Hi Folks, Nanette here. Craig wanted me to post this, just a few words from him: “Hi, Craig here. I miss my Tommy, Meatball, Toot, Baby, Snoop Dog, Side Kick, Mario’s little O, Crackers, Butch my Bully and many many more. I cry often now. Please help me get my babies back! Don’t be fooled by the photos from the haters, they don’t want the ranch”.

I know it is not a lot of words, but you can feel the heartbreak behind them. Craig is going through a devastating ordeal and grief but is fighting with everything he has. He understands how hard it is to donate right now and that it’s not very fun knowing the money is going to a lawyer. But without these lawyers (who by the way are amazing!) we would not have a voice or a fight. So please help us fight to get the caboodles back. We need you to help financially, spiritually and physically.  We need you now more than ever, I cannot stress that enough.

That being said, we need to fill the courtroom with supporters! We need to show the judge that Caboodle Ranch needed! Where else would those cats have gone? The cats that Craig took in, whether they were rescues, or surrendered cats, were facing an uncertain future and most were facing a very certain death. If it were not for Caboodle Ranch so many lives would be destroyed. It is PETA and the ASPCA and others that have done criminal acts against these cats, not Craig! We have had our eyes opened painfully to the pathetic truth behind these groups that are ‘all for the animal’.  Let’s show they judge that it was WRONG for the Sherriff to have believed allegations from people that weren’t even from his county (or state!) instead of taking the time to visit the ranch and see for himself how things really were!

So join us Tuesday May 29^th at 9am at the Madison Court house and show the judge that what was done to Craig and the caboodles is wrong! And demand they bring the cats home! Lets make it standing room only! Let’s make sure that Elise Perkins is the only one sitting on the prosecution’s side just like she was 3 weeks ago! Yes, none of the cowardly ‘haters’ showed their faces in court for ‘their cause’.  Let’s fight together to bring the caboodles home where they can get back to their peaceful happy lives!

Madison Court House  SW Range Ave Madison FL 32340 Tues May 29^th 9am

Blessings and purrs

After 10 long weeks of waiting and wondering and hoping and fearing and praying, the courts finally decided to end my case and return my cats. There was no ‘plea bargain’ involved. A plea bargain is only involved in a criminal case where charges have been made. There were never any charges against me.  So the decision was made to return my cats after seeing that they were indeed my cats and were never caboodle cats.

The prosecuting attorney had offered me a couple ‘deals’ prior to the judge’s decision to drop my case. The ‘offers’ would have returned my cats but the stipulations in the offer was that I would leave the county in 30 days (and the 2^nd offer was that I would leave the county in 6 months), that I would not be allowed to ever open up my own shelter or sanctuary, that I would not be allowed to work for a charitable organization that involved animals, that the Sherriff’s department would not be held responsible for any of the events, and if I was not gone by the 6 month time period, they would take my cats away from me…again.

Well, these ‘offers’ were not an option.  Yes, I would get my cats back, but I would be stripped of all of my rights as a private citizen of America. So I decided to decline and go the long haul and go before the judge and hope that he would see the wrongfulness of this whole situation.  I decided to not only fight for what I wanted but to fight for what was right. And after just one day of the hearing it was decided to return my cats to me without any restrictions on how I live, where I lived and where I chose to work.

All of this is still so surreal to me. Sitting in court to ‘prove’ that my cats were my cats seems so insane to me, that it had ever come to this. Although, I must admit, seeing how the court system works and how my attorney fought for my rights and for the lives of my cats was fascinating and educational. I felt very at ease in the courtroom, very confident, and my lawyer, Gary Brown of Live Oak, was amazing. He said I made his job easy because ‘facts and right was on my side’.

So all legalities aside, my babies are finally coming home!  The ASPCA said they needed 2 weeks before they could return them to me. They are going to spay the few young cats I had and microchip all of them as well, which is greatly appreciated. However, they never bothered to ask me who needed to be fixed. All of my cats are spayed/neutered except for the youngest (5) females.

 My lawyer told me that the turning point for him was when we were at the ASPCA in Jacksonville, when we were allowed to visit the cats. He said when he saw how the cats responded to the sound of my voice and came running up to the front of their cages to reach out to me with their paws, It affected him deeply and then made him angry at what these people had done to me. Let alone how they treated me at the ASPCA, like a criminal, not allowing me to touch my own cats to comfort them.  

