"Dozens of people complained about it, and they (Animal Control) would say they went out there and things looked fine"

200 pets put down on-site after raid on Last Hope Cat Kingdom

Community reacts to Last Hope Cat Kingdom allegations

CALIFORNIA -- Animal activists and community members gave reactions Friday to the discovery county officials described this week of dead and severely sick animals at one of the area's largest animal sanctuaries, Last Hope Cat Kingdom.

Some expressed shock and dismay about the news, while others expressed sympathy for the rescue group's co-founder, Renate Schmitz. Although officials say the case is considered a criminal investigation, no one has been charged.

An emaciated cat found at Last Hope Cat Kingdom on Wednesday
by county officials is shown here. County officials say 74 cats were
found dead at the animal sanctuary, and 200 were
euthanized on-site. Photo: Merced County

 

Schmitz, who's said to be out of the country, has not responded to the allegations.

Merced resident Mary Garcia, 52, surrendered her German shepherd to Last Hope Cat Kingdom after her family was forced to move into an apartment. It was more than a year ago, and Garcia said everything seemed fine.

"I would see the little puppies together and cats wandering around, but it was good," she said. "We would visit our dog, and didn't see anything out of the ordinary."

On Friday, about ten to 15 dogs roamed around the quiet facility — the only sign of life at the 2,240 square foot sanctuary. One volunteer inside the facility declined comment, referring questions to Schmitz.

Andrew Martinez, 19, a neighbor of Last Hope Cat Kingdom, shared his surprise at the number of animals seized Wednesday by a team of Merced County Animal Control officers.

"I didn't know there were that many animals in there," Martinez said.

A total of 301 animals were seized, including 295 cats and six dogs. Officials said 74 animals were found dead at the sanctuary. Some of the bodies were in freezers, while others were in cages with live animals.

Ginny Nurenberg, president of the Merced SPCA, said she was disturbed by the news, but doesn't believe Schmitz had any bad intentions.

"I think in trying to help all the animals she got in over her head and the situation got out of control," Nurenberg said. "She was trying to help everybody, and you can't save the world."

Among the 301 live animals that were found, about 200 were euthanized on site because they were too sick to survive, county officials said. "They were evaluated by veterinarians, and it was the most humane thing to do," said Mike North, county management analyst.

Dr. Jon Klingborg, a Merced veterinarian, was one of five vets on site during Wednesday's raid. He examined around 80 cats, and said most of them were skinny, sick, and suffering.

"We were looking at cats that couldn't lift their heads up because they were so sick and couldn't breathe or see out of their eyes," he said.

Klingborg completed lab work on five cats, and all tested positive for at least one infection. Three cats tested positive for four or more infections, and two were diagnosed with feline leukemia, a fatal illness.

"When you have cats that don't have just one viral or bacterial infection, but have three or four, the odds that they'll ever achieve good health is very low," Klingborg said.

The diseases were likely spread by overcrowding, in addition to putting healthy and sick cats together, Klingborg explained. Many airborne infections could have spread from the facility's open screen doors.

"This was a very sad day. We could see the good intentions, but we all have to understand what our limits are," Klingborg said. "This might be a lovely facility to take care of 100 cats, but when you have 400 cats in the facility — you can't take care of any of them."

Amanda Webb, 23, a neighbor, watched Wednesday's operation unfold, with vehicles from the Merced County Sheriff's Department and Animal Control driving back and forth throughout the day.
"I was shocked and devastated because for the last few years I've been hearing nothing but good things about them," she said.

Merced County's stray animal population has been an ongoing problem for years, causing area rescue groups to accept pets beyond their maximum capacity, according to county officials.

Over 400 animals
 Last Hope Cat Kingdom had more than 400 animals on site Wednesday when the search warrant was served, North said. The sanctuary's administrative permit, issued April 2002, mandated that no more than 125 cats could be kept there, said Mark Hendrickson, director of community and economic development.

Mary Jo Campodonica, president of Trails of Happy Tails, a spay and neuter group in Merced County, said many people recognized there was a problem and tried to get help.

"I went to the shelter director as a concerned citizen. I was told everything was fine out there," Campodonica said. "Dozens of people complained about it, and they (Animal Control) would say they went out there and things looked fine. Clearly, the responsibility lies on them and they should have been paying closer attention."

Last Hope Cat Kingdom co-founder Renate Schmitz is shown here
in February, bringing in a German Shepherd just rescued from a scheduled
euthanasia at a shelter. Photo BEA AHBECK — Merced Sun-Star

Rick Blackwell, Merced County animal services manager, said his agency received three or four complaints about Last Hope Animal Kingdom since 2009. Blackwell said his officers investigated each complaint, and made unannounced visits.

"We were not able to substantiate any of the complaints," said Blackwell. The nature of the complaints included sick animals and dismal conditions. "If we had known it was this bad, we would have acted sooner."

Blackwell, who called Schmitz an "acquaintance," said he personally visited a "couple times" but didn't observe anything that would rise to a serious level. The last visit was about a year ago, he said.
Last Hope Cat Kingdom cannot accept any more animals, and officers are looking to speak with Schmitz, Blackwell said. The officers want to interview all parties before turning evidence over to the Merced County District Attorney's office.

A series of complaints received by The Humane Society of the United States led to Wednesday's seizure, according to county officials.

(mercedsunstar.com - June 28, 2013)