Caboodle Ranch Faces Class Action Lawsuit

www.Caboodleranch. net.
If you are able to read and go through the document library, you’ll see the real facts.
And the class action lawsuit is happening. There is nothing fake about it except Caboodle Ranch Lives Journal and all false explanation and flimsy excuses from CR.
See Caboodleranch.net Allgations.
Well , you can believe what you like but it does not matter, there are overwhelming evidence against Grant and the clans and the truth is out. So see you all at court, to the pro caboodle men and women who cannot think or read properly . See the light and wake up from the deep denial about the felony and fraud charges being brought to Grant & Caboodle Ranch by the authorities.
IT IS HAPPENING.

DUE TO THE LIES OF 3 PEOPLE….THE CATS ARE NOW IN CAGES AWAITING THEIR FATE. YOUR DAY IN COURT IS COMING! YOU HAVE CAUSED STRESS AND HARM TO OVER 700 CATS with your false claims and fake pictures!

And…this CLASS ACTION SUIT…is FALSE! There is no class action suit! Another huge lie! Wow! We can’t wait to hear that YOU ARE ALL IN CAGES!

Ok, so, I’m confused here. You all want to put down the people who had to, for various reasons, find a safe forever home for their cats (it does happen, you know. Nowadays even more than ever. With the economy, people are losing their homes, etc). This does not make them a bad person. Apparently they loved their cats very much. So much that they spent a lot of money to get to Lee, FL, and money paid to Craig for each cat they brought to him. So, you want to say they are the “bad guys”, huh? You all stick up for Craig and Nanette, and say what a wonderful place the ranch is, but then you contradict yourselves by saying it’s wrong to bring your cats there if you cannot keep them, by some chance. Isn’t (wasn’t) that what Caboodle Ranch was supposed to be all about?? That’s what they advertised, as a place that took in cats that people could no longer keep. Without people bringing their cats there, there would be no Caboodle Ranch. So bite your tongues…which is it?? Either you’re with them, or against them. Also, you people act crazy..like those people who stand outside abortion clinics with picket signs..& the ones who blow up abortion clinics. I think a few of you pro-CR’s are a wee bit senile…just saying!

I’m not convinced by anonymous testimony when a number of real, verifiable veterinarians have exposed the truth of Caboodle Ranch.

Consider that Dancing Paws Animal Wellness Center once gave Craig Grant a glowing review, then later revised their opinion as the Ranch deteriorated. In their statement distancing themselves from Caboodle Ranch, they identify him as a hoarder.

Consider that Dr. Julie Levy, DVM, a member of the 2009 inspection team, detailed the horrors at Caboodle Ranch and stated in no uncertain terms that the facility “does not currently meet minimum guidelines for cat health and welfare”.

If the alleged veterinarian you’re referring to is Dr. Lewis, I would question whether the fact that Craig Grant was paying him might have influenced his appraisal. But Dr. Lewis hasn’t made any public statement defending Craig Grant, has he?

Since Caboodle Ranch and its apologists have yet to provide any evidence that any veterinarian has said any such thing, I’m inclined to say this is just another fiction to whitewash the abuse and neglect at Caboodle Ranch.

Disagree? Cough up some proof. We’re tired of the lies and misinformation from the pro-hoarding camp.

The comment made by chrisg is a breath of fresh air.

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Since there are two sides to the story (at least), take a moment to watch the series of videos about Caboodle and the totally unfair, precipitous seizure of the cats that were living there, and cared for extremely well.

http://youtu.be/Mzn0O1n_eGY

Watching all three videos will shine a lot of light on this issue in an accurate and fair manner.

By the way, a veterinarian from Jacksonville(Name withheld at this point) was allowed to see the caboodle cats. The comment he made concerning the health of the Caboodle cats is quoted here, taken from a news release. The veterinarian said, “they were ALL fat and happy and well cared for, and that the very few, the ones we had in the sick ward, had any conditions to treat. He stated that the ASPCA is posting outright lies about their conditions because they are trying to get people to donate to them.”

So give Caboodle and Nanette a break and wait until all the facts come out.

