Hello...Ted B AKA Evan D AKA iamlazarus, Madras & all of the other Supporters Of Tiger Ranch (SOTR),
Just wanted to let you know that Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie self proclaimed steward of Tiger Ranch Cat Sanctuary probably won't have much trouble paying her fine...She'll be using YOUR donations!:
Marie has received a little more than $200,000 in legal defense and other contributions, Jugan said.
Marie's lead attorney, Robert Hollister, of Montrose, in the northeast corner of the state, declined to say how much of the fine will be paid with contributions to Tiger Ranch or how much of the money will be used in legal defense.
Oh & in case you missed the news of where all of the previous donations went?
pay her mortgage,
to buy hay for a horse-breeding business,
her own dental work,
trips to the hair salon
and Italian restaurants
Statement from Mike Winikoff, Investigator, formerly with Last Chance for Animals
"I was working for Last Chance for Animals when the initial complaints about Tiger Ranch came in to the office," Winikoff said in the statement. He conducted a preliminary investigation.
"I concluded that there was evidence of horrible suffering at Tiger Ranch, and requested authorization to conduct a more thorough investigation. My request was approved, but then abruptly withdrawn.
"I've never fully understood why LCA pulled me off of that investigation," he said. "After I left LCA, I continued to look into Tiger Ranch and became more and more convinced that the allegations were valid.
"As a 20-year veteran of the animal rights movement, including a decade as an undercover investigator, I remain convinced that Tiger Ranch deserved to be closed and investigated for animal cruelty.
"I believe that our mission as animal advocates is to prevent and alleviate suffering wherever it occurs, even when the suffering is created by those who may be trying to do good things for animals.
"I do not believe that good intentions absolve us of the consequences of our actions. That applies both to Tiger Ranch and the people who dumped cats there without fully investigating their likely fate."
Hello again...Ted AKA Evan D AKA iamlazarus & all of the Supporters Of Tiger Ranch (SOTR),
Just wanted to let you know that Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie self proclaimed steward of Tiger Ranch Cat Sanctuary probably won't have much trouble paying her fine...She'll be using YOUR donations!:
Marie has received a little more than $200,000 in legal defense and other contributions, Jugan said.
Marie's lead attorney, Robert Hollister, of Montrose, in the northeast corner of the state, declined to say how much of the fine will be paid with contributions to Tiger Ranch or how much of the money will be used in legal defense.
Oh & in case you missed the news of where all of the previous donations went?
pay her mortgage,
to buy hay for a horse-breeding business,
her own dental work,
trips to the hair salon
and Italian restaurants
Statement from Mike Winikoff, Investigator, formerly with Last Chance for Animals
"I was working for Last Chance for Animals when the initial complaints about Tiger Ranch came in to the office," Winikoff said in the statement. He conducted a preliminary investigation.
"I concluded that there was evidence of horrible suffering at Tiger Ranch, and requested authorization to conduct a more thorough investigation. My request was approved, but then abruptly withdrawn.
"I've never fully understood why LCA pulled me off of that investigation," he said. "After I left LCA, I continued to look into Tiger Ranch and became more and more convinced that the allegations were valid.
"As a 20-year veteran of the animal rights movement, including a decade as an undercover investigator, I remain convinced that Tiger Ranch deserved to be closed and investigated for animal cruelty.
"I believe that our mission as animal advocates is to prevent and alleviate suffering wherever it occurs, even when the suffering is created by those who may be trying to do good things for animals.
"I do not believe that good intentions absolve us of the consequences of our actions. That applies both to Tiger Ranch and the people who dumped cats there without fully investigating their likely fate."
Cat 'sanctuary' owner sentenced for animal abuse
Saturday, January 09, 2010
By Paula Reed Ward, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lin Marie
The image that Lin Marie presented to the animal rescue community of her cat sanctuary was one of love and success. She described "TigerRanch" as "the land of milk and tuna," where hundreds of cats were taken in and adopted back out each month.
But prosecutors yesterday, in asking an Allegheny County Common Pleas Court judge to sentence the woman formerly known as Linda Bruno to jail time, presented a bleak and disturbing image where diseased cats were left to contaminate the healthy, only 21 cats were adopted out of thousands taken in, and mass graves dotted the 29-acre Frazer property.
Judge Jill A. Rangos, who repeatedly admonished the defendant and expressed her disappointment in the multitude of lies she told, did not order the woman to jail.
But she didn't discount the possibility either.
Instead, the judge ordered Ms. Marie, 47, to serve two years of house arrest, followed by 27 years of probation. But Judge Rangos also told
the defendant she would not hesitate to put Ms. Marie in jail if she violates even the slightest of conditions of her release.
Among those, she is to have no contact with any animals and she must undergo a psychiatric evaluation and participate in weekly mental health treatment.
"I give you this break, in part, not because you deserve it, but I don't feel the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should pay to warehouse you at the jail," the judge said.
Further, she added, house arrest will allow Ms. Marie to continue working to earn money to cover restitution. She was ordered to pay $200,000 to cover the cost of the veterinary care provided to the 391 live cats seized during the March 2008 raid of the facility.
A former humane agent who began volunteering at Tiger Ranch in August 2007 went to local animal rights groups to complain almost immediately about the conditions she saw.
However, it was the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that finally agreed to help pursue the case.
Along with local law enforcement, they organized a raid on March 13, 2008, bringing in mobile veterinary clinics and dozens of people to help catch the hundreds of cats.
"It's unforgiveable this was going on for so long," said Dr. Becky Morrow, a veterinarian who helped with the investigation, at the raid and in the many months since. "The smell alone would have tipped anyone off."
Originally facing hundreds of counts of animal cruelty, Ms. Marie pleaded guilty in July to 12 counts, plus an additional two counts of tampering with records.
Assistant District Attorney Deborah Jugan laid out for the judge, in very minute detail, the number of cats -- both alive and dead -- found on the property and their medical conditions.
According to Ms. Marie's own records, the prosecutor said, there should have been 7,819 cats on the property that she had taken in. Instead, they recovered 391 live cats and 106 that were dead and stored in freezers. Of the live cats, 300 of them were malnourished, and 294 had some form of upper respiratory infection.
Ms. Marie paid a man with a Bobcat to dig mass graves for her on a regular basis, the prosecutor said. The last one was 30 feet long, 12 feet deep and 12 feet wide.
"You couldn't walk on Tiger Ranch without stepping on cat bones," Ms. Jugan said. "I often wonder if she told so many lies she started believing them. It's amazing how many people this woman was able to con."
But as she spoke to the judge, Ms. Marie said she was past the lying she had done. She had undergone what she called a "paradigm shift."
"I'm sorry, and I'm sad. I'd like to move on with a life that's different," she said. "I just hope I get a chance to work on me. I want to work on me."
Before announcing the sentence, the judge commended the prosecutor for her "extraordinary effort," and then turned her attention to Ms. Marie.
"I am tremendously disappointed that despite the opportunity I did give you, you have either chosen not to cooperate and [instead] spew vitriol in other people's direction without taking any personal responsibility for the disaster Tiger Ranch became," Judge Rangos
said.
Ms. Marie interrupted.
"It is my fault, no doubt. I abdicate nothing. I take full responsibility."
Of the 391 cats that were rescued, 240 survived. Sixty chronically ill cats that cannot be adopted now live in a house bought by Dr. Morrow that has been turned into a sanctuary. There remain 50 cats that are healthy and available for adoption. They can be viewed at
tigerranchrescues.com.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/ x/valleynewsdispatch/s_661432. html
Tiger Ranch ex-operator gets probation, house arrest
By Bobby Kerlik, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Joe Appel/Tribune-Review
Tiger Ranch promised "a land of milk and tuna" for unwanted cats. Instead, an Allegheny County judge said Friday, the sanctuary in Frazer became a disaster.
