As promised, here's a piece that, fortunately, I was able to pull down from the Internet describing the raid on our shelter by Godejohn and crew. I'll see if I can find any more info for you. This, however, really sums the situation up fairly well. The resolution, many months later, was that the animal cruelty and related charges were plea-bargained away, replaced by � of all things --a charge of 'disorderly conduct'. There, for sure, the shoe got put on the wrong foot!
We were not allowed any access to any of the cats taken from us -- including our 17 personal cats, several of whom had special needs, but we did get our three dogs back. But, as I noted on the phone, despite the fact records were readily available to them, the female (Jacqueline Russell Terrorist mix) was surgically opened up in anticipation she'd be spayed... for the second time. Fortunately, the males' neutering was more obvious, so they weren't similarly abused. (we were able to locate and get back two of our personal cats, and they continue to thrive -- as do several other CT cats who moved with us to New York. Lost, though, were my 85-year-old mother in law's personal cat (and try explaining THAT to someone in the early stages of dementia!), several we'd raised from kittens who were particular favorites of ours, plus several special needs cats � including one with cerebelum hypoplasia.
During the roughly 3.5 years I devoted myself to rescue full-time -- and I mean FULL time -- we placed more than 800 (maybe even more than 850) cats in adoptive homes. Roughly 1150-1200 cats went through the eleborately-constructed shelter that occupied the entire lower level of our house. We had a paid cleaner who came in seven days a week to help with overall upkeep and the cleaning/re-sanitizing of all (26-28) litterpans in the dozen-plus regular (large dog) crates we used as well as our several multi-cat environments. (Two of those were about the size of typical dog enclosures inside shelters. Another, about 1.5 times that size, was half of a larger room separated off with a floor-to-ceiling fence providing air, light and visibility for the occupants, who usually were moms with young kittens. They had an abundance of cat-oriented distractions -- climbing and scratching posts; a large metal shelf unit modified so they could climb through the shelves and, as important, gain some privacy in out-of-the-way corners; balls and other toys, and access to a window with a comfortably-siozed sit-on sill. We also had a complete isolation room for sick or feral cats. It was set up as a completely self-contained environment, with even its own air supply and temperature controls. All of these environments, as well as the extra-large, extra secure run outside for our own and other rescued dogs, were custom built for us at great cost -- largely subsidized by my wife's wages as a New York City school teacher plus other personal funds.
As you might well imagine, regardless of how much we asked adoptors to give to help subsidize our costs, there was no way we could cover food, litter and vet bills (not least because we were speutering cats at the rate of 30 or more a month!) PLUS the cost of the cleaner without digging deeply into our own pockets. By the way, the full-time cleaner's efforts were complemented by volunteers who, in addition to helping us do a 2nd complete change/re-sanitizing of all litter boxes every day, played with cats and helped in other ways to socialize them. We had a very good roster of volunteers who came at regular times, plus some others who stopped in when their schedules allowed.
We also had an ever-changing contingent of teenaged 'cat-petters' who were brought in weekly by a social services agency. Most of those people were mentally retarded -- a 'class' of people who, quite often, have amazing abilities to relate and be related to by cats. Even now I remain in touch with one young lady from that group. Despite being barely able to take care of herself, she now regularly, and very responsibly, takes in and cares for and adopts out cats. But like most other rescuers, she is extremely publicity shy -- with good reason, given what we know about the attitudes of those tasked at the state level with ensuring animals are adequately cared for.
If there is anything I can do to support your efforts to redress problems of out-of-control state (and/or local) animal control people, etc., please don't hesitate to let me know. Having been so sorely abused myself by officialdom in Connecticut, I tend to visit the state fairly infrequently now. But I would be proud to come there to testify or support any effort you may need me for to ensure the rights or rescuers and the animals they help are adequately protected in future. Doug Harris (formerly) Little Cat Feats