I would like to clarify that the Statute 828.073 which Mr. Grant is trying to obtain his cats back states the burden of proof to show there was animal cruelty and neglect lies with the ASPCA, but Mr. Grant and Nanette has the burden to prove to the court that they are able to take care of the 692 cats they are trying to get back. Since he has a 3 year history in Madison County, such as a court order since May 2009 to properly care for his animals, and lack of care reports from Madison County Animal Control. Besides, Mr. Grant’s motion to get his cats back in civil court will fail. Why? Because they are evidence in his criminal case. The civil case was originally against the manager of Caboodle Ranch Nanette Entricken, and her only. However, Mr. Grant’s attorney filed a petition in her civil case to add him as a defendant to try to obtain his cats back. The prosecutor in the criminal case against Mr. Grant has filed a motion to strike his petition for return of his cats, which in all likely hood be granted and Grant will be dismissed from the civil lawsuit, and will probably not get his cats back.

the ranch has not yet had its day in court, it really sucks to see so many people who can’t possibly have any idea what is really going on there judging the ranch so harshly. what happened to innocent until proven guilty? everybody can’t wait to believe Craig is a hoarder (on 30 acres?) cuz we love feeling superior to those poor wretches who live in squalor. hold off folks, at least until the case goes to trial. a year ago everybody couldn’t say enough nice things about the ranch and they work they do. isn’t it possible that something else is going on here? PETA has a specific agenda against places like this, and to side with PETA without scrutiny is a very dangerous thing to do.

Go to www.pictures-of-cats.org/caboodle-ranch-owner-speaks-out.html

The fraud charges and animal cruelty charges are two seperate things. This article is about scheming to defraud. PETA already reported tax fraud to the IRS and consumoer fraud to the Florida Attorney General. The prosecutor will be prosecuting Craig on scheming to defraud. He said those charges and case are going to take longer to put together due to the complexity of it. As John, has provided links of snaps shots of Caboodle Ranch’s bank statement. You can question whether their valid or not. It doesn’t matter. As I’ve said a million times. The public’s opinion doesn’t matter in the outcome of Craig’s verdict. The judge and jury will be the ones to decide it on evidence presented before them. And I’m confident that there is an overwhelming amount of evidence.

Eliza, I started writing positive comments on this column after I had left Caboodle in 2010. I had no idea people were against it until I read some of the comments by someone who was at the ranch a few weeks before I was in 2011; which, by the way, was a few weeks before AC gave a good review. I thought all along you were biased against the ranch and I was surprised you would let that be so clear. This article proves it. You call the raid a rescue; I call it a kidnapping. You blatantly say Craig embezzled. How can you say that when it hasn’t been adjudicated? Portions of this article are a regurgitation of the late, unlamented Save the Kitties site. Some of the negatives about Craig are ludicrous. So he said he’d like 3000 cats. I’d like 25 dogs, some horses, and a million dollars. So what? David Collins, Craig’s lawyer, shows vet bills in the upper thousands. As for Las Vegas, your remarks are so pointless. I don’t gamble and have been to LV for business meetings, for pro golf events,& using it as center point to visit other locations in the west. The issue of deceased cats. I see them by the side of the road here in NJ, do you think cats don’t die? I was at the ranch when the vet came. I know he also came a few days before the raid. You keep saying you’re not judging, and then you do. The class action suit is being done to destroy Craig. I don’t understand the venom behind the people who hate the Ranch. It’s one thing to want it closed, it’s another to want to destroy Craig, Nanette, his son. That borders on the psychotic. John, when was your last trip to the ranch? When did you help out by spending 12 hours cleaning, caring for, and loving the animals? When was the last time you were there, Eliza? I read awhile back you lived in the Carolinas and hadn’t been. Have you since spent some time there, and not just an afternoon? I am not beholden in any way to Craig. I pay my own way from NJ to FL; pay my own lodging, meals, etc. I loved the first visit; I loved the 2nd, and was going back on March 1. There will be hearings, and I’m going to that, and perhaps trials. I will be working to reopen Caboodle Ranch, with our almost 20,000 fans. Will there be changes? Probably. Will the basic concept of giving a home to unwanted, unloved, scared cats still be the MO? Definitely. And Dana, I know you’ll start bashing me again. Be my guest, but notice I do not ever post ad hominem remarks about you. Look it up.