The former owner of the closed property avoided further jail time, but will spend 27 years on probation and two years on house arrest. She must pay $212,000 in fines and restitution for housing hundreds of cats in filth and disease.
Lin Marie, 47, formerly known as Linda Bruno, apologized at a lengthy sentencing hearing for keeping the animals in squalid conditions while accepting donations for their care. She earlier pleaded guilty to 12 counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of tampering with records.
"I'm sorry and I'm sad, and I'd like to move on with my life," Marie told Common Pleas Judge Jill E. Rangos. "I just hope I get a chance to work on me. I need to work on me. I want to work on me."
Rangos ordered Marie to have no contact with animals and to continue mental-health treatment. The judge sentenced Marie to one to six months in jail but gave her credit for 37 days she served. Marie will not have to serve any more time in jail.
"I came into this case thinking ... you were most likely a woman who had good intentions but became overwhelmed. From that perspective until today, I have learned quite a lot," Rangos said. "You have chosen not to cooperate and spew vitriol in others' direction without taking any personal responsibility for the disaster that Tiger Ranch
became."
Police and humane agencies raided the 29-acre property in March 2008 and found 391 cats living in messy conditions. Many of the cats were in such poor health that they had to be euthanized. About 240 survived.
Marie contended Tiger Ranch was a no-kill shelter that took in sick and dying cats that no one wanted. Her attorney, Robert Hollister, who is a veterinarian, said Marie was "an individual who gave too much of herself for too long."
Assistant District Attorney Deb Jugan, however, displayed a slideshow of diseased cats having open sores and other ailments. She played the answering-machine message from Tiger Ranch that Marie recorded, promising "a land of milk and tuna" for unwanted cats.
"Euthanasia would have been the kindest way out for the cats. A lot of them died agonizing, torturous deaths," Jugan said. "None of the donations went for the cats' care, except to pay for their graves and the shipping costs for their donated food."
Jugan said Marie used some of the donated money to pay her mortgage and hairdresser and to buy hay for a horse-breeding business.
Jugan contended that more than 7,000 cats died at Tiger Ranch during a three-year period and showed pictures of a 30-foot-by-12-foot grave
where more were to be buried.
"Cat bones are strewn about the property," Jugan said. "You can't walk at Tiger Ranch without stepping on cat bones."
Veterinarian Dr. Becky Morrow, who treated the rescued cats, said some died in her arms during the raid.
"No punishment will ever make up for the magnitude of suffering she caused," Morrow said. "It's most important to keep this from ever happening again."
Morrow said anyone interested in adopting one of 50 cats still needing homes can visit www.TigerRanchRescues.com.
Oh & btw... I was at Tiger Ranch just like Chris DeRose was...
Want to know the *truth* about that one? Go back & review the YouTube videos that were removed ... Just *Chock Full of Information" on that one.
Cat 'sanctuary' owner sentenced for animal abuse
Saturday, January 09, 2010
By Paula Reed Ward, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lin Marie
The image that Lin Marie presented to the animal rescue community of her cat sanctuary was one of love and success. She described "TigerRanch" as "the land of milk and tuna," where hundreds of cats were taken in and adopted back out each month.
But prosecutors yesterday, in asking an Allegheny County Common Pleas Court judge to sentence the woman formerly known as Linda Bruno to jail time, presented a bleak and disturbing image where diseased cats were left to contaminate the healthy, only 21 cats were adopted out of thousands taken in, and mass graves dotted the 29-acre Frazer property.
Judge Jill A. Rangos, who repeatedly admonished the defendant and expressed her disappointment in the multitude of lies she told, did not order the woman to jail.
But she didn't discount the possibility either.
Instead, the judge ordered Ms. Marie, 47, to serve two years of house arrest, followed by 27 years of probation. But Judge Rangos also told
the defendant she would not hesitate to put Ms. Marie in jail if she violates even the slightest of conditions of her release.
Among those, she is to have no contact with any animals and she must undergo a psychiatric evaluation and participate in weekly mental health treatment.
"I give you this break, in part, not because you deserve it, but I don't feel the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should pay to warehouse you at the jail," the judge said.
Further, she added, house arrest will allow Ms. Marie to continue working to earn money to cover restitution. She was ordered to pay $200,000 to cover the cost of the veterinary care provided to the 391 live cats seized during the March 2008 raid of the facility.
A former humane agent who began volunteering at Tiger Ranch in August 2007 went to local animal rights groups to complain almost immediately about the conditions she saw.
However, it was the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that finally agreed to help pursue the case.
Along with local law enforcement, they organized a raid on March 13, 2008, bringing in mobile veterinary clinics and dozens of people to help catch the hundreds of cats.
"It's unforgiveable this was going on for so long," said Dr. Becky Morrow, a veterinarian who helped with the investigation, at the raid and in the many months since. "The smell alone would have tipped anyone off."
Originally facing hundreds of counts of animal cruelty, Ms. Marie pleaded guilty in July to 12 counts, plus an additional two counts of tampering with records.
Assistant District Attorney Deborah Jugan laid out for the judge, in very minute detail, the number of cats -- both alive and dead -- found on the property and their medical conditions.
According to Ms. Marie's own records, the prosecutor said, there should have been 7,819 cats on the property that she had taken in. Instead, they recovered 391 live cats and 106 that were dead and stored in freezers. Of the live cats, 300 of them were malnourished, and 294 had some form of upper respiratory infection.
Ms. Marie paid a man with a Bobcat to dig mass graves for her on a regular basis, the prosecutor said. The last one was 30 feet long, 12feet deep and 12 feet wide.
"You couldn't walk on Tiger Ranch without stepping on cat bones," Ms. Jugan said. "I often wonder if she told so many lies she started believing them. It's amazing how many people this woman was able to con."
But as she spoke to the judge, Ms. Marie said she was past the lying she had done. She had undergone what she called a "paradigm shift."
"I'm sorry, and I'm sad. I'd like to move on with a life that's different," she said. "I just hope I get a chance to work on me. I want to work on me."
Before announcing the sentence, the judge commended the prosecutor for her "extraordinary effort," and then turned her attention to Ms. Marie.
"I am tremendously disappointed that despite the opportunity I did give you, you have either chosen not to cooperate and [instead] spew vitriol in other people's direction without taking any personal responsibility for the disaster Tiger Ranch became," Judge Rangos
said.
Ms. Marie interrupted.
"It is my fault, no doubt. I abdicate nothing. I take full responsibility."
Of the 391 cats that were rescued, 240 survived. Sixty chronically ill cats that cannot be adopted now live in a house bought by Dr. Morrow that has been turned into a sanctuary. There remain 50 cats that are healthy and available for adoption. They can be viewed at
tigerranchrescues.com.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/ x/valleynewsdispatch/s_661432. html
Tiger Ranch ex-operator gets probation, house arrest
By Bobby Kerlik, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Joe Appel/Tribune-Review
Tiger Ranch promised "a land of milk and tuna" for unwanted cats. Instead, an Allegheny County judge said Friday, the sanctuary in Frazer became a disaster.
The former owner of the closed property avoided further jail time, but will spend 27 years on probation and two years on house arrest. She must pay $212,000 in fines and restitution for housing hundreds of cats in filth and disease.
Lin Marie, 47, formerly known as Linda Bruno, apologized at a lengthy sentencing hearing for keeping the animals in squalid conditions while accepting donations for their care. She earlier pleaded guilty to 12 counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of tampering with records.
"I'm sorry and I'm sad, and I'd like to move on with my life," Marie told Common Pleas Judge Jill E. Rangos. "I just hope I get a chance to work on me. I need to work on me. I want to work on me."
Rangos ordered Marie to have no contact with animals and to continue mental-health treatment. The judge sentenced Marie to one to six months in jail but gave her credit for 37 days she served. Marie will not have to serve any more time in jail.