So at this point I am assuming they will be returned to me next Friday the 18^th of May (which will make it 3 full months of being away from me).  I am going to have a homecoming for them with my family and friends. The ASPCA will NOT be allowed into my home. We will take the carriers inside and let each cat out and return their carriers promptly. But never again will anyone be allowed into my home without a warrant. Period.  My lesson was learned the hard way….Just because a person is in uniform does not mean they have the right to come into your home, and you have the right to not allow them to.

To all of you that encouraged me to stay strong, sent words of wisdom every day, signed petitions, sent help, cards and letters, emails of encouragement, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is what got me through some very terrible days, weeks and months. I vow to do the very same to anyone that is put in the same position as I was. This can and will happen to anyone anywhere.

On another note, the Caboodle hearing is going really well, despite what one particular person may be writing. I was there and will be there through the entire thing. Craig’s lawyer, David Collins of Monticello FL is nothing short of amazing. We can’t discuss details but we are so very confident about getting the caboodles back! Mr. Collins is a fierce entity in the courtroom and a force to be reckoned with. And he too has the facts and ‘right’ on his side.  We are very anxious to get back in the courtroom to present our side. We would love for our supporters to come and sit in the ‘audience’ of the courtroom. It will bolster Craig’s spirits and fill the courtroom with positive vibes. When we know the date we will post it so that you all can come and join us to fight for the caboodles!

It is important to note that only ONE person was sitting on the prosecutions side. The people responsible for starting this nightmare were too cowardly to show up. They didn’t have their computer screens to hide behind in the courtroom so they didn’t come. Not even the girl that PETA hired, Lauren (aka Lynn etc) to spy on the ranch, was there. How pathetic. So now that it is our turn to present our side, we would love to have you all there for your support. Stay tuned for dates…

I will post photos and video of my cats’ homecoming. I want to share it with all of you, so you can see that your encouragement and support made the difference and saved their lives!  Now let’s get those Caboodles home, re-open the ranch and start saving lives again! Let’s make Caboodle Ranch the first sanctuary to have their cats returned and bring PETA to their knees once and for all!

Purrs and hugs

~Nanette~

It seems it may be a good time to remind people just what Caboodle Ranch is here for. With all that is going on, many of the ‘nay sayers’ have failed to realize what it is we really do and how we come into having so many cats at the ranch. The very people that are saying bad things about us, have never even been to the ranch and most likely do not even spay or neuter their cats.

Craig created the ranch many years ago when he saw a great need for a safe place for homeless cats to be able to live their lives out in peace. He was at a work site and saw stray cats looking for food. Whether they were stray or abandoned, they finally had a place to live safely, have a full belly every day and a warm place to sleep. The ranch has grown and evolved since then. And it seems this new concept of the outdoor ranch has people on edge. Just because it is new does not mean it is wrong. In fact quite the opposite. More and more people are following in Craig’s footsteps and buying land to start a mini version of the ranch so that they too can help get homeless cats safe.

The outdoor concept of a shelter does not mean the cats are only outside. But it means they are able to roam the fenced in grounds at their leisure and enjoy being a cat. They have dozens and dozens of shelters available to them to cool off in, warm up in, get out of the weather etc. All specifically made with cats in mind. They have dry food feeders throughout the grounds available to them 24/7, fresh water sites everywhere and even get fed moist food every day. They enjoy cozy cat beds, cat trees, cat treats just like your own house cat. But the ranch is their permanent home. There is no denying that there are not enough homes for all the homeless cats. Period. That is why the ranch is their permanent home. Where they can rest assured they won’t be uprooted again and traumatized. We urge people to adopt from humane societies and animal control because those cats literally have their days numbered.

But we don’t just take in stray and abandoned cats. We take in ALL cats. In fact 60% of our cat population is domestic cats. Cats that had homes but circumstances changed within those homes to where they had to place their cat with us. Loss of a job, foreclosure on a home, and the main reason for getting domestic cats; ‘spraying on the furniture or carpet’. We happily took in these cats that would ALL have otherwise been put to sleep.

We also take in cats from around the world, like Germany , Japan , Mexico . We also take in cats from other humane societies that have been ‘full’, from people that have been put into nursing homes and cannot take their cat with them, from people who have passed away, feral colonies that are in danger of losing their homes due to construction or evil people. We take in ALL cats.

What PETA and the ASPCA have done to us, to the cats, is deplorable, inhumane, unconscionable. They went in on assumptions and the words of people who had a personal agenda against Craig, and that have either never been to the ranch or spent a mere hour there. They removed the caboodle cats that were once, a long time ago, scared, starving, or days away from being put to sleep, cats that have taken months or even years to trust another human again, and stuck them into cages in a warehouse. All because of lies that were told with no real facts or evidence to back them up. Most of the ASPCA officers and vets said how amazing the ranch was and how sociable and happy the cats were. But still, they took them all from the home they have grown to love and feel safe in.

