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Cruelty Charges Dismissed Against Cat 'Tiger Ranch' Owner

POSTED: 1:54 pm EDT April 3, 2008
UPDATED: 6:03 pm EDT April 3, 2008

A district judge has dismissed nearly 600 charges of animal cruelty against a woman accused of keeping hundreds of cats, some dead and dying, at a Frazer Township animal sanctuary.

The attorney for Tiger Ranch owner Linda Bruno said he wasn't provided enough information to mount a defense. District Judge Suzanne Blaschak agreed in a ruling Thursday.

"They don't indicate which animals and they don't indicate in which fashion they were killed and that's the specificity that we need," said Bruno's attorney Ron Valasek.

Prosecutors told Channel 4 Action News that they would refile the charges against Bruno.

Humane officials said they plan to show their evidence in court, which include 106 cats that they said were found dead in Bruno's freezers, and 102 cats that they said either died on site or in the care of a veterinarian after the March 13 raid.

Humane officials said Bruno failed to provide adequate care for the cats at her 29-acre ranch.

Bruno has said she took in cats that other shelters would not and that they were well cared for.

The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it removed 406 cats in the raid last month.

"This is pathetic here with the abuse of these cats. What she did was horrible," said Carolyn Leitzell of the Friends Of Cats organization.

"We were considered abusers because we just would not break the 6th Commandment: Thou shall not kill," said Tiger Ranch volunteer Karl Strohm.

Tiger ranch is still open and Bruno supporters said they want to get the cats back.

Humane officials said they will fight to keep the animals at a makeshift hospital in Clarion County.


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