The Caboodle Ranch verdict has now been made public. Caboodle Ranch received word from their attorneys on Monday, June 25, ruling against Craig Grant and Caboodle Ranch. Florida Judge Gregory Parker has ruled that the cats won’t be returning to the Madison County ranch. This has come as a shock to the more than 18,000 fans on the Caboodle Ranch, Inc. Facebook page. The pictures below are thumbnails.
As part of the verdict, Caboodle Ranch will not be able to accept cats in the future until they can prove the ranch is financially and physically prepared to care for them. If such a time comes, the injunction may be modified or terminated.
There’s information on the Caboodle Ranch verdict all over the internet. I’m pulling together some of the major references so the readers at pictures-of-cats.org can look into the information on their own. There’s simply too much to list in one article.
Let’s begin with an exert from the official injunction.
EXCERPT FROM THE FINAL ORDER
“……this injunction is subject to change, modification or termination, upon petition by CABOODLE. Upon receipt of such petition, the court will hold a hearing and should the evidence that CABOODLE can properly assume care of animals in a responsible manner this injunction shall be appropriately modified or terminated. See, Brinkley v. County of Flagler, 769 So.2d 468.472 (Fla. 5th DCA 2000).”
“…….The CABOODLE ANIMALS are presently under the control of the court in the CRIMINAL CASE. Therefore, the CABOODLE ANIMALS shall not be released to the SHERIFF until and unless the court, in the CRIMINAL CASE, or the State’s attorney, in the CRIMINAL CASE, authorizes such release.”
As for now, the cats must remain in custody until after Craig Grant’s criminal trial in August.
The anti-Caboodle site can be found at http://caboodleranch.net. Here’s a short exert from the information they have published to their site. The entire document can be found online by clicking here (this is a PDF file and not a new web page).
- Judge Parker ordered that the animals remain in the custody of Sheriff Ben Stewart to dispose of as he sees fit. Caboodle has no further right, title, or interest in the Caboodle Animals.
- Caboodle is enjoined (banned) from having possession or custody of live animals going forward. However, in the future Caboodle may petition the court for changes, modifications, or termination of the injunction. Upon receipt of the petition, the court will hold a hearing and Caboodle must provide evidence that it can care for animals in a responsible manner.
- The Caboodle Animals shall not be released to the Sheriff until the court, in the criminal case, or State’s attorney, authorizes such release.
The judge goes into great detail explaining how he came to his decision. Our next post will feature a point by point analysis of that decision and the facts that led to it.
Those involved with the care of the cats at Caboodle Ranch believe a letter written by ASPCA Senior Director of Field Investigations Tim Richey influenced the judges decision. A copy of that letter can be found at http://caboodleranch.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ASPCA-letter-to-judge2.pdf and details of the $1.2 million spent on the 700 Caboodle Ranch cats since the raid back in February. Richey spoke with the media after the verdict was handed down.
“The Court’s decision has the best interest of the animals at heart. As the Court noted, cats at Caboodle lived in filth; many were sick and in pain; hundreds of ASPCA responders have made an extraordinary effort to care for these cats over the past four months in order to bring them back to a basic level of health. Our hope is that we will soon be able to help them find the homes, special adoption arrangements or colonies they so richly deserve.”
Stacy Wolf, Vice President of the ASPCA made a media statement stating their opinion of Caboodle Ranch.
“We are pleased that the Court so strongly affirmed what we knew to be true from our work on this case–that Caboodle has not provided adequate care for the animals in the past and is not fit to do so in the future.”
Some of the court’s findings (which I copied word for word from http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Caboodle_Ranch_Civil_Trial_Begins_150118335.html include:
The evidence demonstrated:
“clearly and convincingly, that the Caboodle animals were not receiving proper and reasonable care while in the custody of Caboodle.”
“Caboodle’s own veterinarian testified that the number of animals on the Caboodle property on the date of the seizure significantly exceeded the limits he had recommended. . .”
Caboodle
“depended upon a continuing influx of new animals for its financial survival. It is more likely than not that Caboodle would continue to fail to abide by the recommendations of its own veterinarian regarding population limitations if the animals were returned.”
“Sick animals were not adequately isolated. . .”
“. . . Caboodle is clearly and substantially lacking in the resources, ability, skill and (most importantly) willingness to follow expert veterinary advice essential to an operation dedicated to the care of such a large and apparently ever-growing number of animals it seemed intent on sheltering.”
The following criminal charges are pending against the founder of Caboodle:
- one count of felony animal cruelty;
- three counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty;
- and one count of scheming to defraud (felony).
I chatted online last night with Nanette Entrekin of Caboodle Ranch. Her own cats were tied up in the raid for several weeks. She told me this situation has all been based on a pack of lies and the request to have the injunction overturned is their next battle. Those who support Caboodle Ranch are still determined to bring the cats home.
Readers, what do you think of the verdict? Was justice done? Was this all done in the best interest of the cats or did the PETA investigation take place at a convenient time to defeat the Florida No-Kill Bill SB818? I welcome your comments.
Elisa
Associated (selected): Caboodle Ranch Faces Court Action.
I’ll reply after the final inspection on Monday.
The cats who are now being “held as evidence” in a warehouse like objects or the agenda that kills MILLIONS of pets turned over to them yearly
ASPCA has helped me so I am not so quick to pass judgement on them but PETA has an agenda – The person who went to the ranch LIED, that makes her a LIAR!
If Craig was such a horrible person and not caring for the cats why was he allowing volunteers on the ranch to help care for them to begin with? Yes some things in life really are that obvious in that Maybe he needed the help but all PETA did was their usual doing more harm that good
How is living in a small cage any better than living freedom? Any time you have freedom there is risk involved. Any one who actually knows thing one about cats knows feral cats are not adoptable – As a manager of a feral colony myself I have cats killed by dogs, coyotes, illness and some times injury – If I can catch them I do take them in for care but some times I can’t catch them as cats who are not hungry don;t walk into traps but then again how would any one who seeks only to kills cat know that!
The locals dumped some of those cats on Craig themselves that is why they did not want to investigate – They already knew the cats condition. Now Craig’s own pet cats are also being held “captive”
I think there needed to be some limitation on the amount of cats perhaps working to get a handle in things if they were so bad I can see but some of folks donated regardless of whether he adopted more cats or not so the claims that he had to take more cats in to get donations are false
Elisa, just out of interest, why did they take Misty? Was it because she was elderly and declawed and if so that is not a good reason.
Also, I thought PETA was a private organisation. What powers do they have in respect of the public? What right have they got to come around and interfere as if they are a government (public) agency?
Animal control told us PETA keeps calling them about us having sick and wounded cats. Animal control came out yesterday and all of the cats were determined healthy except Misty, who was elderly and declawed. They took her so she’s likely dead now. We had vet papers on Sealy. They were more concerned about where we missed a few spots cleaning up from the fire and will be back out for 2 more checks. 8 told animal control to expect the calls to continue as you’re right about someone following me too closely on Facebook. I’m staying off there awhile.
Peta’s agenda is saving the lives of animals??? LOL. THey kill 95% of what they Save! WHere’ve you been?
I would like to come to Elisa’s defence. The purpose for anything that Elisa writes is to find and say the truth as best as she knows how. Secondly, there may be a potential conflict of interest but not a major conflict of interest and in any event if there is a conflict of interest, Elisa is ignoring it because she should be saying nice things about PETA. The reason for Elisa writing the article is to write another one in her successful series on Caboodle Ranch. It is just an update written from a sensible point of view. I don’t think there is a hidden agenda in the article. I trust Elisa.