My Best Friend Rescue

I've heard alot of alligations on this dog rescue recently in the News Press and on Craigslist. There are reports and photos of neglect and starvation. I have seen them holding adopt-a-thons at Petco on the weekends and the dogs did seem rather thin.
How can a group that is supposed to be a 'rescue' let their dogs get into such horrendous shape?

This is a great article- I hope they are starved in jail so they know whatit feels like

BUCKINGHAM: More than 80 dogs and cats were removed from a home and two people were arrested in what deputies call a 'shelter scam.'

Deputies and animal control officers combed through a home on Jackson Road in the Buckingham Tuesday - an area that the suspects allegedly called "The Farm."

Investigators say James Cullen, 29, and Shannon Kraham, 25, worked with another suspect in a phony animal rescue mission called "My Best Friends, Inc."

Deputies say the ringleader of the operation, who they have not publicly identified yet, would travel to animal shelters around the state, picking up dogs and cats they claimed they would find a home for.

Instead, investigators say the ringleader would sell the animals she could, leaving the others to Cullen and Kraham to care for on "the farm."

Instead of caring for them, deputies say the duo let the animals they couldn't sell starve to death.

It took hours to remove the animals from the home Tuesday, as well as removed the carcasses of several dead animals - including a dead puppy and a dead kitten found in a freezer.

In all, animal services took 53 dogs and 28 cats from the home. Authorities say many of them were emaciated.

A rabbit and two chickens were also seized from the home.

Neighbors are upset because they say they complained about the unhealthy situation the animals were in for almost three months.

"These animals didn't deserve this and not when you have people like me and other people that have showed up here today that you can interview that have tried for months to get people out here. All we ask is to come investigate," said neighbor Gina Brashear.

Animal Control says the first complaint they received about the home came in last Monday.

They went to the home on Tuesday and turned the case over to deputies on Thursday.

Cullen and Kraham are charged with animal cruelty and animal abandonment, and more charges are pending.

Deputies are also looking for additional suspects.

Please keep in mind all rescues are not like this one. There are great rescues in Lee County. And being so high in foreclosures, all are working 24/7. One person made a huge mistake - and now she will pay for it hopefully! I just wish she would have asked for help.

I have volunteered for this rescue and there are some beautiful dogs that will be at Lee County Animal Services up for adoption. PLEASE, if you can make room, give one a loving, forever home. They really deserve it and you won't be disappointed!

I know this article makes James look like a monster, but he had been begging for help out there for long time. One person can't take care of 100 aimals everyday.

Ringleader, that is a nice posting you just wrote about yourself but lets be truthful you don't do shit for these animals. When is the last time one of these dogs had heartgard? Frontline? or even a vet visit? You are a liar and the truth is already out! The facts are the facts. You go to Orange Conty, Miami-Dade, and Sebring to get these animals from the kill shelters there. There is proof so why lie. James has had to beg for food from other non-profit rescues cause he didn't have any to feed the animals. There is proof on that to!

The ringleader they are looking for is Carrie Cagata..the owner of Best Friends Clinic. She is a monster of the worst kind...An animal hoarder, an animal abuser, mentally unstable, and there's enough proof to put her away for several years if the system does their job in arresting her, and seeing that she pays for her lies, and deceipt that she played upon innocent victims...Including her ex-employees, who by the way are awesome people! That finally knew the right thing to do was to tell what this woman has been doing...I saw proof today of what Carrie really is...A sick demented women, that let hundreds of animals be tortured, and starved to death! I watched them bring the dead one's out...and the skinny and sick one's too...She will pay for what she has done...Justice will prevail in the end...So...Carrie Cagata..Run and hide all you want to...Your day is coming...and soon. I just hope I get to see you being handcuffed and taken to jail....I could starve your nasty sick ass in a crate for months just like you did to those poor animals....You are one sick bitch! Thanks to all of those today that came forward with the proof in writing and pictures as evidence of her abuse...God will bless you for having the courage to do the right thing...The animals are no longer suffering at Carrie's hands....SHe is done abusing animals in Lee County. I won't stop until she is punished and held accountable.
Gina Brashear

Sorry Okie, this is not Carrie. Just another rescue person who has placed thousands of animals all over this country and know what she is going through. Have any of you taken a look in LCAS freezer? HMMM I could tell you horror stories of what happens to animals at LCAS. Putting live animals in the freezer, killing your fosters in front of your face because it didn't weigh enough to be fixed when you brought it back at 8 wks of age. If you only knew. This has been going on there for decades.

