Caboodle Ranch Owner Speaks Out

I am very familiar with sanctuaries. I am very experienced with cats living outdoors. I am very aware of bad caretakers and good ones.
Craig has a heart of gold and spent his LIFE taking care of these cats. Cats get sick. Cats get dumped. Craig did MUCH MORE than MOST of the sanctuaries I am familiar with.
Many owners do not spend half the time Craig does.
He truly cares…and this unfounded biased unfortunate raid has crushed many people needlessly and has hurt the cats …..they need to be put back.

Cat sunn

Maggie, Animal Rights groups are confiscating animals all over the USA in the name of Animal Welfare and then keeping these poor animals in worse conditions than they were “saved” from.

For Craig to claim “poor me” it was a witch hunt is absurb. What benefit would it be to me and others to see CR shut down? So far most of the individuals joining the suit are individuals who rescue stray and feral cats and provide medical care and spay/nueter them with their hard earned money. If CR was as Craig claimed it to be why would anyone want to see it closed down as there is a shortage of good reputable shelters. His claims make no sense.

Secondly, the lawyer’s statements are typical defense hype talk. Of course their going to say anything possible to get sympathy from others. But no matter what they say, it doesn’t change the facts which will all come out in court in due time. In the meantime, if you’re interested in viewing bank statements and IRS docs go to Caboodle Ranch Animal Cruelty Case Info at www.caboodleranch.net. Click on document library. I think once you read through all the records you too will agree there is no denying that Grant has committed fraud. We are constantly updating the site and add more records as they come forth.

There are always 2 sides to any story, unfortunately
one (several) party can’t vocalize their side, best for judge/law to decide.
Fact is cats suffered greatly due to neglect, denied medical care & tragically some died. A cat named Lilly began with a slight infection, she suffered for months, worse part when Craig was offered help in taking her to vet he simply refused but called her “the cat with the bad eye” insensitive callous? perhaps. Lilly finally lost her will to live in such condition, sadly it all begin with a cold.
We live in a country where false arrest/prosecution are RARE, there’s no vendetta against Grant. We’re all responsible for own actions & outcome.
Grant had good intentions but actions bring great results, he plainly became a hoarder, a mental condition difficult to treat/cure.
My best wishes to all surviving cats & those that care enough to help out.
A cat lover for over 50 yrs,
keenpetite

There are always 2 sides to any story, unfortunately
one (several) party can’t vocalize their side, best for judge/law to decide.
Fact is cats suffered greatly due to neglect, denied medical care & tragically some died. A cat named Lilly began with a slight infection, she suffered for months, worse part when Craig was offered help in taking her to vet he simply refused but called her “the cat with the bad eye” insensitive callous? perhaps. Lilly finally lost her will to live in such condition, sadly it all begin with a cold.
We live in a country where false arrest/prosecution are RARE, there’s no vendetta against Grant. We’re all responsible for own actions & outcome.
Grant had good intentions but actions bring great results, he plainly became a hoarder, a mental condition difficult to treat/cure.
My best wishes to all surviving cats & those that care enough to help out.
A cat lover for over 50 yrs,
keenpetite

My question about this is, why didn’t these “humane” associations HELP Craig? He did end up taking in more cats than he easily could care for, but these cats were allowed to roam free for the rest of their natural lives. Sorry folks if it offends you, but disease is a part of a natural life. The ASPCA now has CONTROL of these 700 cats who are now being caged and in a more crowded environment. I am sure these cats are more stressed and will become sick from this stress, than if allowed to roam at Caboodle Ranch. How many of these cats will be euthanized because there are no homes for them or because they have an untreatable disease? I am sure Craig’s heart was in the right place, but he needed help, not prosecution. JMHO

Thank you for your very fair coverage and commentary on this case, Elisa. I believe that Crag Grant may have started off with good intentions to care for cats, but he clearly had no idea how to run an animal rescue of this size, and even worse, was more intent to gaining publicity and getting more cats than caring for the cats he had.

If you compare Caboodle Ranch to a well run sanctuary like Best Friends, it was lacking many basic things: a staff to care for the cats, a strong volunteer program, an active adoption program, a fundraising plan, clear accounting that keeps money donated to the nonprofit separate from personal spending, a basic maintenance and upkeeping routine, onsite veterinary care, standard physical facilities such as an 8-foot perimeter fence, etc.

A lot of people are arguing that the ASPCA should have helped instead of taking the cats. But how can they help someone who a) has turned away previous offers of help, b) doesn’t want to hear about any problems with physical facilities or sick cats, and c) cannot separate personal from nonprofit spending? Helping someone who runs a good facility but has simply fallen on hard times can be done through grants and awards.

But Craig Grant had plenty of money. He just wasn’t spending it in the right places. The cats got something like $16 worth of veterinary care each per year. One visit to my vet’s office costs at least $60, and that’s just for the exam – no shots, no surgeries, no medications.

The ASPCA and all the other rescue organizations that are caring for these cats did the right thing. I hope Grant will not try to delay the proceedings, because the longer he delays, the longer it will take before the cats can be placed into good homes.

Very good article, Elisa. An interesting read! Personally, I don’t know enough about Nanette to determine whether or not she should get her cats back. It would all depend on the cat’s physical and mental conditions. Eg, were they underweight, sick, stressed, aggressive? If they’re in poor condition, that means she’s not looking after them, and shouldn’t have them back! But if she’s a responsible cat owner, who looks after her cats and takes pride in keeping them healthy and happy, then of course, she should have them back. As for Craig Grant, he most certainly should not get his cats back! They’ll only suffer and die in his ‘care’! And I highly doubt animal welfare authorities would seize 700 cats if it wasn’t absolutely necessary, it’s ridiculous to think otherwise.

Just to show I do post both sides