"I came into this case thinking ... you were most likely a woman who had good intentions but became overwhelmed. From that perspective until today, I have learned quite a lot," Rangos said. "You have chosen not to cooperate and spew vitriol in others' direction without taking any personal responsibility for the disaster that Tiger Ranch
became."
Police and humane agencies raided the 29-acre property in March 2008 and found 391 cats living in messy conditions. Many of the cats were in such poor health that they had to be euthanized. About 240 survived.
Marie contended Tiger Ranch was a no-kill shelter that took in sick and dying cats that no one wanted. Her attorney, Robert Hollister, who is a veterinarian, said Marie was "an individual who gave too much of herself for too long."
Assistant District Attorney Deb Jugan, however, displayed a slideshow of diseased cats having open sores and other ailments. She played the answering-machine message from Tiger Ranch that Marie recorded, promising "a land of milk and tuna" for unwanted cats.
"Euthanasia would have been the kindest way out for the cats. A lot of them died agonizing, torturous deaths," Jugan said. "None of the donations went for the cats' care, except to pay for their graves and the shipping costs for their donated food."
Jugan said Marie used some of the donated money to pay her mortgage and hairdresser and to buy hay for a horse-breeding business.
Jugan contended that more than 7,000 cats died at Tiger Ranch during a three-year period and showed pictures of a 30-foot-by-12-foot grave
where more were to be buried.
"Cat bones are strewn about the property," Jugan said. "You can't walk at Tiger Ranch without stepping on cat bones."
Veterinarian Dr. Becky Morrow, who treated the rescued cats, said some died in her arms during the raid.
"No punishment will ever make up for the magnitude of suffering she caused," Morrow said. "It's most important to keep this from ever happening again."
Morrow said anyone interested in adopting one of 50 cats still needing homes can visit www.TigerRanchRescues.com.
Oh & btw... I was at Tiger Ranch just like Chris DeRose was...
Want to know the *truth* about that one? Go back & review the YouTube videos that were removed ... Just *Chock Full of Information" on that one.
Howard Nelson, the CEO of the Pennsylvania SPCA isn't the one being charged with:
604 counts of cruelty to animals, 10 misdemeanor charges: seven counts of forgery for allegedly signing a veterinarian's signature on the documents and three for allegedly operating an unlicensed veterinary practice.
However Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie has been charged with the above.
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/13365/PA/US/
*
Fact Is...
The cats of Tiger Ranch still "Suffered Horribly"
Copy & Paste to see the Undercover videos & pictures here:
http://tigerranchrescue.info/?page_id=8
More Pics of a few of the cats rescued & conditions at the time...
Copy & Paste then scroll down to see some of the Tiger Ranch Cats:
http://www.pspca.org/news/tiger_ranch
Pictures/Videos/Evidence... There will be more to come:
Buffalo Township veterinarian Dr. Becky Morrow, one of the four people involved in the undercover sting, said the investigators are only able to release a hour-and-a-half of video at present.
"We have 350 pages of evidence and surveillance video," Morrow said. "The hour-and-a-half of video is public record under the (search) warrant. I can't begin to add up the amount of video we have."
PITTSBURGH -- Hours of gruesome testimony ran overtime Tuesday in the preliminary hearing of Linda Bruno, the owner and operator of Tiger Ranch, a cat sanctuary in Frazer that officials say was run amok.
The hearing was continued until Tuesday after a five-hour slide show of dozens of cats who were found diseased, sickly and dead on Bruno's property last month.
Expert witness veterinarians Dr. Ravindra Murarka and Dr. Becky L. Morrow listed conditions and descriptions to match the images of the sickest cats on the ranch.
There were cats whose limbs and joints were covered with bursting abcesses; cats with ulcerated and jaundiced mouths; cats with glaucoma and conjunctivitis so bad their eyes looked like dollops of burnt cherry pie; cats with severe infections that covered or destroyed their eyes and left their faces bathed in slime or molded over like old bread.
Tiger Ranch owner faces trial on 593 counts of animal cruelty
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
She testified that a necropsy on the cat found dead behind one of the four freezers used to store cat carcasses indicated it had a twisted lung lobe. That, she said, indicates the lung was not functional, and the cat had no food in its stomach.
"During the necropsy, I remember pulling eight round worms from its intestine," she said. "It appears as if the cat died of starvation, secondary to an upper respiratory infection and from the roundworms."
Bruno proceeded to tell Manning of adoption and intake records that were kept in plastic book shelves in the office section of her home.
According to PSPCA humane officer Rebecca McDonald, all records taken from Tiger Ranch were covered in cat urine and dirt.
McDonald said the records indicated Bruno had received 6,482 cats in 2007. Only 14 cats were indicated as being adopted out.
Records for 2008 indicated 786 cats had been taken in and nine were adopted out prior to the raid.
No records could be found for 2006.
*
http://www.nppmwatch.com/NEWS/April08News.html
McDonald also testified that she found an unused burial pit 32 feet long, 12 feet wide and 12 feet deep. Two other filled pits of similar size were also found, she said.
Members of the APCA's Animal Crime Scene Unit walked through the sanctuary videotaping open graves and photographing specific areas.
The burial pit that was recently dug can be seen from a Google Earth satellite image.
DeForest said the burial pit has been shifted three times since she began keeping track of burials in 2006.
*
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/13365/PA/US/
The raid also uncovered burial pits containing perhaps thousands of cats, according to the SPCA.
About 100 dead cats were found in freezers. Valasek has said Bruno needed some place to store them until she could get a backhoe so she wasn't constantly burying them.
*
Fact Remains the Cats are Doing Better:
Tiger Ranch Update: Video Shows Seized Cats Four Months Later
Jul 17, 2008
Copy & Paste The Links:
http://www.wpxi.com/video/16914006/index.html
http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/824459
Tiger Ranch cats thriving at shelter
By Francine Garrone
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Huddled in a small wicker basket in the corner of a makeshift cattery sleeps a miracle.
*
In the meantime...
End Cruelty, Neglect, Abuse and Death in Substandard Cat Shelters....
Impose Stiff Penalties For Felony and Misdemeanor Animal
Cruelty:
While Bruno had her army of supporters, Mike Winikoff, a former undercover investigator for DeRose's Last Chance for Animals, said in a written statement that he found "horrible suffering" among the cats at Tiger Ranch.
"I was working for Last Chance for Animals when the initial complaints about Tiger Ranch came in to the office," Winikoff said in the statement. He conducted a preliminary investigation.
"I concluded that there was evidence of horrible suffering at Tiger Ranch, and requested authorization to conduct a more thorough investigation. My request was approved, but then abruptly withdrawn.
"I've never fully understood why LCA pulled me off of that investigation," he said. "After I left LCA, I continued to look into Tiger Ranch and became more and more convinced that the allegations were valid.
"As a 20-year veteran of the animal rights movement, including a decade as an undercover investigator, I remain convinced that Tiger Ranch deserved to be closed and investigated for animal cruelty.
"I believe that our mission as animal advocates is to prevent and alleviate suffering wherever it occurs, even when the suffering is created by those who may be trying to do good things for animals.
"I do not believe that good intentions absolve us of the consequences of our actions. That applies both to Tiger Ranch and the people who dumped cats there without fully investigating their likely fate."
"Last January we sent about 50 feral cats. (Bruno) told us she would release the feral ones on her property. She said she had 300 acres," said Zanesville, Ohio, animal shelter executive director Larry Hostetler.
An Allegheny County property Web site says Bruno owns 28 acres, not 300.
...
...
Meanwhile, the sting is causing worry for cat owners near and far..
Last October the Clifton, N.J.-based Angels of Animals made the long drive from New York City's suburbs to deliver at least a half-dozen cats to the farm.
