Tiger Ranch... not good news

[jennielynn1970]

http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworl...,4118519.story
themorningcall.com
Hundreds of sick, dying cats found in western Pa. shelter

By Dan Nephin

Of The Associated Press

March 15, 2008

Hundreds of sick and dying cats were retrieved Friday from a western Pennsylvania animal sanctuary after an undercover investigation by a former humane officer said it had become a ''slow-kill shelter.''

Humane officials and volunteers said it could take at least until today to remove all the animals from the secluded 29-acre property known as Tiger Ranch Farm, about 20 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

Six hundred to 700 cats were on the property and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dead ones were believed buried on the land, said Howard Nelson, director of the Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which organized the raid.

''It's billed as a sanctuary, but no one person can take care of 750 cats,'' he said.

Owner Linda Bruno apparently meant well, but lost track of the needs of the animals she had hoarded for years, Nelson said.

''I found her to be in denial of the condition of the cats,'' he said.

Bruno, also known as Linn Marie, 45, was arraigned Friday on 13 counts of animal cruelty and neglect, but more charges were expected as subsequent cases were documented, Nelson said. It was not immediately clear if she had an attorney. She was being held in the Allegheny County Jail, unable to post $50,000 bond.

Animal control agents and sheriff's deputies arrived about 7 p.m. Thursday. By midday Friday, at least a dozen cats had been euthanized and more than 400 had to be medicated due to contagious diseases, officials said.

The SPCA got a search warrant after a seven-month undercover investigation in which Deborah Urmann, a former humane officer from Butler County who worked for Bruno once a week as a volunteer, recorded the operations using a button camera purchased over the Internet.

''She claims she's a no-kill shelter, but really she's a slow-kill shelter,'' Urmann said.

Urmann compiled up to 11/2 hours of video of the conditions in the fall.

Nelson said the animals were found in various places and conditions all over the property. Besides the hundreds of cats, Bruno had several dogs, several horses, a chicken and a goat.

[AbbyMom]

Jenn, I started a thread in the Dog House about this. So sad.

In case people haven't seen it or don't go to the Dog House, here is an update:

Permission to cross-post:

The Best Friends network has started a forum for people trying to
retrieve or rescue cats from Tiger Ranch. Go to
http://tinyurl. com/2orwag

[krazyaboutkatz]

Jenn, this is so sad. Was this one of the places where you were trying to place Ally? If so I'm so glad that she wasn't accepted here.

[rebeccahowes]

About two years ago I had some cats that I sent to Tiger Ranch. After talking to the owner Lin Marie, I thought they would have a better life so I let them go. Now I believe they may have been some of the cats buried at Tiger Ranch. Only two weeks ago I was getting ready to send some more cats to Tiger Ranch. I am so glad I am a procrasternator. They are still safe with me. This is a terrible blow to our communities. Many people and cats have depended on Tiger Ranch to help them out. My heart also goes out to Lin Marie because I believe that she was trying to do a good thing, but it got out of control for her. I also believe that the community should have helped her financially. I am having a problem with too many cats myself. I have searched the internet, called everyone in town for help, and prayed that someone could help me and the cats. No one cares about cats. That is what is sooooooooo sad. My neighbors had four abandoned kittens in their yard. I begged them to let me get them out of their backyard and find homes for them before they were too old. They hate cats. They refused, and now three adult cats live at my house, plus the cats I already had, plus a brand new batch of six, three week old kittens. I was going to take them to Tiger Ranch. I have no clue what I am going to do because I am trying to keep clothes and food in the house for my five small children.They need spayed and neutered to prevent any more cats coming into this world. I am so scared that I am going to be the next house on the news and there is not a darn thing I can do because the vets make you get shots before you can spay and neurter your cat. I don't have an extra 300, 400, 600, or 1000 dollars to help the cats. If there is anyone who can help me through this dilema, please contact me. I need cats spayed, neurted, and worms and fleas. I need homes for kittens. It is only a matter of time before my four female cats have kittens. I saw the lady on the news last night and she had hundreds of cats. I need to stop my problem now before it is too late. I realize this. My problems all started when I tried to help homeless cats because they were scared, alone, and starving. Please anyone can you help me. I do not want to be a Tiger Ranch fatality. Rebecca

[jennielynn1970]

I was just talking with another shelter person tonight (Furry Feet Rescue), and she and her husband were telling me how the kill shelter in Easton had sent HUNDREDS of cats to that "sanctuary".