Elisa, the statements are genuine; they were entered into evidence in the case of Grant v. Logan (Case #10-589-CA, Madison County Circuit Court), and copies can be requested from the court for independent verification.

A short sample of some of the questionable expenses is shown here:
http://caboodleranch.net/?page_id=46

And the full statements are here:
http://caboodleranch.net/Documents/BankStatements2.pdf

Caboodle Ranch’s official response was to double down on their claim that the money was used for cats:
“Every bit of money donated to Caboodle Ranch went to the care and well-being of the cats. It went to continual upgrades of buildings and fences, veterinary care, food and shelter.” — A Day at the Ranch, Mar. 3, 2012

“Caboodle ranch uses 100% of donations for the cats care, medical, food and support. It is important to us that folks know their donations are never used for anything but the cats.” — A Day at the Ranch, Aug. 7th, 2010

They have not addressed the fact that many of the purchases shown on the bank statements had nothing whatsoever to do with cats, and it’s likely that they will not do so until they are under oath.

One comment by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough stands out ‘You say “relinquished” the cats like somebody forced people to take their cats to Caboodle Ranch’

I hope all the people who dumped their cats there on flimsy excuses then walked away are looking to their consciences now!

As I said earlier I haven’t seen the receipts in person to be able to hold them or know they’re authentic. I did see them on the website but had forgotten which one. I bookmarked the address.

How did these receipts get on the website and can anyone say for certain they’re real and not just made up to hurt Craig? Has Craig acknowledged any of them. I’d like to know how cats tie into tickets to the Daytona race.

I’m leaving this discussion for all of you to continue. I need to move on to the next story.

Wctv news issued the press release and it stated those filing it had proof in receipts. This information is available all over the internet. At no time did I claim to have seen these receipts. Its common sense not to bother with a lawsuit without evidence. The entire first half of this article was taken from this statement.

The cats being in bad condition is also common knowledge and has been made public by many newspapers, tv stations and government agencies. I didn’t just decide to accuse Craig of mistreating animals.

I’m a story weaver. By this I mean I take all of the information I can find on a subject and put everything together into one article.

I gave Craig and Robs statement about this being a big misunderstanding. Now many blogs would give both sides of the story.

I have not accused him of being a hoarder. Just because he meets 100% of the criteria doesn’t make it true.

The welfare of the cats is in just as much jeopardy by Craig trying to reclaim the cats. Which he has every right to do.

Its also a fact that over 300 cats were very sick. I didn’t just make that number up.

Thank you for letting me know Vegas is for more than gambling and Disney isn’t just for fun. I earn less than $15000 a year before taxes so its doubtful I’ll ever see either of them.

I really wish Craig or Rob would come here and give their side. M.y bringing this story to light is no different than the various news discussion shows where people sit around debating an issue.

Thank you for being open-minded, Elisa. I have no doubts that those who evaluate the evidence without prejudice can only come to the conclusion that cats at the Ranch were being neglected.

Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, please consult the website at http://www.caboodleranch.net for corroborating evidence.

The bank statements showing misuse of donations collected ”
for the cats” are there.
The tax returns that show that the Ranch spent less than $26 per cat annually on vet care are there.
The financial statements showing that the Ranch was sitting on a surplus of $81,000 in donations while cats died from rampant disease are there.
The veterinary reports showing that 75% of the cats at the Ranch were unhealthy are there.
The lab results showing coronavirus, calcivirus, giardia, hookworms, roundworms, and other highly contagious ailments spreading through the Ranch population are there.

These are not opinions or wild accusations. These are facts, laid out in official documents and supplemented with eyewitness testimony, photographic evidence, and in many cases, the words of Caboodle Ranch staff themselves.