"We were assured they went into foster care," said spokeswoman Ellie Kowalski, who made the six-hour trek.
"Now, we'd like to know if they are OK," she said. "We will drive another six hours to take the cats back if necessary."
Bruno proceeded to tell Manning of adoption and intake records that were kept in plastic book shelves in the office section of her home.
According to PSPCA humane officer Rebecca McDonald, all records taken from Tiger Ranch were covered in cat urine and dirt.
McDonald said the records indicated Bruno had received 6,482 cats in 2007. Only 14 cats were indicated as being adopted out.
Records for 2008 indicated 786 cats had been taken in and nine were adopted out prior to the raid.
No records could be found for 2006.
*
http://www.nppmwatch.com/NEWS/April08News.html
McDonald also testified that she found an unused burial pit 32 feet long, 12 feet wide and 12 feet deep. Two other filled pits of similar size were also found, she said.
Members of the APCA's Animal Crime Scene Unit walked through the sanctuary videotaping open graves and photographing specific areas.
The burial pit that was recently dug can be seen from a Google Earth satellite image.
DeForest said the burial pit has been shifted three times since she began keeping track of burials in 2006.
*
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/13365/PA/US/
The raid also uncovered burial pits containing perhaps thousands of cats, according to the SPCA.
About 100 dead cats were found in freezers. Valasek has said Bruno needed some place to store them until she could get a backhoe so she wasn't constantly burying them.
While Bruno had her army of supporters, Mike Winikoff, a former undercover investigator for DeRose's Last Chance for Animals, said in a written statement that he found "horrible suffering" among the cats at Tiger Ranch.
"I was working for Last Chance for Animals when the initial complaints about Tiger Ranch came in to the office," Winikoff said in the statement. He conducted a preliminary investigation.
"I concluded that there was evidence of horrible suffering at Tiger Ranch, and requested authorization to conduct a more thorough investigation. My request was approved, but then abruptly withdrawn.
"I've never fully understood why LCA pulled me off of that investigation," he said. "After I left LCA, I continued to look into Tiger Ranch and became more and more convinced that the allegations were valid.
"As a 20-year veteran of the animal rights movement, including a decade as an undercover investigator, I remain convinced that Tiger Ranch deserved to be closed and investigated for animal cruelty.
"I believe that our mission as animal advocates is to prevent and alleviate suffering wherever it occurs, even when the suffering is created by those who may be trying to do good things for animals.
"I do not believe that good intentions absolve us of the consequences of our actions. That applies both to Tiger Ranch and the people who dumped cats there without fully investigating their likely fate."
*
Now lest we forget & lose sight of what went on at Tiger Ranch... Look at these Videos & Pictures of the Tiger Ranch Cats... Graphic:
Copy & Paste The Links:
http://tigerranchrescue.info/?page_id=8
http://www.pspca.org/news/tiger_ranch
You Can Help To Put a Stop To This
No More Tiger Ranches
End Cruelty, Neglect, Abuse and Death in Substandard Cat Shelters...
Impose Stiff Penalties For Felony and Misdemeanor Animal Cruelty:
Common sense would send up a red flag for someone when they had to use a backhoe to bury the dead...
Wouldn't ya think?
You would have thought that Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie the self proclaimed steward of Tiger Ranch in Tarentum, PA along with her veterinarian would have figured out something was seriously going wrong there when "burial pits" had to be made with a backhoe for the dead..."so she wasn't *constantly* burying them":
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/13365/PA/US/
The raid also uncovered burial pits containing perhaps thousands of cats, according to the SPCA.
About 100 dead cats were found in freezers. Valasek has said Bruno needed some place to store them until she could get a backhoe so she wasn't constantly burying them.
Where is Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie the self proclaimed steward of Tiger Ranch in Tarentum, PA personal responsibility in all of this?
Curious as to what Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie's veterinarian found in her/his necropsies?
Or was it just an everyday accepted occurrence to put dead bodies in the freezer daily?
Yes, folks you are reading this correctly... *Burial Pits*/*Backhoe*..."so she wasn't *constantly* burying them" according to her defense attorney Ron E. Valasek.
One would think with that statement Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie would have wanted to know why they were dying.
Enough of them dying so a backhoe had to be brought in to bury the dead.
*
How many Dead Frozen Kitties do you think it took to Fill the Burial Pits?:
Copy & Paste This Link:
http://www.nppmwatch.com/NEWS/April08News.html
McDonald also testified that she found an unused burial pit 32 feet long, 12 feet wide and 12 feet deep. Two other filled pits of similar size were also found, she said.
Valasek told the newspaper the no-kill shelter is a "superb facility" that includes an air-conditioned dying room where animals could die with dignity..
Tiger Ranch Supporters have tried to make an issue out of the filming of a cat dying in a litter box:
Quote "That is disgusting, that cat died alone"...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyXdirYxKHA
Where was the Care, Comfort & Dignity the night these 2 cats were found dead during the raid...
Yes, They Died Alone.
One was found behind one of the 4 freezers used to store the dead bodies and the other was found dead in a litter box:
Tiger Ranch owner faces trial on 593 counts of animal cruelty
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
She testified that a necropsy on the cat found dead behind one of the four freezers used to store cat carcasses indicated it had a twisted lung lobe. That, she said, indicates the lung was not functional, and the cat had no food in its stomach.
"During the necropsy, I remember pulling eight round worms from its intestine," she said. "It appears as if the cat died of starvation, secondary to an upper respiratory infection and from the roundworms."
The prosecution played a video taken the night Tiger Ranch was raided that showed cats throughout Bruno's home, the pus-like film covering the walls about 3 feet from the floor, on space heaters used to keep the cats warm and on the refrigerator, and a dead cat lying in a litter box.
*
What I Have Seen...
Lest we forget & lose sight of what went on at Tiger Ranch watch these videos:
Copy & Paste This Link:
http://tigerranchrescue.info/?page_id=8
More Pics of a few of the cats rescued & conditions at the time...
Copy & Paste then scroll down to see the Tiger Ranch Cats:
Buffalo Township veterinarian Dr. Becky Morrow, one of the four people involved in the undercover sting, said the investigators are only able to release a hour-and-a-half of video at present.
"We have 350 pages of evidence and surveillance video," Morrow said. "The hour-and-a-half of video is public record under the (search) warrant. I can't begin to add up the amount of video we have."
*
Let your voice & conscience be heard throughout the world
Let Us Not Allow The Long Suffering Deaths Of These Poor
Creatures Be In Vain
You Can Help To Put a Stop To This
No More Tiger Ranches
End Cruelty, Neglect, Abuse and Death in Substandard Cat
Shelters...
Impose Stiff Penalties For Felony and Misdemeanor Animal
Cruelty:
Recent Comments
Just wanted to let you know that Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie self proclaimed steward of Tiger Ranch Cat Sanctuary probably won't have much trouble paying her fine...She'll be using YOUR donations!:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/s_633575.html
Snippet:
Marie has received a little more than $200,000 in legal defense and other contributions, Jugan said.
Marie's lead attorney, Robert Hollister, of Montrose, in the northeast corner of the state, declined to say how much of the fine will be paid with contributions to Tiger Ranch or how much of the money will be used in legal defense.
Oh & in case you missed the news of where all of the previous donations went?
pay her mortgage,
to buy hay for a horse-breeding business,
her own dental work,
trips to the hair salon
and Italian restaurants
Copy & Paste the Links:
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/pets/81054737.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10009/1027026-54.stm
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/s_661432.%20html
*
Lest You Forget Heed The Following Words:
http://tigerranchrescue.info/
Statement from Mike Winikoff, Investigator, formerly with Last Chance for Animals
"I was working for Last Chance for Animals when the initial complaints about Tiger Ranch came in to the office," Winikoff said in the statement. He conducted a preliminary investigation.
