On a property north of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on March 13, 2008, the Pennsylvania SPCA found over 1,000 cats that were being neglected. There were cats everywhere housed in trailers and outbuildings across a 30-acre farm. The defendant, Linda Bruno, was running a rescue called Tiger Ranch. She has taken in cats from nine different states. When the SPCA raided the property they found cats lying dead in litter boxes, near food bowls, and skeletons of cats outside the property. The CEO of the SPCA, Howard Nelson said, "It's a death camp." There were cats diseased and emaciated all over the property. The vast number of cats found shocked even veteran humane agents. There were more than 100 people that came out to help get all of these cats off the property.
I have to wonder if she still thought she was doing a good thing. She may have started out this rescue with the greatest of intentions. However, I would have to say that the end result was absolutely appalling. I think that if she had realized it was getting out of control she could have prevented the senseless deaths and suffering of so many innocent animals. There are countless options out there to keep this from happening. The article does not state whether she had set up an adoption program. I think that there should have been one. If she really cared about the well-being of these animals, she would not have let it get this out of control. There had to be some point when she started to feel like she was overwhelmed. At that point, she should have stopped taking in anymore cats and began trying harder to find good homes for the cats she currently had. This is just not good business, even if it is not for profit.
I have thought to myself I wish I could help out more animals. I would absolutely love to be able to. However, I know what I can handle. I have one dog and he is small. I would love to find him a buddy more than anything, but I know I can not handle anymore animals at this point. Maybe at some point down the road.
I just can not see how she did not notice this was so out of control. The humane agents stated the smell on the property was awful. How could anyone honestly feel that this was helping the animals. These animals went from one possible harmful situation to another. If anyone ever sees anything to this extent, please do not hesitate to get these poor animals help from the professionals!
How could one not notice the smell and the conditions around their own property? I understand she started out doing what she thought was the right thing to do for these cats but, in the end she did more harm then good.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a cat lover but cats have it bad. They can reproduce at such a rapid rate and there are never enough homes. Spay/neuter, spay/neuter, spay/neuter....can't say it enough.
ReplyDeleteI also feel for the woman because when you are out to make a difference in the world it can quickly get out of control. Hoarding is a serious problem and animals do suffer because of it but it is never out of abuse. When you have so much suffering in the world it is easy to get sucked in.
There is more than one way to help besides adoption! We are having a pet food drive for the PSA this year along with human canned food drive.
Regardless if she had "thought" she was doing something right she knew that she coldn't handle all those cats. SHe couldn't have forgotten that those animals were needing better care, as soon as she would have stepped onto the property the stench would have been so great that even a moron would have been able to tell that the animals weren't being cared for. Sometimes we can get ourselves into situations that we can't handle but that's when you step up and say something about it before an animal can hurt, let alone hundreds. There will never be a valid excuse that I am willing to accept on her part. There is no telling on how long the neglect had been going on and in no way, shape or form was her behavior excusable. She should have gotten help, there are plenty of resources out there that could have prevented this tragedy.
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