The financial records were entered into the court records in Craig Grant’s ill-fated lawsuit attempting to silence Caboodle Ranch’s critics. That suit was dismissed when Craig Grant failed to provide evidence for his claims, and in his subsequent appeal, the court upheld that decision. (He was sanctioned by the court and is now liable for his victims’ attorney fees.)

And yes, that too is documented on the website.

There are a great many blank statements in this article that are not presented as statements of opinion but as facts known to the writer of the article. I hope she is prepared to defend them in court as she says Mr. Grant must defend himself.
BTW, a great many other events take place in Las Vegas other than gambling. It is a very popular location for trade shows and professional events as it has many large meeting facilities. I would be interested to know how the writer obtained access to any of the financial records she claims familiarity with. Gambling, should that be something Grant wanted to do, now is available in many states in the union and on many Indian reservations.
Don’t say something is so or hint at malfeasance you cannot prove if you don’t want to end up in the same place you’re attempting to put Craig Grant or at the very least end up paying for the improvements he wishes to make to Caboodle Ranch, be careful not to represent your opinions and suspicions as fact.

I believe Craig will go free on the cruelty charges. There’s just too much involved and the burden of proof is on those charging him. Even though there were 300 cats needing treatment all he has to do is to convince one juror he’s innocent and he walks. Nothing I’m saying doesn’t have sources to back it up. It has to be lies to be libel.

I’m more concerned with the fraud charges. I’ve already seen some of the evidence in that. That’s what the case will boil down to and of course that will be a separate trial should it go to court. But I refuse to accuse Craig of fraud because I have no way of knowing if he is guilty. I can only base this article on the receipts I’ve seen.

Part of the reason for this article is so both sides can voice their opinions.

I do hope those who support Craig take into consideration how many people are planning to join this suit. These are upstanding citizens who have no reason to lie. Many came forward before talk of a class action suit was ever thought of. Are you calling all of those who trusted in the ranch liars?

There are those who feel he is guilty and there are those who believe in his innocence. Nobody has tried and convicted him. We all have a right to our beliefs and have the right to share them publically. I’m sure everyone here formed an opinion about Casey Anthony’s guilt before the trial and verdict. Some things are just common sense and obvious. I’ve already seen enough evidence to know Craig Grant is guilty of animal cruelty. There is simply no valid explanation for it. I thank you Elisa for opening the dialog for this case. The local online paper, The Madison County Voice, is a big supporter of CR. You can tell by the editor’s, John Ovendon’s, stories and comments that he is a little paranoid about “big brother”. Doesn’t matter if you follow their board rules to a “T”, if you have a comment that is oppositional to his views, he won’t allow it to go through. He’s removed CR neighbors comments. No one can have a voice of their own in that county.

You state all of the allegations as if they are fact and yet, none of the evidence has been brought to trial or hearing as yet. Do you realize the danger you are putting yourself in of being sued for libel by stating this as fact when people are innocent until proven guilty?
Meanwhile, the main “evidence” the cats, sit locked up in stacked cages in a warehouse, scared and wondering why they’ve been ripped from the home. You say “relinquished” the cats like somebody forced people to take their cats to Caboodle Ranch.

Just trying to hit this from all angles. The peta timing came up in my last caboodle article. I’ve followed this since november 2010. I didn’t just decide to pick on craig. The evidence is speaking for itself. I just don’t want anyone to think I’ve already tried and convicted him. I just want people to be careful about who they turn their cats over to.

Elisa, I have no doubt that PETA is milking this situation for their campaign against FARA — it’s what PETA does, and this situation raises some significant questions about the wisdom of mandating that shelters turn over animals to potential hoarders without any kind of accreditation or verification.

However, that doesn’t change the evidence uncovered at the Ranch. If you don’t trust the PETA evidence, disregard it. That leaves the substandard vet records, the tax returns showing that Caboodle Ranch spent less than $26 per cat on vet care, the bank records showing fraudulent use of funds raised for the cats, the inspection reports, the testimony of the veterinarians who evaluated the site, the lab test results, etc., etc.