"I concluded that there was evidence of horrible suffering at Tiger Ranch, and requested authorization to conduct a more thorough investigation. My request was approved, but then abruptly withdrawn.
"I've never fully understood why LCA pulled me off of that investigation," he said. "After I left LCA, I continued to look into Tiger Ranch and became more and more convinced that the allegations were valid.
"As a 20-year veteran of the animal rights movement, including a decade as an undercover investigator, I remain convinced that Tiger Ranch deserved to be closed and investigated for animal cruelty.
"I believe that our mission as animal advocates is to prevent and alleviate suffering wherever it occurs, even when the suffering is created by those who may be trying to do good things for animals.
"I do not believe that good intentions absolve us of the consequences of our actions. That applies both to Tiger Ranch and the people who dumped cats there without fully investigating their likely fate."
Just wanted to let you know that Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie self proclaimed steward of Tiger Ranch Cat Sanctuary probably won't have much trouble paying her fine...She'll be using YOUR donations!:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/s_633575.html
Snippet:
Marie has received a little more than $200,000 in legal defense and other contributions, Jugan said.
Marie's lead attorney, Robert Hollister, of Montrose, in the northeast corner of the state, declined to say how much of the fine will be paid with contributions to Tiger Ranch or how much of the money will be used in legal defense.
Oh & in case you missed the news of where all of the previous donations went?
pay her mortgage,
to buy hay for a horse-breeding business,
her own dental work,
trips to the hair salon
and Italian restaurants
Copy & Paste the Links:
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/pets/81054737.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10009/1027026-54.stm
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/s_661432.%20html
*
Lest You Forget Heed The Following Words:
http://tigerranchrescue.info/
Statement from Mike Winikoff, Investigator, formerly with Last Chance for Animals
"I was working for Last Chance for Animals when the initial complaints about Tiger Ranch came in to the office," Winikoff said in the statement. He conducted a preliminary investigation.
"I concluded that there was evidence of horrible suffering at Tiger Ranch, and requested authorization to conduct a more thorough investigation. My request was approved, but then abruptly withdrawn.
"I've never fully understood why LCA pulled me off of that investigation," he said. "After I left LCA, I continued to look into Tiger Ranch and became more and more convinced that the allegations were valid.
"As a 20-year veteran of the animal rights movement, including a decade as an undercover investigator, I remain convinced that Tiger Ranch deserved to be closed and investigated for animal cruelty.
"I believe that our mission as animal advocates is to prevent and alleviate suffering wherever it occurs, even when the suffering is created by those who may be trying to do good things for animals.
"I do not believe that good intentions absolve us of the consequences of our actions. That applies both to Tiger Ranch and the people who dumped cats there without fully investigating their likely fate."
Here's more for those that want the *Truth* about what was said at the sentencing.
Copy & Paste Links:
http://www.post-gazette.com/ pg/10009/1027026-54.stm
Cat 'sanctuary' owner sentenced for animal abuse
Saturday, January 09, 2010
By Paula Reed Ward, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lin Marie
The image that Lin Marie presented to the animal rescue community of her cat sanctuary was one of love and success. She described "TigerRanch" as "the land of milk and tuna," where hundreds of cats were taken in and adopted back out each month.
But prosecutors yesterday, in asking an Allegheny County Common Pleas Court judge to sentence the woman formerly known as Linda Bruno to jail time, presented a bleak and disturbing image where diseased cats were left to contaminate the healthy, only 21 cats were adopted out of thousands taken in, and mass graves dotted the 29-acre Frazer property.
Judge Jill A. Rangos, who repeatedly admonished the defendant and expressed her disappointment in the multitude of lies she told, did not order the woman to jail.
But she didn't discount the possibility either.
Instead, the judge ordered Ms. Marie, 47, to serve two years of house arrest, followed by 27 years of probation. But Judge Rangos also told
the defendant she would not hesitate to put Ms. Marie in jail if she violates even the slightest of conditions of her release.
Among those, she is to have no contact with any animals and she must undergo a psychiatric evaluation and participate in weekly mental health treatment.
"I give you this break, in part, not because you deserve it, but I don't feel the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should pay to warehouse you at the jail," the judge said.
Further, she added, house arrest will allow Ms. Marie to continue working to earn money to cover restitution. She was ordered to pay $200,000 to cover the cost of the veterinary care provided to the 391 live cats seized during the March 2008 raid of the facility.
A former humane agent who began volunteering at Tiger Ranch in August 2007 went to local animal rights groups to complain almost immediately about the conditions she saw.
However, it was the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that finally agreed to help pursue the case.
Along with local law enforcement, they organized a raid on March 13, 2008, bringing in mobile veterinary clinics and dozens of people to help catch the hundreds of cats.
"It's unforgiveable this was going on for so long," said Dr. Becky Morrow, a veterinarian who helped with the investigation, at the raid and in the many months since. "The smell alone would have tipped anyone off."
Originally facing hundreds of counts of animal cruelty, Ms. Marie pleaded guilty in July to 12 counts, plus an additional two counts of tampering with records.
Assistant District Attorney Deborah Jugan laid out for the judge, in very minute detail, the number of cats -- both alive and dead -- found on the property and their medical conditions.
According to Ms. Marie's own records, the prosecutor said, there should have been 7,819 cats on the property that she had taken in. Instead, they recovered 391 live cats and 106 that were dead and stored in freezers. Of the live cats, 300 of them were malnourished, and 294 had some form of upper respiratory infection.
Ms. Marie paid a man with a Bobcat to dig mass graves for her on a regular basis, the prosecutor said. The last one was 30 feet long, 12 feet deep and 12 feet wide.
"You couldn't walk on Tiger Ranch without stepping on cat bones," Ms. Jugan said. "I often wonder if she told so many lies she started believing them. It's amazing how many people this woman was able to con."
But as she spoke to the judge, Ms. Marie said she was past the lying she had done. She had undergone what she called a "paradigm shift."
"I'm sorry, and I'm sad. I'd like to move on with a life that's different," she said. "I just hope I get a chance to work on me. I want to work on me."
Before announcing the sentence, the judge commended the prosecutor for her "extraordinary effort," and then turned her attention to Ms. Marie.
"I am tremendously disappointed that despite the opportunity I did give you, you have either chosen not to cooperate and [instead] spew vitriol in other people's direction without taking any personal responsibility for the disaster Tiger Ranch became," Judge Rangos
said.
Ms. Marie interrupted.
"It is my fault, no doubt. I abdicate nothing. I take full responsibility."
Of the 391 cats that were rescued, 240 survived. Sixty chronically ill cats that cannot be adopted now live in a house bought by Dr. Morrow that has been turned into a sanctuary. There remain 50 cats that are healthy and available for adoption. They can be viewed at
tigerranchrescues.com.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/ x/valleynewsdispatch/s_661432. html
Tiger Ranch ex-operator gets probation, house arrest
By Bobby Kerlik, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Joe Appel/Tribune-Review
Tiger Ranch promised "a land of milk and tuna" for unwanted cats. Instead, an Allegheny County judge said Friday, the sanctuary in Frazer became a disaster.
The former owner of the closed property avoided further jail time, but will spend 27 years on probation and two years on house arrest. She must pay $212,000 in fines and restitution for housing hundreds of cats in filth and disease.
Lin Marie, 47, formerly known as Linda Bruno, apologized at a lengthy sentencing hearing for keeping the animals in squalid conditions while accepting donations for their care. She earlier pleaded guilty to 12 counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of tampering with records.
"I'm sorry and I'm sad, and I'd like to move on with my life," Marie told Common Pleas Judge Jill E. Rangos. "I just hope I get a chance to work on me. I need to work on me. I want to work on me."
Rangos ordered Marie to have no contact with animals and to continue mental-health treatment. The judge sentenced Marie to one to six months in jail but gave her credit for 37 days she served. Marie will not have to serve any more time in jail.