The less than half truths that have been spread about the ranch by them are finally being seen as lies. Thousands of people from around the world are shouting out that this is wrong! They have been to the ranch, brought their cats, visited or worked there, and know what it’s really like there. When the ASPCA said they found cats with FIV or FeLV, they failed to say that we have an FIV/FeLV house specifically for those cats, where they live separated from the rest of the cats at the ranch, and are given a chance to live out their lives instead of being ruthlessly put to sleep. They stated that Tommy was the result of living with a ‘hoarder’. When their very own ‘official’ description of a hoarder doesn’t even come close to Craig or the ranch (you can Google it). They failed to mention that Craig went to all avenues to restore Tommy’s health, thousands of dollars at the vet and countless sleepless nights where he hand fed Tommy, bringing his weight back up to near normal and back on his feet again and recovering, when the Gainesville vet himself declared him incurable and sent him home to die.

The photos they took of sick cats…they were in the sick ward! So naturally those cats are not going to look perky and fat. The truth is coming out and these people will be held responsible for their actions. What they have done to Craig and his cats is disgraceful and reprehensible. They terrorized them for 5 days and through all the hours of the day and night, chasing them down, hunting them down and trapping them to take them away from their home.

To have also taken my own cats, that I brought down from North Carolina a mere 4 weeks ago and claim that I am unfit and unable to care for them is atrocious and offensive. They have destroyed so many lives in their wake and still they claim to be acting in the best interest of the cats. If they truly were, all the caboodle cats and my own will have been returned already, or better yet would have never ever been disturbed from their lives.

We are fighting this, with everything we have. And we can assure everyone that the people responsible for this atrocity will be extremely regretful of their actions.

We need your support to continue and to fight with us. Flood the internet with your photos of your visit and with your experience. Call the Governor of Florida to complain, email your support to us, donate to our legal fund, anything you can do to help us put a stop to this ever happening to another animal rescue ever again and get our cats home! Your support and reaching out to us in this horrible time has strengthened our resolve to fight. Thank you and keep it coming!

Nanette

Before Caboodle Ranch was even a thought, Craig had one cat named Pepper who had five kittens. One of those five kittens was Tommy. (This story can be read on Caboodle Ranch's website.) Tommy became Craig's favorite... his right hand cat; his co-pilot on many adventures. He had been living at Caboodle Ranch since Craig bought the property in 2003.

Around the beginning of this year, Tommy became ill (see the post about it here) and underwent extensive medical treatment at a veterinary hospital in Gainesville, Florida. He had FIP, along with other ailments. When he was able to go home, Tommy's health was continually monitored by Craig and Dr. Lewis, Caboodle Ranch's veterinarian. His overall health was beginning to improve. He was starting to eat solid foods again and was gaining weight.

This was before the ASPCA came in, raided Caboodle Ranch and took Tommy and the rest of the Caboodle cats away.
We don't know what his current condition is, but we do know he's being used by the ASPCA to solicit donations.

Below is the email they're sending out. The picture is of Tommy:



The ASPCA is giving you false information in using this particular cat to solicit donations in the name of hoarding, abuse and/or neglect. Tommy has a disease and was receiving the best medical treatment a cat can be given. It's all documented in medical records.

Please help Craig continue the fight to get the Caboodle cats home again. Donations can be made through PayPal on Caboodle Ranch's website or by sending directly to their PayPal email address at: donations@caboodleranch.org

Again... Thank you so much for your support!

• The dirty (boarded up) trailer and refrigerator that were not in use, but were shown in the PETA video... They're still available on the property for you to see.
• The three-legged cat on the PETA video... He came to the ranch that way. Somebody sent him from West Virginia. Easily proven.
• The cat with one eye... He has veterinary records that show he was being treated.
• The cats with Upper Respiratory Infection... they were being treated. 
• The cats were never confined to buildings as PETA suggested. Multitudes of video and photos prove it.
• Caboodle Ranch was inspected by animal control every three months. Here's a statement online showing no violations in March 2011. They can be contacted for additional reports.
• Animal control has documented proof that Caboodle Ranch was conforming to new EAH regulations. So how could it be said these cats were living in deplorable conditions?

Craig's daughter-in-law tried to share some of this information  (and more) on the ASPCA's Facebook page to defend him, and they banned her. They have no intention on listening to these facts... facts that can backed up with proof. Their mind is made up because they'll look bad otherwise.