This problem predates PETA’s involvement by years. PETA’s evidence was the catalyst, but it was far from the only reason the Ranch was raided — and politics were not the motive for the other 12 groups involved in the rescue. It’s unfortunate that they were the catalyst, because their controversial nature brings suspicion on an action that was absolutely inevitable, and long overdue.

PS: Fake maggots? No. Caboodle Ranch already acknowledged that the footage was genuine, but dismissed it as being an abandoned building that was not accessible to cats.

“Footage of supposed deplorable conditions at the ranch was taken inside an old, boarded, and locked facility on the property that had been slated for demolition. Florida climate and no electricity made the inside a breeding ground for maggots and other insects, but it was completely closed off to the cats.” — A Day at the Ranch, Mar. 3, 2012

That doesn’t reassure me about the hygiene at the Ranch, but there is far more damning evidence than that fridge.

Nearly half of the cats needed immediate medical attention:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxUd-M1IU_WlY196MFI2S1dRaXlwZFdxcDVyNUhxZw/edit

A major misconception is that hoarders have good intentions but they get in over their head. That’s far from the truth. Experts believe that hoarding is about controlling and seeking a certain status.

“Hoarders justify their behavior with the view that the animals are surrogate children and that no one else can care for them. They harbor a fear that if they seek help the animals will be euthanized.” —http://animalhoarding.com/Characteristics-Animal-Hoarding.html

Craig is not the typical hoarder. He is what the experts call an exploitive hoarder:

“These hoarders acquire animals to serve their own needs and are indifferent to the harm caused to them; deny the problem and reject authority figures or outside help; believe they know best and have an extreme need to control; may come across as charming, articulate, manipulative and cunning; skilled at presenting excuses and explanations for their circumstances; self-concerned and expressing no remorse or guilt; acquires animals actively; plans to evade the law, will lie cheat and steal without remorse in order to achieve their goals.” —http://animalhoarding.com/How-Animal-Hoarding-Develops.html

(part 2) Animal Hoarding has become an epidemic in this country. Research has found that there is one hoarder every 20 miles. This phenomenon can be attributed to the internet as it has made it very easy for hoarders to solicit for animals and put up a nice website and deceive people into thinking they are a legitimate shelter.

There is something to be learned from the Caboodle Ranch hoarding case. Don’t fall for a cute website and all the outlandish promises a “rescue” tells you. Go visit the place yourself unannounced. Check out every square inch. If a certain area is off limits, that should raise an eyebrow. Ask lots of questions. If it’s too good to be true, it isn’t.

(part 1) In order to solicit donations you have to be a non-
for profit organization. A corporation is it’s own legal intity. It has it’s own tax ID number (like we have a social security number). No one owns a corporation. It has a board of directors that makes decisions. The laws for a for-profit and non-
for profit are the same except that non-
for profit’s can not invest it’s income. It all has to go right back into the company.

Like for-profit corps, non-
for profit have employees and those employees receive an income. Craig claimed in news articles that he recieved a salary of $1,000 per month. If that was too little for him then that is his fault as I’m sure he was the one who decided it. Craig, his son, and daughter were the only three board members.

It is ILLEGAL for any employee or director to receive personal enrichment from a non-for-profit (or for-profit) income or assets. As the article states, Craig used donations to pay for personal expenses and assets. All assets legally should have been in the corporations name. However, it had no assets.

And to answer another question, yes Craig knew that what he was doing was illegal. I know the person who helped him set up in 501(c)3 status.

You may also be surprised to learfn I believe the timing of the raid was a setup so the no-kill bill would be defeated. They were too close together and Craig made all rescues look bad. Strengthening petas idea that cats should die in shelters. I even believe the maggots in the fridge could have been staged.

Can someone please tell me the number of seriously ill cats are being treated or had to be euthanized. I have yet to see a number on this. Craig was only charged with 2 counts. Does this mean only 2 cats were sick or was he seriously undercharged?