"I came into this case thinking ... you were most likely a woman who had good intentions but became overwhelmed. From that perspective until today, I have learned quite a lot," Rangos said. "You have chosen not to cooperate and spew vitriol in others' direction without taking any personal responsibility for the disaster that Tiger Ranch
became."
Police and humane agencies raided the 29-acre property in March 2008 and found 391 cats living in messy conditions. Many of the cats were in such poor health that they had to be euthanized. About 240 survived.
Marie contended Tiger Ranch was a no-kill shelter that took in sick and dying cats that no one wanted. Her attorney, Robert Hollister, who is a veterinarian, said Marie was "an individual who gave too much of herself for too long."
Assistant District Attorney Deb Jugan, however, displayed a slideshow of diseased cats having open sores and other ailments. She played the answering-machine message from Tiger Ranch that Marie recorded, promising "a land of milk and tuna" for unwanted cats.
"Euthanasia would have been the kindest way out for the cats. A lot of them died agonizing, torturous deaths," Jugan said. "None of the donations went for the cats' care, except to pay for their graves and the shipping costs for their donated food."
Jugan said Marie used some of the donated money to pay her mortgage and hairdresser and to buy hay for a horse-breeding business.
Jugan contended that more than 7,000 cats died at Tiger Ranch during a three-year period and showed pictures of a 30-foot-by-12-foot grave
where more were to be buried.
"Cat bones are strewn about the property," Jugan said. "You can't walk at Tiger Ranch without stepping on cat bones."
Veterinarian Dr. Becky Morrow, who treated the rescued cats, said some died in her arms during the raid.
"No punishment will ever make up for the magnitude of suffering she caused," Morrow said. "It's most important to keep this from ever happening again."
Morrow said anyone interested in adopting one of 50 cats still needing homes can visit www.TigerRanchRescues.com.
Oh & btw... I was at Tiger Ranch just like Chris DeRose was...
Want to know the *truth* about that one? Go back & review the YouTube videos that were removed ... Just *Chock Full of Information" on that one.
Just thought I'd drop by to give you the latest news:
Copy & Paste the Links:
Here's more for those that want the *Truth* about what was said at the sentencing.
Copy & Paste Links:
http://www.post-gazette.com/ pg/10009/1027026-54.stm
Cat 'sanctuary' owner sentenced for animal abuse
Saturday, January 09, 2010
By Paula Reed Ward, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lin Marie
The image that Lin Marie presented to the animal rescue community of her cat sanctuary was one of love and success. She described "TigerRanch" as "the land of milk and tuna," where hundreds of cats were taken in and adopted back out each month.
But prosecutors yesterday, in asking an Allegheny County Common Pleas Court judge to sentence the woman formerly known as Linda Bruno to jail time, presented a bleak and disturbing image where diseased cats were left to contaminate the healthy, only 21 cats were adopted out of thousands taken in, and mass graves dotted the 29-acre Frazer property.
Judge Jill A. Rangos, who repeatedly admonished the defendant and expressed her disappointment in the multitude of lies she told, did not order the woman to jail.
But she didn't discount the possibility either.
Instead, the judge ordered Ms. Marie, 47, to serve two years of house arrest, followed by 27 years of probation. But Judge Rangos also told
the defendant she would not hesitate to put Ms. Marie in jail if she violates even the slightest of conditions of her release.
Among those, she is to have no contact with any animals and she must undergo a psychiatric evaluation and participate in weekly mental health treatment.
"I give you this break, in part, not because you deserve it, but I don't feel the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should pay to warehouse you at the jail," the judge said.
Further, she added, house arrest will allow Ms. Marie to continue working to earn money to cover restitution. She was ordered to pay $200,000 to cover the cost of the veterinary care provided to the 391 live cats seized during the March 2008 raid of the facility.
A former humane agent who began volunteering at Tiger Ranch in August 2007 went to local animal rights groups to complain almost immediately about the conditions she saw.
However, it was the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that finally agreed to help pursue the case.
Along with local law enforcement, they organized a raid on March 13, 2008, bringing in mobile veterinary clinics and dozens of people to help catch the hundreds of cats.
"It's unforgiveable this was going on for so long," said Dr. Becky Morrow, a veterinarian who helped with the investigation, at the raid and in the many months since. "The smell alone would have tipped anyone off."
Originally facing hundreds of counts of animal cruelty, Ms. Marie pleaded guilty in July to 12 counts, plus an additional two counts of tampering with records.
Assistant District Attorney Deborah Jugan laid out for the judge, in very minute detail, the number of cats -- both alive and dead -- found on the property and their medical conditions.
According to Ms. Marie's own records, the prosecutor said, there should have been 7,819 cats on the property that she had taken in. Instead, they recovered 391 live cats and 106 that were dead and stored in freezers. Of the live cats, 300 of them were malnourished, and 294 had some form of upper respiratory infection.
Ms. Marie paid a man with a Bobcat to dig mass graves for her on a regular basis, the prosecutor said. The last one was 30 feet long, 12feet deep and 12 feet wide.
"You couldn't walk on Tiger Ranch without stepping on cat bones," Ms. Jugan said. "I often wonder if she told so many lies she started believing them. It's amazing how many people this woman was able to con."
But as she spoke to the judge, Ms. Marie said she was past the lying she had done. She had undergone what she called a "paradigm shift."
"I'm sorry, and I'm sad. I'd like to move on with a life that's different," she said. "I just hope I get a chance to work on me. I want to work on me."
Before announcing the sentence, the judge commended the prosecutor for her "extraordinary effort," and then turned her attention to Ms. Marie.
"I am tremendously disappointed that despite the opportunity I did give you, you have either chosen not to cooperate and [instead] spew vitriol in other people's direction without taking any personal responsibility for the disaster Tiger Ranch became," Judge Rangos
said.
Ms. Marie interrupted.
"It is my fault, no doubt. I abdicate nothing. I take full responsibility."
Of the 391 cats that were rescued, 240 survived. Sixty chronically ill cats that cannot be adopted now live in a house bought by Dr. Morrow that has been turned into a sanctuary. There remain 50 cats that are healthy and available for adoption. They can be viewed at
tigerranchrescues.com.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/ pg/10009/1027026-54.stm# ixzz0cAflGUEN
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/ x/valleynewsdispatch/s_661432. html
Tiger Ranch ex-operator gets probation, house arrest
By Bobby Kerlik, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Joe Appel/Tribune-Review
Tiger Ranch promised "a land of milk and tuna" for unwanted cats. Instead, an Allegheny County judge said Friday, the sanctuary in Frazer became a disaster.
The former owner of the closed property avoided further jail time, but will spend 27 years on probation and two years on house arrest. She must pay $212,000 in fines and restitution for housing hundreds of cats in filth and disease.
Lin Marie, 47, formerly known as Linda Bruno, apologized at a lengthy sentencing hearing for keeping the animals in squalid conditions while accepting donations for their care. She earlier pleaded guilty to 12 counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of tampering with records.
"I'm sorry and I'm sad, and I'd like to move on with my life," Marie told Common Pleas Judge Jill E. Rangos. "I just hope I get a chance to work on me. I need to work on me. I want to work on me."
Rangos ordered Marie to have no contact with animals and to continue mental-health treatment. The judge sentenced Marie to one to six months in jail but gave her credit for 37 days she served. Marie will not have to serve any more time in jail.
"I came into this case thinking ... you were most likely a woman who had good intentions but became overwhelmed. From that perspective until today, I have learned quite a lot," Rangos said. "You have chosen not to cooperate and spew vitriol in others' direction without taking any personal responsibility for the disaster that Tiger Ranch
became."
