in California.
The 3 Mules Journey and those who travel within it and serve it reminding those who tend to forget and those who want to forget so they don’t forget what the real basic bone of freedom really looks like. One step at a time all day every day.