It's important to remember that the wheels to shut down Caboodle Ranch were set in motion by a handful of people who don't like Craig. They'll have you believe they had the well-being of the cats in mind, but they didn't. They destroyed Craig's life and they're still kicking him while he's down.  
One of them recently posted that she hopes he kills himself. Another once threatened to slice Nanette's throat. This was vendetta... and these are the type of people the ASPCA listened to.


 
Here are all the sick, wounded and dying animals living in deplorable conditions just two weeks before the raid. They're all evidence in cages now. (Yes, even the two watchdogs.) 

Please help Craig continue his fight to get his Caboodles home again. Donations for legal fees can be made at www.CaboodleRanch.org 

Nanette was Craig's assistant and had been working with him for many years from her home in North Carolina, updating the website and blog, and communicating with everyone who reached out to her regarding Caboodle Ranch. She drove to Caboodle Ranch on a monthly basis to assist him, hands-on, in his care for the Caboodle cats. She recently relocated and moved into a home on Caboodle property. Her story is as injust as his, and she needs help. This is ridiculous and has to stop! Is anybody listening?

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of author's alone. This is not an official statement by either Craig or Caboodle Ranch.  

The photos above show Craig doing what he loved to do... Taking care of what he calls his babies; just a few of the hundreds he tirelessly devoted the past six years of his life to. For years he took in and cared for sick, homeless and unwanted cats who otherwise would not have had a chance of survival; all the while building (little by little) a happy home for them to live out the rest of their days.

But after all his efforts, it wasn't meant to be.

This 64 year old man, armed only with a bag of cat food, was taken in by excessive force, with a gun held to his head and told at the time of arrest that he was being charged with a misdemeanor. And before ever given a chance to prove his innocence, he was branded an animal abuser and a hoarder, and his mugshot was plastered across newspapers, websites, and countless social media outlets across the country, by vultures who either wanted a sensational story, or who wanted to hop the bandwagon of righteousness with their pitchforks and flaming torches. 17th century mentality in a time when you're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.

For those just hearing about Caboodle Ranch, here are some things that are important to know.

1) All the cats in Craig's care were seen regularly by a veterinarian. Every sick cat shown in the horrible videos that have been posted, was undergoing treatment for their various ailments. Some became sick at the ranch- as many outdoor cats will, but many of them came to him that way. All of them were being treated.

2) None of the cats lived in filth. The grounds were cleaned and raked daily and the inside of the buildings were scrubbed. Water and food bowls were always fresh. 
Craig was always in compliance with animal control, and Caboodle Ranch was regularly inspected. Any violations found were quickly fixed.

The veterinary care and animal control inspections are easily proven.
See videos of (what was) daily life at Caboodle Ranch on The Madison Florida Voice.

This is a case that's steeped in vendetta and appears to be politically motivated.

Footage of supposed deplorable conditions at the ranch was taken inside an old, boarded, and locked facility on the property that had been slated for demolition. Florida climate and no electricity made the inside a breeding ground for maggots and other insects, but it was completely closed off to the cats. 

This footage was taken by a volunteer who worked at the ranch for 5 months... someone who turned out to be a member of PETA, who was sent there to investigate.

(Correction) The cat with the missing eye (now proudly displayed on their website) was undergoing a daily regimen of eyedrop treatments; this was one of the tasks that the undercover PETA volunteer was supposed to handle. This cat was going to go in for surgery to stitch his eye, but was on antibiotics for URI (as were any of the cats with this illness) and couldn't have had anethesia. An artificial eye was being considered. It has records on file with the vet.

With PETA's power and money, they could've done so much to help in the five months they were there, but they didn't. They had a different agenda.
PETA is currently trying to oppose the Animal Rescue Act, which allows the operation and existence of animal sanctuaries such as Caboodle Ranch. In their opinion, each one of these places is run by animal abusers and hoarders. It's stated plainly on their website.

Conveniently, Caboodle Ranch, famous the world over, is now their poster child for stopping this bill.

But wait, there's more...

Caboodle Ranch is located in the quiet little town of Lee, in Madison County. It has always been a thorn in the side of some of the residents there because of its number of cats. And those residents often filed complaints.
Interesting to note then, that many offices, including that of the sheriff, are up for election on March 13th. Early voting began on March 3rd.

Good thing the Caboodle thorn was removed in time.

Outrage!

One Madison County resident and neighbor of Craig's, has publicly admitted to shooting the Caboodle cats. Just recently, this same individual was riding around in a golf cart, with his rifle, shooting any cat that was left behind by the ASPCA.