Police and humane agencies raided the 29-acre property in March 2008 and found 391 cats living in messy conditions. Many of the cats were in such poor health that they had to be euthanized. About 240 survived.
Marie contended Tiger Ranch was a no-kill shelter that took in sick and dying cats that no one wanted. Her attorney, Robert Hollister, who is a veterinarian, said Marie was "an individual who gave too much of herself for too long."
Assistant District Attorney Deb Jugan, however, displayed a slideshow of diseased cats having open sores and other ailments. She played the answering-machine message from Tiger Ranch that Marie recorded, promising "a land of milk and tuna" for unwanted cats.
"Euthanasia would have been the kindest way out for the cats. A lot of them died agonizing, torturous deaths," Jugan said. "None of the donations went for the cats' care, except to pay for their graves and the shipping costs for their donated food."
Jugan said Marie used some of the donated money to pay her mortgage and hairdresser and to buy hay for a horse-breeding business.
Jugan contended that more than 7,000 cats died at Tiger Ranch during a three-year period and showed pictures of a 30-foot-by-12-foot grave
where more were to be buried.
"Cat bones are strewn about the property," Jugan said. "You can't walk at Tiger Ranch without stepping on cat bones."
Veterinarian Dr. Becky Morrow, who treated the rescued cats, said some died in her arms during the raid.
"No punishment will ever make up for the magnitude of suffering she caused," Morrow said. "It's most important to keep this from ever happening again."
Morrow said anyone interested in adopting one of 50 cats still needing homes can visit www.TigerRanchRescues.com.
Oh & btw... I was at Tiger Ranch just like Chris DeRose was...
Want to know the *truth* about that one? Go back & review the YouTube videos that were removed ... Just *Chock Full of Information" on that one.
Fact Is...
Howard Nelson, the CEO of the Pennsylvania SPCA isn't the one being charged with:
604 counts of cruelty to animals, 10 misdemeanor charges: seven counts of forgery for allegedly signing a veterinarian's signature on the documents and three for allegedly operating an unlicensed veterinary practice.
However Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie has been charged with the above.
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/13365/PA/US/
*
Fact Is...
The cats of Tiger Ranch still "Suffered Horribly"
Copy & Paste to see the Undercover videos & pictures here:
http://tigerranchrescue.info/?page_id=8
More Pics of a few of the cats rescued & conditions at the time...
Copy & Paste then scroll down to see some of the Tiger Ranch Cats:
http://www.pspca.org/news/tiger_ranch
Pictures/Videos/Evidence... There will be more to come:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_558187.html
Buffalo Township veterinarian Dr. Becky Morrow, one of the four people involved in the undercover sting, said the investigators are only able to release a hour-and-a-half of video at present.
"We have 350 pages of evidence and surveillance video," Morrow said. "The hour-and-a-half of video is public record under the (search) warrant. I can't begin to add up the amount of video we have."
*
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_565017.html
Cat shelter rife with disease, vets say
PITTSBURGH -- Hours of gruesome testimony ran overtime Tuesday in the preliminary hearing of Linda Bruno, the owner and operator of Tiger Ranch, a cat sanctuary in Frazer that officials say was run amok.
The hearing was continued until Tuesday after a five-hour slide show of dozens of cats who were found diseased, sickly and dead on Bruno's property last month.
Expert witness veterinarians Dr. Ravindra Murarka and Dr. Becky L. Morrow listed conditions and descriptions to match the images of the sickest cats on the ranch.
There were cats whose limbs and joints were covered with bursting abcesses; cats with ulcerated and jaundiced mouths; cats with glaucoma and conjunctivitis so bad their eyes looked like dollops of burnt cherry pie; cats with severe infections that covered or destroyed their eyes and left their faces bathed in slime or molded over like old bread.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_566206.html
Tiger Ranch owner faces trial on 593 counts of animal cruelty
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
She testified that a necropsy on the cat found dead behind one of the four freezers used to store cat carcasses indicated it had a twisted lung lobe. That, she said, indicates the lung was not functional, and the cat had no food in its stomach.
"During the necropsy, I remember pulling eight round worms from its intestine," she said. "It appears as if the cat died of starvation, secondary to an upper respiratory infection and from the roundworms."
*
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_564837.html
Bruno proceeded to tell Manning of adoption and intake records that were kept in plastic book shelves in the office section of her home.
According to PSPCA humane officer Rebecca McDonald, all records taken from Tiger Ranch were covered in cat urine and dirt.
McDonald said the records indicated Bruno had received 6,482 cats in 2007. Only 14 cats were indicated as being adopted out.
Records for 2008 indicated 786 cats had been taken in and nine were adopted out prior to the raid.
No records could be found for 2006.
*
http://www.nppmwatch.com/NEWS/April08News.html
McDonald also testified that she found an unused burial pit 32 feet long, 12 feet wide and 12 feet deep. Two other filled pits of similar size were also found, she said.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_557415.html
Members of the APCA's Animal Crime Scene Unit walked through the sanctuary videotaping open graves and photographing specific areas.
The burial pit that was recently dug can be seen from a Google Earth satellite image.
DeForest said the burial pit has been shifted three times since she began keeping track of burials in 2006.
*
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/13365/PA/US/
The raid also uncovered burial pits containing perhaps thousands of cats, according to the SPCA.
About 100 dead cats were found in freezers. Valasek has said Bruno needed some place to store them until she could get a backhoe so she wasn't constantly burying them.
*
Fact Remains the Cats are Doing Better:
Tiger Ranch Update: Video Shows Seized Cats Four Months Later
Jul 17, 2008
Copy & Paste The Links:
http://www.wpxi.com/video/16914006/index.html
http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/824459
Tiger Ranch cats thriving at shelter
By Francine Garrone
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Huddled in a small wicker basket in the corner of a makeshift cattery sleeps a miracle.
*
In the meantime...
End Cruelty, Neglect, Abuse and Death in Substandard Cat Shelters....
Impose Stiff Penalties For Felony and Misdemeanor Animal
Cruelty:
Copy & Paste The Link & Let Your Voices be Heard:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/no-more-tiger-ranches.
*
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_558187.html
Investigator: 'Horrible suffering'
While Bruno had her army of supporters, Mike Winikoff, a former undercover investigator for DeRose's Last Chance for Animals, said in a written statement that he found "horrible suffering" among the cats at Tiger Ranch.
"I was working for Last Chance for Animals when the initial complaints about Tiger Ranch came in to the office," Winikoff said in the statement. He conducted a preliminary investigation.
"I concluded that there was evidence of horrible suffering at Tiger Ranch, and requested authorization to conduct a more thorough investigation. My request was approved, but then abruptly withdrawn.
"I've never fully understood why LCA pulled me off of that investigation," he said. "After I left LCA, I continued to look into Tiger Ranch and became more and more convinced that the allegations were valid.
"As a 20-year veteran of the animal rights movement, including a decade as an undercover investigator, I remain convinced that Tiger Ranch deserved to be closed and investigated for animal cruelty.
"I believe that our mission as animal advocates is to prevent and alleviate suffering wherever it occurs, even when the suffering is created by those who may be trying to do good things for animals.
"I do not believe that good intentions absolve us of the consequences of our actions. That applies both to Tiger Ranch and the people who dumped cats there without fully investigating their likely fate."
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_557419.html
"Last January we sent about 50 feral cats. (Bruno) told us she would release the feral ones on her property. She said she had 300 acres," said Zanesville, Ohio, animal shelter executive director Larry Hostetler.
An Allegheny County property Web site says Bruno owns 28 acres, not 300.
...
...
Meanwhile, the sting is causing worry for cat owners near and far..
Last October the Clifton, N.J.-based Angels of Animals made the long drive from New York City's suburbs to deliver at least a half-dozen cats to the farm.
"We were assured they went into foster care," said spokeswoman Ellie Kowalski, who made the six-hour trek.
