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UPDATE: Animal scam suspects released from jail

By Nick Spinetto, WINK News



UPDATE 9/25/2008
LEE COUNTY, Fla. - Two of the three people accused in an animal cruelty case in Lee County are out of jail.

According to Lee County jail records, Carrie Cagata and Shannon Kraham have bonded out of jail. James Cullen remained in custody as of Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Lee County Animal Services continues to care for the 86 animals seized from the Jackson Road property on Tuesday.

One of the animals was no stranger to the LCAS. Candy, a 2-year-old Shiba Inu mix, was among the animals found living in what detectives have described as "horrific conditions."

Nearly two years ago, Candy was adopted out by the county as a healthy dog. But, when she returned on Tuesday as one of the 86 animals seized during an animal cruelty investigation, she was limping and had scars on her ears from bug bites. It wasn't the dog LCAS remembers.

"These types of situations are very disheartening, especially when we know we've actually cared for this animal," said Adam Leath, Kennel Operations Manager with Lee County Animal Services.

Leath says they're still not sure how Candy ended up in the care of Cullen and Kraham.

According to the dog's adoption contract, if her owner was no longer able to care for her, she was supposed to be returned.

Leath is hopeful Candy will be restored to good health but says she has a long way to go.

LCAS must now determine the injury to her leg and get her back to a normal weight. Leath says she is about twenty pounds underweight.

LCAS says it will petition the courts for custody of the animals in the hopes of finding them good homes.

The agency also tells WINK News it plans to go after the people arrested in connection with this case for reimbursement of the medical costs.

The costs could easily reach thousands of dollars, Leath said.

WINK News tried to contact Cagata for her side of the story. She did not return our phone calls and we could not get inside her neighborhood because the community is gated.




UPDATE 9/24/2008
LEE COUNTY, Fla. - Carrie Cagata, the accused ringleader of an animal rescue scam, turned herself in to Lee County Deputies late Wednesday night.

On Tuesday, WINK News first told you nearly a hundred animals were found starving and living in what authorities called, "horrific conditions" on a farm in Buckingham. The animals were dogs, cats, chickens, and rabbits.

At the farm, authorities arrested James Cullen and Shannon Kraham for the crime. Deputies say Cagata was the other person they were looking for. She was wanted on 4 felony counts of animal cruelty and 4 misdemeanor counts of animal abandonment.

Meanwhile, the animals are all Lee County Animal Services. We're told they are doing okay.
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