[Reliable]

It is very possible that you qualify for S/N for free due to limited income issues & you just might be able to receive food for them, also.

Please try contacting the following:

http://www.neuterspay.org/cgi-bin/webdata_pro.pl
http://www.alleycat.org/contact.html
http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html

Please keep in mind that the situation you are describing will not get better without spaying & neutering.

[Sprinter's_mommy]

Rebecca,
I think you are doing a great thing and I think you are doin fine as long as you only have what you think you can handle physically, financially, and emotionally. Tiger ranch is a sad story and there are many people who are still supporting her. I too referred many people to her and use to help her at one point. I hope the best comes out of this and I hope Lynn is ok...she is very down right now, probably at her worst. I blame the vets for high pricing, the government for lack of funding, the public for not spaying and neutering, and the larger shelters and clinics for not stepping up their game to do what Lynn had done. Yes, it did get out of control, but the burden was on her to take in animals that the general public would have not have taken care of. What makes me mad is all the local shelters in our area all referred people to her....she someone that everyone else passed the buck to so they didn't have to take care of their problems themselves. I think some people on the news and so forth should give her some credit and the situation should have been handled differently. She should have been offered help financially and with problem solving rather than spyed on, hand cuffed and now she will never be allowed to have a pet of her own. No one talked to her as a person and said "Hey, were concerned and we have other ideas that might be better at handling your situation." People love drama...ya know. And yes, she probably has some issues going on herself now where she just couldn't do it anymore...I think I would to if I had 300+ cats to care for myself. All we can do now is pray for the animals, for our community, and for Lynn and hope that everyone around the U.S. learns from this situation.
Rebecca, if you call different vets and get a quote on multiple pet visit, they give discounts for seeing multiple pets at once. Also, look around your house for every penny and nickel and start rolling them...find anything in your house that you don't need and list it on Ebay...pick up an under the table job helping a local shelter or kennel for one day a week and save that money...you'll eventually get enough to atleast get some of them fixed. Hope this helps.
God Bless

[Reliable]

This is a partial copy of an e-mail I sent out:

You want to know what I am amazed at?

How many times I read these discussions about people that do "rescue" & usually NOT one person on the forum has committed any true time to the place being discussed/bashed/ or commended.

I am even more truly amazed as to why I keep wondering about it?

Have you ever wondered about that?

Remember this one?

http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cf...307A371F47F219


*******
It's a sad state **** when no one will help seeing that someone is overwhelmed... I do NOT believe Lin Marie is or was a bad person as I do NOT believe Sara Whalen was, either...

Even **** ******* of **** couldn't wait to send out releases about what they saw there, as many others did also, but when she was alive fighting cancer for 2 years people kept dumping animals on her.

Something like this happening is on a much different level then this:
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/10948/OH/US/
Or This:
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/32/WI/US/

I really hope & pray the truth comes out & I am quite concerned if Linn Marie is out of jail & pray to God she isn't left alone... I worry...

No doubt she's rec'd 1,000's of e-mails, hate phone calls & who knows what vigilante has shown up to say something to put her over the edge... brings tears to my eyes wondering how she is doing.

& why people are now aiming their misguided anger at ***... when 9 other states,was it?, were sending there also...

Read on another forum that a kill shelter from Easton, PA sent felines there continually!

***
There aren't any easy answers to any of this but there might be future preventions...

Please take the time to get involved to "help" on a regular committed basis...

Rescue is hard work! Physically, financially, emotionally & spiritually rescue can be draining when there are more "arm chair rescuers" then there are soldiers in the trenches.

Please become physically involved on a regular basis somewhere, today.

Being committed to a certain time frame for volunteering might just help to run a place like a well oiled machine.

Now to those of you who are wondering do I "know" Lin Marie(?)....

The answer is "no"... I live much too far away from her as I did from Sara Whalen... for the record neither place have I ever sent an animal to.

Am I rescue? Yes... had I known about all of the places that needed help before I decided to start my own rescue I would never have started my own...

You ask "Why"?:

There's no need for it as I have seen through the years but there is an over abundance of need in places that already exist...

Please help us to continue our work in the "trenches" by helping us on a physical level.

Thank You