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ASPCA Manages Triage, Sheltering of More than 600 Cats Rescued From Caboodle Ranch in Lee, Fla.

February 29, 2012 Front Page Comments Off

Responders providing daily care for animals
in cruelty investigation by Madison County Sheriff’s Office

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), under the authority of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Madison County Animal Control in northern Florida, is managing the medical triage and sheltering of more than 600 cats removed from the Caboodle Ranch cat sanctuary on February 27 in Lee, Fla., approximately 64 miles east of Tallahassee. The animals are currently housed at a temporary shelter in Jacksonville, where veterinary, sheltering, and behavior teams are assessing, diagnosing, treating and caring for the cats.

More cats are expected to be removed from the sanctuary property and transported to the temporary shelter over the next couple of days. This is the largest number of cats the ASPCA has ever seized in an animal cruelty investigation.

Many of the cats exhibited signs of neglect and were suffering from upper respiratory infections, skin conditions and eye infections, among other medical issues. Several cats were in dire need of medical treatment, and responders discovered a number of deceased cats on the property, in addition to burial sites. Forensic necropsies will be conducted on those remains to determine the causes of death and will be submitted to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office to support its investigation.

“When you’re working with such a large number of cats in a confined space, the main concern is the spread of infectious diseases,” said Dr. Rhonda Windham, medical director of the ASPCA’s Field Investigations and Response team. “So far we have triaged, medically treated and provided supportive care to critically sick cats, and performed extensive diagnostic testing for respiratory and skin diseases. We’ve also been able to provide preventative care to those cats that have had medical examinations to get them on the road to recovery. We will continue to provide medical care and monitoring, and then begin to assess each cat’s behavior.”

On February 27, the founder and operator of Caboodle Ranch, Craig Grant, was arrested on an issued warrant ordering the Madison County Sheriff’s Office to take him into custody. He was charged with the following: one count of felony animal cruelty; three counts of cruelty to animals; and one count of scheming to defraud.

“The cats are considered evidence in this investigation, and any additional charges against Mr. Grant will be determined based on the medical conditions and evidence reported by the ASPCA,” said Sheriff Ben Stewart with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. “The Madison County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the public’s support and hopes these animals can move on to a better place soon.”

The ASPCA’s anti-cruelty behavior team will remain at the temporary shelter to monitor the cats’ personality and temperament, and to observe how the cats interact with each other in a group housing environment. The ASPCA will work on placement of the animals once the final disposition has been determined by the prosecutor.

More than 100 responders from 11 agencies are assisting the ASPCA with the investigation, including staff and volunteers from the following organizations: Atlanta Humane Society (Atlanta, Ga.); Bay Area Disaster Animal Response Team (Belleair Bluffs, Fla.); Cat Depot (Sarasota, Fla.); Florida State Animal Response Coalition (Bushnell, Fla.); Good Mews Animal Foundation (Marietta, Ga.); Humane Society of Broward County (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.); International Fund for Animal Welfare (Yarmouth Port, Mass.); McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center (Chattanooga, Tenn.); PetSmart Charities, Inc. (Phoenix, Ariz.); RedRover (Sacramento, Calif.); and Sumter DART (Bushnell, Fla.). Staff from the University of Florida (Gainesville) College of Veterinary Medicine and Maples Center for Forensic Medicine at UF are also assisting with the rescue operation.

(Photo caption: Dr. Rhonda Windham, medical director of the ASPCA’s Field Investigations and Response team, examining one of the cats from Caboodle Ranch)

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ASPCA Rescues Hundreds of Cats From Animal Sanctuary in Madison County

February 27, 2012 Front Page 5 comments

This is a press release by ASPCA
Cats removed and transported to temporary shelter with assistance from local, national agencies

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), at the request of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Madison County Animal Control in northern Florida, is managing the removal and sheltering of hundreds of cats living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions from a non-profit cat sanctuary known as Caboodle Ranch in Lee, Fla., approximately 64 miles east of Tallahassee, Fla. This is the largest number of cats the ASPCA has ever removed from one location in an animal cruelty investigation.

As a result of an investigation spanning for more than a year, a search warrant was executed Monday morning for the removal of the animals. The ASPCA is collecting additional evidence on the property for the investigation, as well as leading the removal and sheltering efforts with its Field Investigation and Response and Animal Forensics teams. The founder of Caboodle Ranch has been arrested and multiple animal cruelty charges are pending.

“After receiving numerous complaints regarding the care of animals at Caboodle Ranch, we’re glad that the appropriate enforcement action is being taken,” said Sheriff Ben Stewart with the Madison County Sherriff’s Office. “This has been an ongoing issue that we’ve been monitoring and we’re grateful that the ASPCA is able to provide assistance with the investigation.”

“The ASPCA is pleased to be able to provide expertise and resources to support the efforts of the local authorities in investigating this ‘sanctuary’ that spiraled out of control,” added Tim Rickey, senior director of the ASPCA’s Field Investigations and Response team. “This is a tragic situation. Caboodle Ranch was clearly overwhelmed with hundreds of cats in dire need of medical treatment, and the sanctuary had no adoption program or any spay/neuter efforts to effectively manage its current population. The ASPCA’s goal is to work quickly to remove these cats from the property and safely transport them to the temporary shelter, where they will be triaged by a veterinary team.”

The cats were living outside in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions with various medical issues that were left untreated. Many of the cats exhibited various signs of neglect and appear to be suffering from upper respiratory conditions and eye infections, among other medical issues. Several cats were in critical condition and responders discovered numerous deceased cats on the property.

Agencies assisting the ASPCA on scene include: Atlanta Humane Society (Atlanta, Ga.); Bay Area Disaster Animal Response Team (Belleair Bluffs, Fla.); Cat Depot (Sarasota, Fla.); Florida State Animal Response Coalition (Bushnell, Fla.); Good Mews Animal Foundation (Marietta, Ga.); Humane Society of Broward County (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.); International Fund for Animal Welfare (Yarmouth Port, Mass.); McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center (Chattanooga, Tenn.); PetSmart Charities, Inc. (Phoenix, Ariz.); and RedRover (Sacramento, Calif.). Staff from the University of Florida (Gainesville) College of Veterinary Medicine and Maples Center for Forensic Medicine at UF are also assisting with the rescue operation.

“Removing hundreds of animals is a huge undertaking, and we are truly grateful that these agencies offered their assistance in the case,” said Kathryn Destreza, director of Investigations for the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response team. “Numerous agencies throughout Florida and as far as California have committed to helping us continue our life-saving work and giving these rescued animals a second chance.”

The cats will be transferred via the ASPCA’s animal transport trailer to a temporary shelter at an undisclosed location, where ASPCA medical director Dr. Rhonda Windham will oversee their medical triage. To assist in the triage, the ASPCA has on scene its fully equipped “Mobile Animal Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Unit,” a specially-designed vehicle outfitted with state-of-the-art forensic tools as well as medical equipment tailored for animal patients.

The undercover investigation was set into motion after complaints about the facility were received by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA submitted its evidence to the Third Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and Madison County Animal Control. The ASPCA was contacted for assistance in the criminal investigation, evidence collection, rescue and sheltering efforts of the case.

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