"Now, we'd like to know if they are OK," she said. "We will drive another six hours to take the cats back if necessary."
*
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_564837.html
Bruno proceeded to tell Manning of adoption and intake records that were kept in plastic book shelves in the office section of her home.
According to PSPCA humane officer Rebecca McDonald, all records taken from Tiger Ranch were covered in cat urine and dirt.
McDonald said the records indicated Bruno had received 6,482 cats in 2007. Only 14 cats were indicated as being adopted out.
Records for 2008 indicated 786 cats had been taken in and nine were adopted out prior to the raid.
No records could be found for 2006.
*
http://www.nppmwatch.com/NEWS/April08News.html
McDonald also testified that she found an unused burial pit 32 feet long, 12 feet wide and 12 feet deep. Two other filled pits of similar size were also found, she said.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_557415.html
Members of the APCA's Animal Crime Scene Unit walked through the sanctuary videotaping open graves and photographing specific areas.
The burial pit that was recently dug can be seen from a Google Earth satellite image.
DeForest said the burial pit has been shifted three times since she began keeping track of burials in 2006.
*
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/13365/PA/US/
The raid also uncovered burial pits containing perhaps thousands of cats, according to the SPCA.
About 100 dead cats were found in freezers. Valasek has said Bruno needed some place to store them until she could get a backhoe so she wasn't constantly burying them.
*
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_558187.html
Investigator: 'Horrible suffering'
While Bruno had her army of supporters, Mike Winikoff, a former undercover investigator for DeRose's Last Chance for Animals, said in a written statement that he found "horrible suffering" among the cats at Tiger Ranch.
"I was working for Last Chance for Animals when the initial complaints about Tiger Ranch came in to the office," Winikoff said in the statement. He conducted a preliminary investigation.
"I concluded that there was evidence of horrible suffering at Tiger Ranch, and requested authorization to conduct a more thorough investigation. My request was approved, but then abruptly withdrawn.
"I've never fully understood why LCA pulled me off of that investigation," he said. "After I left LCA, I continued to look into Tiger Ranch and became more and more convinced that the allegations were valid.
"As a 20-year veteran of the animal rights movement, including a decade as an undercover investigator, I remain convinced that Tiger Ranch deserved to be closed and investigated for animal cruelty.
"I believe that our mission as animal advocates is to prevent and alleviate suffering wherever it occurs, even when the suffering is created by those who may be trying to do good things for animals.
"I do not believe that good intentions absolve us of the consequences of our actions. That applies both to Tiger Ranch and the people who dumped cats there without fully investigating their likely fate."
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Now lest we forget & lose sight of what went on at Tiger Ranch... Look at these Videos & Pictures of the Tiger Ranch Cats... Graphic:
Copy & Paste The Links:
http://tigerranchrescue.info/?page_id=8
http://www.pspca.org/news/tiger_ranch
You Can Help To Put a Stop To This
No More Tiger Ranches
End Cruelty, Neglect, Abuse and Death in Substandard Cat Shelters...
Impose Stiff Penalties For Felony and Misdemeanor Animal Cruelty:
Copy & Paste The Link:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/no-more-tiger-ranches
Questions?
Common sense would send up a red flag for someone when they had to use a backhoe to bury the dead...
Wouldn't ya think?
You would have thought that Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie the self proclaimed steward of Tiger Ranch in Tarentum, PA along with her veterinarian would have figured out something was seriously going wrong there when "burial pits" had to be made with a backhoe for the dead..."so she wasn't *constantly* burying them":
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/13365/PA/US/
The raid also uncovered burial pits containing perhaps thousands of cats, according to the SPCA.
About 100 dead cats were found in freezers. Valasek has said Bruno needed some place to store them until she could get a backhoe so she wasn't constantly burying them.
Where is Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie the self proclaimed steward of Tiger Ranch in Tarentum, PA personal responsibility in all of this?
Curious as to what Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie's veterinarian found in her/his necropsies?
Or was it just an everyday accepted occurrence to put dead bodies in the freezer daily?
Yes, folks you are reading this correctly... *Burial Pits*/*Backhoe*..."so she wasn't *constantly* burying them" according to her defense attorney Ron E. Valasek.
One would think with that statement Linda Bruno AKA Lin Marie would have wanted to know why they were dying.
Enough of them dying so a backhoe had to be brought in to bury the dead.
*
How many Dead Frozen Kitties do you think it took to Fill the Burial Pits?:
Copy & Paste This Link:
http://www.nppmwatch.com/NEWS/April08News.html
McDonald also testified that she found an unused burial pit 32 feet long, 12 feet wide and 12 feet deep. Two other filled pits of similar size were also found, she said.
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http://www.catster.com/forums/Shelters_Rescue_and_Fostering/thread/507008
The trio said they hired a local private detective last year in an effort to expose what they believed were awful conditions on the property.
"We knew something was wrong," said DelPriore, who relocated a colony of feral cats to Tiger Ranch from Washington, D.C.
Schwenning said she toured the property in 2003 and couldn't believe what she found. "All I saw were sick cats," she said..
Now put on your "curiosity and critical thinking skills caps" here folks & ponder this thought:
Perhaps the 4 people involved in the undercover investigation weren't the only ones at TR doing an undercover investigation...
Will more be revealed?
*
Yes, more questions about dying and dead cats at Tiger Ranch...
http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Print/03-19-PA-AnimalSanctuaryRaid-2
Valasek told the newspaper the no-kill shelter is a "superb facility" that includes an air-conditioned dying room where animals could die with dignity..
Tiger Ranch Supporters have tried to make an issue out of the filming of a cat dying in a litter box:
Quote "That is disgusting, that cat died alone"...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyXdirYxKHA
Where was the Care, Comfort & Dignity the night these 2 cats were found dead during the raid...
Yes, They Died Alone.
One was found behind one of the 4 freezers used to store the dead bodies and the other was found dead in a litter box:
Copy & Paste To Read Entire Article
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_566206.html
Tiger Ranch owner faces trial on 593 counts of animal cruelty
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
She testified that a necropsy on the cat found dead behind one of the four freezers used to store cat carcasses indicated it had a twisted lung lobe. That, she said, indicates the lung was not functional, and the cat had no food in its stomach.
"During the necropsy, I remember pulling eight round worms from its intestine," she said. "It appears as if the cat died of starvation, secondary to an upper respiratory infection and from the roundworms."
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_564837.html
The prosecution played a video taken the night Tiger Ranch was raided that showed cats throughout Bruno's home, the pus-like film covering the walls about 3 feet from the floor, on space heaters used to keep the cats warm and on the refrigerator, and a dead cat lying in a litter box.
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What I Have Seen...
Lest we forget & lose sight of what went on at Tiger Ranch watch these videos:
Copy & Paste This Link:
http://tigerranchrescue.info/?page_id=8
More Pics of a few of the cats rescued & conditions at the time...
Copy & Paste then scroll down to see the Tiger Ranch Cats:
http://www.pspca.org/news/tiger_ranch
There will be more to come:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_558187.html
Buffalo Township veterinarian Dr. Becky Morrow, one of the four people involved in the undercover sting, said the investigators are only able to release a hour-and-a-half of video at present.
"We have 350 pages of evidence and surveillance video," Morrow said. "The hour-and-a-half of video is public record under the (search) warrant. I can't begin to add up the amount of video we have."
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Let your voice & conscience be heard throughout the world
Let Us Not Allow The Long Suffering Deaths Of These Poor
Creatures Be In Vain
You Can Help To Put a Stop To This
No More Tiger Ranches
End Cruelty, Neglect, Abuse and Death in Substandard Cat
Shelters...
Impose Stiff Penalties For Felony and Misdemeanor Animal
Cruelty:
Copy & Paste The Link & Let Your Voices be Heard:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/no-more-tiger-ranches