The sheriff knows about this, because complaints about the situation were filed.

But let's just prosecute the one who tried to save cats, instead.

On March 2nd

Craig was finally able to return home, only to find that the place he had worked so hard to build, had been destroyed. The quaint little houses of what he used to call Gingerbread Lane, were torn apart. Newspapers and magazines he had saved featuring Caboodle Ranch, had been shredded.

It seems unnecessary to destroy these things unless one wanted to make sure Craig had nothing left to come home to and comfort him; a message to him that his world as he knew it was over... even before final judgement has been passed.

This photo was taken of Craig just two days after losing everything he cared about. Some people might revel in this image... The same ones who are undoubtably patting themselves on the back because their months of relentless slander and harassment finally paid off.

But it isn't just one life that's been destroyed... 700 lives are now on the line, and it's ignorant to think each one of them will find a new home.

700... More than even Craig knew he had.

Caboodle Ranch had a policy for taking in cats that's plainly stated in the FAQ's  page on their website. It's that each cat should be up to date on their shots, be spayed/neutered, and that a fee of $150.00 per cat is made to support their food and care.

Caboodle Ranch also has its street address listed on the website. This made it possible for anyone who either didn't want to pay the fee, or couldn't, to drive by and dump their cat(s) on the property. And this was witnessed on more than one occasion.

Craig was in the process of giving the cats their 3 year rabies shots and was microchipping each one. Well over 100 had already been chipped. An accurate count of the number of cats would've been given when the process was completed.

While this microchipping was happening, cats were given different colored paper collars; one of these collars was to show which cat needed to be altered. These would then have been taken to the vet.

He was doing everything he was supposed to be doing.

How you can help

Long time Caboodle Ranch supporters know the joys and hardships Craig has been through over the years and they are continuing to stand beside him. He appreciates that more than you can possibly imagine.

People have been asking what they can do to help. Your continued moral support, and donations to cover the cost of legal fees, are what's most needed at this time.

Donations can be made via PayPal at donations@caboodleranch.org

It's easy for detractors to sit in their comfy chairs behind their computers, with a cup of coffee beside them, and tell the world what he's been doing wrong... But not one of them rolled up their sleeves and slaved along side him day in and day out for years, months or even weeks at a time to help.

Craig sacrificed years of his life for a cause that was close to his heart, one that began with a single cat and her babies. For months he lived in a small shed on the property that would later become Caboodle Ranch. It had none of the comforts of home, including electricity or running water.

He took in stray cats he found while working his contracting job 100 miles away, and brought them back with him, built shelters for them, fed them, and gave them a home. These aren't the actions of a person who's agenda was to abuse animals.

Where did your donations go?

Every bit of money donated to Caboodle Ranch went to the care and well-being of the cats. It went to continual upgrades of buildings and fences, veterinary care, food and shelter. 
Craig slept on floors, drove a truck with 450,000 miles on it, and refused to spend a single dime on himself for much needed medical and dental care. He only paid himself $1000 a month for his own basic necessities.

He has shown more dedication, devotion, and determination than many people will ever show in a lifetime.

The pain and suffering Craig has endured because of what's happened is immeasurable.

If you disagree with what's happening to him, please take the time to sign this petition, and with any luck, he'll be able to continue doing what he loves to do, but with the added support he needs to make Caboodle Ranch better than ever before.

Please repost, retweet and email this message... Help Craig fight against this travesty.

Lawyers for the ranch will make a statement later once we get to the bottom of all this.

I feel very sick and in a daze right now. My happiness, my life and the lives of my 600 babies are being destroyed.

Monday morning a swat team came in gun to my head took me to jail on what they said was a misdemeanor charge.  A long line of vehicles waited outside the ranch as I was taken away. I think one was ASPCA. I posted bail the same day, but I’m not allowed back at the ranch. I have no idea what’s taking place there.

I’ve worked six years now, seven days a week, from the time I got up to the time I went to bed taking care of my little friends and I loved every minute of it.

I’ve had a number of sick cats over the years.  Some in the sick ward had photos taken behind my back and put on the web. All these cats were being treated.  I either take them to the vets or call to describe symptoms and am told what to do. I do not have the heart to put cats to sleep.  I’ve gotten crippled cats back on their feet, ones with liver problems well again, and if Tommy is still alive, will see him live a long time. I feel my heart does most of their healing.  Night after night I am in the sick ward and work until I can’t stand up anymore. Sometimes grabbing a roll of paper towels for a pillow to sleep on the floor with them at the end of the day.

Please, I can use your support more than ever.

Thanks

Craig