Well who ever you are obviously you don't know all the facts about "the farm" and if you think that all those animals looked good you have issues. I don't know about you but non of my animals look that way. If you're a rescue person maybe animal services needs to come check your house. The way James and Shannon were living was absolutely horrifing and wrong. Piss and shit all over the floor, the smell was unbelievable. Cats with their eyes glued shut. Dogs so infested with ticks their gums were white. What about Towe, Fiona, Freckles, Sparky, and the skinny tan pit bull. You think those dogs looked okay? Now don't forget who you're talking to. She just didn't get those dogs they have been in her care for months. You can't try and lie to me like you did animal services. I saw what you did. And that's why I have been working with animal services so long to get these animals the help they deserve. You talk about how all the puppies at Jeff and Tinas always die cause they don't follow the rules of no puppies on the floor running around until they are full vaccinated. But you still encourage them to take puppies. You talk about how unstable she is infact to unstable to get anymore involved than she was or so you say. You're just as unstable as she is. And now you're going to let James and Shannon take the fall for you? Way to go tough girl! Running scared? Thought you weren't going to hide or avoid people anymore? that's what your last e-mail to me said. Another LIE from you know who! I'll get my money in the end don't worry. And by the way I never said Carrie I said "ringleader".

I have adopted one animal from My Best Friends and he came to me in AWFUL condition. He was scrawny as could be, ill, had worms and COVERED in ticks, and smelled so bad! No one had even bothered to bathe him when they put him up for adoption. He was in no condition to even be adopted out, but none the less I fell in love and nursed him back to health.
While I was in the process of adopting him people in the pet supply store were warning me not to adopt him because they had adopted animals from My Best Friends and they were very ill and cost them a great deal of money.
I have adopted two dogs from LCAS and they came to me in great condition. My Best Friends is horrible! They also lost the paperwork for the dog I adopted, so I had no evidence he had ever been vaccinated or anything.

Ok first of all, Carrie deserves her time in jail, and so does her little helpers. Leaving animals to die, is what she did. When your over your head, your over your freakin head, but no, Carrie kept thinking, I can adopt these out for this much and blah blah blah.... She wasn't a rescue she was the holocaust. Yes, Hitler. She needs to be punished to the full max, and I know a lot of people in this town will see too it, that she is. I am for sure one of them, I saw what she did to all of her ANIMALS on her property. As for LCAS and their freezer, well you know that's another fight coming soon, but right now, we're fighting this nasty bitch... As for all of you who want to defend her, TAKE A LONG HARD LOOK AT YOUR DOG OR CAT, AND PICTURE THEM LOOKING LIKE A BAG OF BONES AND OR EVEN DEAD STUFFED IN A FREEZER, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THEM, IF YOU LET HER RESCUE YOUR ANIMAL! Quit defending the guilty! God forbid the bitch ever have any kids, they'd probably be tied to a tree. Sick Sick woman, hope she gets her ass handed her in jail.

Thank you "Sick of it all"! She is a sick bitch. Money Money Money that's what she's all about.

What I don't understand, is if these "involved parties" or "concerned neighbors" were begging LCAS for months and months to investigate this property, why they didn't help these people? If there is a "rescue" living next door and they are practically sharing the property, resources could have come together.
Only 2 bodies were found, properly stored in the freezer per code regulations, and the carcasses that were supposedly found all over the place have NOT been confirmed beyond the initial report of hyped out media. When dealing with sick animals from the shelter, not all of them will survive. The animals shown on the news didn't look too bad, some of the cats had eye infections which is typical of shelter animals and were being treated before adoptions. You can't walk into a rescue and expect all the animals to be healthy. If they were, they would have been adopted out at the shelter and not handed over to the rescue.
And the dog who was so badly covered in feces and on the news with the vet tech, where is that picture? Where is the horrible "evidence" they speak of? Knowing the media, they would have shown the dogs covered in feces for the sensationalism of it, where are those pictures? There are alot of things that are not adding up here....
I see MUCH exaggeration here and way too much focus on those TWO little bodies found, and while I'm sorry those little ones passed, it does happen. If the litter was healthy, the shelter would have kept them..... Open your eyes folks, and be objective....

And as for you, Gina, I don't know you and I am not passing judgment on you.... But your potty mouth and attack mode just lost you alot of credibility. Rescues should be helping each other, and this will only give LCAS further reason to NOT work with rescues as they already resist allowing them to help unadoptable dogs and cats. The Ripple Effect of this case will spread far and wide, and unfortunately, will affect the animals YOU are trying to help, Ms. Brashear.... I'm sorry for that too.

I just want to know how this could happen, with someone who is educated, and "has money" or at least doesnt "need the money" ?? I saw on the TV last nights news... Thank you Gina B for not giving up!
There is no excuse for animal HOARDING and neglect,especially in the form of "rescue", and , NO, NOT ALL, in fact not MOST rescues are like this.... a reminder for us all to be AWARE and vigilant, and dont turn a blind eye if you suspect!

Whoever you are Naplesdogster you don't know the whole truth! And if you think you do you got the "truth" from Carrie! In other words not the truth. Have you ever heard of enabling someone? If we were to help she be able to take in more dogs! She doesn't know when enough is enough! So if you don't know the entire situation KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Remember there are two sides to every story! And LCAS wouldn't have taken all those animals if they were "okay". Funny how the "RINGLEADER" never showed her face at "THE FARM" yesterday! Scared? Knew she did something wrong? Explain that!

NaplesDogster wrote:

...resources could have come together....Only 2 bodies were found,.... The animals shown on the news didn't look too bad,....I see MUCH exaggeration here ....