I’m only reporting news. The class action lawsuit is happening. The newspapers have seen the condions of the cats as well as different animal groups. That’s not made up. Hundreds of cats are sick. That’s true. Craig may or may not be a hoarder. I’m not saying he is. He just fits the criteria set forth as a definition of a hoarder. Some of the receipts have surfaced. We already have one person who was with craig come forward to say the trips did happen. I don’t even blame craig if he did spend some of the money on trips if not for the fact the cats needed vet care and medicine. Their health should have come first before any trips. If I’m wrong for believing that I’m very sorry.

I agree with Jo that he should be given a fair trial and not judged. The law suit is news. I’m always sitting on one case or another and don’t report on them until enough information comes in. But it really concerns me that he’s trying to get the cats back when hundreds left thed property sick. If they left at all. I wonder if anyone has counted the cat graves.

At http://psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/54031. Symptoms of a hoarder. Someone who accumulates a large number of animals, fails to provide minimal standards of nutrition, sanatation and veterinary careb and fails to act on the deteriating conditions of the animals (including disease, starvation or even death) or the environment (severely overcrowded and unsanitary conditions) or the negative impact of the collection on their own health and well being.

Any of this sound familiar? I’m not judging. Just going by the definition. If this doesn’t fit Craig then he’s not a hoarder. This is what I meant by the term “technically”

At http://psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/54031. Symptoms of a hoarder. Someone who accumulates a large number of animals, fails to provide minimal standards of nutrition, sanatation and veterinary careb and fails to act on the deteriating conditions of the animals (including disease, starvation or even death) or the environment (severely overcrowded and unsanitary conditions) or the negative impact of the collection on their own health and well being.

Any of this sound familiar? I’m not judging. Just going by the definition. If this doesn’t fit Craig then he’s not a hoarder. This is what I meant by the term “technically”

I don’t know Craig Grant personally. I have no axe to grind, no agenda to pursue, other than ensuring that the cats are treated humanely.

But by the same measure, I’m not willing to excuse Craig Grant’s hoarding because I like him. Others in the Craig Grant fan club have been blinded by their allegiance to the man, and are willing to let the cats suffer as a result.

Being a nice guy does not preclude your being a hoarder. Having good intentions does not mean you’re not a hoarder.

And when it comes to doing what’s best for the cats, it becomes necessary to set aside personal loyalties and evaluate the situation rationally, based on the evidence.

The evidence is overwhelmingly against Craig Grant. Rampant, untreated disease. Failure to observe basic standards of hygiene. Taking in more cats than he could care for. Deaths of cats due to incompetence and neglect. Refusal to listen to anyone who expressed concern about the health of the cats. Widespread misuse of nonprofit funds. All of these are documented in black and white, and whether you like or dislike Craig Grant, that has NO bearing on how he treated those cats.

Evidence is available for anyone to review at http://www.caboodleranch.net . It includes bank statements, veterinary records, the findings of investigators, video and photographic evidence, and most importantly, the conflicting statements and lies published by Caboodle Ranch on their blog.

It takes an extraordinary effort to deny this mountain of proof, and rationalize Craig Grant’s actions. But more importantly, it takes an appalling disregard for the welfare of those cats to blindly insist that his good intentions translated to good results.

I invited Craig to talk back in 2010 and he declined. I’m trying to give his side of the story in this article since Rob is saying the tax records will show the money spent was legitimate. Craig is free to come on this page and comment if he wishes too. Michael pretty much allows a lot of comments as long as no cussing is involved. Its just distressing that Craig could lose cats brought to him in a few days time. That’s not care and people paid him money for care. I do agree he started out with good intentions. I’ve already gone on record saying I HATE PETA not only for their overall kill rate but because they believe all ferals should be killed. It also distresses me that Crfaig never tried to adopt some of these cats out. That would have a logical step if he had more than he could care for. I don’t see how he managed as much as he did for as long as he did without a full staff 24/7.

I have talked to neighbors of the ranch as well as to people who lost their cats there. I’ve also talked to those wanting to volunteer and were turned down. I agree Jo that this is bad for the cats. But if the pics and videos are true they were really suffering on the ranch.

I’m not saying so much that Craig is a hoarder than to say that may be his best defense on the abuse charges. It would get him off on the cruelty charges. The fraud charges are what he has to really worry about. If he knowingly took trips for personal reasons using funds meant for the ranch then he could have a problem.