To say that there is MUCH exaggeration here, proves that you have never worked on the inside of THIS rescue. The truth is, there are many facts that have been left out at this point that are MUCH worse than anyone has reported. The media DOES love to exaggerated to have a more interesting story, however this time they were dead on, minus a few more disturbing details.

Only 2 bodies were found on the property, but there are many, MANY more bodies that were involved. Dogs and puppies that were starved to death FILL 2 freezers at the 'ringleaders' spay and neuter center, which was only a front for her to earn money for herself. There are other peoples freezers that are filled with rescued dogs that will never come forward. You can ask the man who works for the bio hazardous watse pick-up how many bodies he would remove from that address bi-monthly. The numbers would be shocking.

Her employees at the clinic and the veterinarians at the clinic haven't recieved a paycheck since May '08. The money was disappearing and the animals weren't getting fed.

This is a woman whos married to a surgeon, drives a porche, wears designer clothes and jewelry, has her hair and nails done and goes on cruises to Europe as well as other vacations regularly.

This is a woman who was taking in pregnant dogs so she could SELL the puppies for between 300-500 dollars a piece and she was NOT buying dog food for her shelter.

THAT'S why the neighbors and the employees and volunteers couldn't come together any longer to "Help" her.
The volunteers, employees and community, who really couldn't afford to, were purchasing 100's of pounds of dog food to keep those poor things fed while she bought nothing. This had gone on long enough and 2 very brave people finally stepped forward and said 'enough!'

The reason the dog's on the news didn't look 'too bad' is because she was tipped off about the raid and moved 50 of the worst ones the night before. The public didn't see half of it.

I think the Truth will come out in due time... And the evidence will present itself on just how these animals were treated. Shelter intakes will show records for pre-existing conditions and this rescue IS a 501K organization as far as I know with adoptions at Petco every other weekend.
I have never met Carrie Cataga but from what I've heard of her, the label of "ringleader" is getting ridiculous.... She is not on the run either, you people really need to get your facts straight.
If this turns out to be a "witch hunt" and the evidence shows that Carrie (and Best Friends) is innocent, their aggressors will have the blood of those innocents on their hands, forever. Gina even said herself in that mass email she sent out: that LCAS will euthanize most of them. I can tell you LCAS isn't going to let them back out to other rescues. And since these animals were not allowed to complete their medical treatment with Best Friends, they will be classified as "sick", "unadoptable", and promptly euthanized. The saving grace is that some of them will go to Collier County DAS where they will be given a fair chance.
If Carrie Cataga is guilty, then fine, she will have to accept the consequences. BUT so far, folks.... sorry to pop your "drama bubble" or call the hounds on your "witch hunt", the evidence is not building up. The haze of media hype is clearing, and the whole smoke and mirrors story is turning into something else.
So..... "Okie Dokie", it is you who needs to wait for the two sides of the story before you continue to publicly embarrass yourself.

I really was shocked to hear Carrie was involved with this. I would talk to her everytime some bad was said about the clinic and she explain some upset x-employee then she was broken into and there was a big story with that. I feel so betrayed as I believed her.

I know all sides of the story! You'll be embarrassed just you wait. If Carrie isn't on the run why are detectives asking us today if we know where they can find her?

Hmmm.... I didn't know Carrie Cataga was so fabulously wealthy. I don't see how that goes against her as it doesn't seem like she needs to "sell" puppies.$300 to $500 sounds laughable to me.... There might be a $250, more or less, adoption fee for a dog under a year old, which includes spay and neuter, shots, everything which would be the maximum or comparable to what other rescues charge for young dogs who need all the medicals done. Even though that adoption fee sounds high, it doesn't cover all the medicals that need to be done. No one would buy a puppy from a shelter or a rescue for $500, just doesn't happen.

With all the comments about her "money", "marriage to a surgeon" and "drives a porche" is making this stink more and more like a witchhunt. I think Carrie needs to go back and re-establish "The Farm" as a SANCTUARY so that if someone goes over and sees a one-eyed cat or a three-legged dog, they don't flip out... If she's found Innocent of course. I have a feeling she will be found innocent.
And I hope she's as wealthy as you say she is, she won't need to sue all of you for the damages. All the money and all the lawyers in this world cannot save those lost dogs and cats now they have been taken away. They were given a 2nd chance and I'm not sure if a 3rd chance will be available to them. I hope the shelter will be able to work with them all and at least try to get them placed. The shelter is also swamped and their resources are limited too.

And.... one more thing.... I'm sure the freezer at the clinic is full, as it is at every vet's office or shelter. I'm sure animals who were too sick to be saved were humanely euthanized. Why would they starve animals to death? And not feed sick animals? Too much space is needed for the healthy ones or to treat the ones who have a CHANCE to survive. People need to understand that places like Best Friends are the last resort for these animals, they come there to recover and get well, sometimes taking months. Some make it and some don't, but at least they are given that chance.

Again, OBJECTIVITY is needed here.