Your history with Caboodle is public and documented for those who wish to investigate further.

Your history with Caboodle is public and documented for those who wish to investigate further.

It disturbs me deeply that Craig and Nanette and Caboodle Ranch are being tried, found guilty and sentenced in the court of public opinion.

In the United States of America, (at least) people are considered innocent until proven guilty. The mob mentality is very distressing to me as well.

I know many RESPECTED and TRUSTED people who have worked at the Ranch, have volunteered and have nothing but good things to say about this organization.

Defamation of character is a serious matter. Calling Craig “hoarder” of course is an easy out. Do you know the man personally? Have you listened to HIS side of the story? I HAVE.

I just think it is a real shame to besmirtch someone’s reputation just because someone has told you something, or you have read articles in the paper about this travesty. Did you know that PETA kills about 98% of the animals it “rescues”?

I don’t usually express myself openly like this, and you can feel free to attack me. I have done extensive research about Caboodle, have talked to people who have worked there fairly recently, and the conclusion I have reached is that instead of imprisoning these cats in cages, and disrupting THEIR lives, why didn’t anyone who is so angry at this facility and thinks that the cats were poorly treated step up to the plate and offer to help?

Uprooting these cats was not a rescue… it was a disaster.

The owners of Haven Acres in High Spring recently plead “No Contest,” and their punishment is pretty huge. You can Google it. So hopefully that’s the precedent for this case as well (and I don’t think there was even any defrauding of embezzlement with them).

I can’t believe he’s trying to get the cats back. Does he feel no guilt spending the money on frivilous things?

Even if the money was spent on improvements, he put all of the property in his name instead of the name of the organization. That’s also embezzlement of funds and a huge problem.

The question will be was he so unaware of the rules that he did it unknowingly or was it an attempt to defraud. That will be for the courts and the IRS to solve. But he’s in much bigger trouble than I think most people realize.

First, thank you to the person or team who is posting updates, so that those of us far from FL can keep up with the case.

But I have to say, I’m scared that Craig and Nanette will skate with a slap on the wrist (if that), and Caboodle Ranch will resume business as usual as a concentration camp for cats.

No matter how many photos depicting the dead and suffering cats of CR are released, a dozen “denyers” spring up to claim they’re untrue – assertions that the cats weren’t neutered, vaccinated, properly vetted, kept clean or fed are simply met with claims of a massive conspiracy of lies against CR.

I worry that these cats will receive no more justice than Caylee Anthony. I hope I’m wrong.

Could not agree more. Very good article.

One thing to understand is I do not think Craig had any other source of income except the donations. He did need to be able to dip into them and that wouldn’t necessarily be wrong of him. But if I understand a 501(c)3 correctly, he cannot under that structuring. Not sure how he was supposed to make a subsistence living then? I’d have no issue with him covering his basic needs, but obviously trips to Las Vegas are a bit different. I know he went to Disney once while I was there and took a sick cat (kitten I believe) with him on the trip. I think he left it in his truck while he was there and checked on it occasionally.

If he had been set up so that he was the considered one and the same as the corporation, so to speak, I do not think there would be any wrongdoing (legally speaking) whether we liked how he spent it or not.

From what I can tell, just the lack of keeping good records puts him in violation of the standards a 501(c)3 is required to uphold. What the penalty can be for that, I don’t know.

I do agree with all of this & it is upsetting that money was spent while cats were suffering. As a rescue you’re job is to care for & protect the animals placed in you’re care. It’s sad to see this happened but I do believe when he started he had the best intentions for the cats but it got to be too much, too many & became a hoarding disaster. He should get animal neglect charges because hoarders don’t have 501’s & claim to be a non profit rescue! I don’t know the guy, never heard of the place till I saw it on the news but in the end animals suffered due to HIS actions & something needs to be done about it…. Not a slap on the hand. He should never be allowed to have any animals at all due to the fact he could very well end up in this same spot down the road. If allowed to have animals again all that will teach people is it okay to do crap like this…