Andrea Rosebrock 
UPDATE 8/31/09 – 120 Animal Cruelty and Abandonment Charges Plea Bargained to 2 Misdemeanor Animal Abuse Charges
See Update – 10/4/08 – Cagata & Accomplices Facing Over 100 New Charges in ‘Rescue Scam’
See Update – 9/25/08 – Third Suspect Arrested!
Most people in rescue have only the best intentions, to rescue, save and rehome animals that may otherwise not have a chance. But then you have some of the lowest of the low, the ones who give rescue a questionable name, the posers and the scammers and others whose intentions are anything but good.
In Lee County, Florida, we have some serious trash, James Cullen and Shannon Kraham, who worked with a yet unidentified ‘ringleader’ from ‘My Best Friends Incorporated’ animal rescue to remove dogs and other animals from shelters, promising to find good homes, only to try to sell them for profit. The animal were left in deplorable conditions and many that they could not sell were just left to starve.
Lee County Sheriff’s Department seized more than 70 animals from a Buckingham area property; dogs, cats, rabbits and chickens, including a dead kitten and dead puppy found in a freezer.
Disgusting, horrific and sad were the words used by a detective working the case to describe the conditions the animals were found in.
Cullen and Kraham were charged with animal cruelty and abandonment and the investigation is far from over. More arrests are expected.
The investigation started last week after a complaint was called in to Lee County Animal Services.
Officers with LCAS went to the Jackson Road home and after gathering statements from neighbors, turned over the investigation to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday.
An investigation revealed Cullen and Kraham were working with the “ringleader” of ‘My Best Friends Incorporated’, an animal rescue mission. The “ringleader” has not been officially identified.
According to detectives, the “ringleader” would go to shelters across the state and pick up animals, promising to find them good homes.
However, it was revealed the animals were sold as a profit.
The others that could not be sold were allegedly turned over to the Jackson Road property which the “ringleader” called “the farm”.
Detectives say Cullen and Kraham told them they cared for the animals in exchange for room and board.
They are now accused of leaving the animals they could not sell, to starve.
Lee County Animal Services is now caring for the 53 dogs, 28 cats, 1 rabbit and 2 chickens.
We are told a few more animals are in the care of another animal clinic because they are so sick.
Detectives tell WINK News additional suspects have been identified and more arrests are pending.
The investigation is ongoing. (WINK News)
What absolute scum and trash!! I’ve gotta stop now before I can’t even publish what I write…..
Whoa…a little research on the rescue led to some interesting findings.
1) They have a petfinder listing. On several of their pets its stated “call James at [phone #]. Cullen? Other names and numbers are posted. (Tina, Carrie)
http://search.petfinder.com/shelterSearch/shelterSearch.cgi?shelterid=FL763
2) They have a myspace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=407987401
Here’s another article on them:
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080924/NEWS01/809240409/1002
Who wants to notify Petfinder???
Scum says it all…I better stop too…
@AIR – Excellent work… as always, Andrea! Off my write my email now, time to shut this trash down. And everyone please, take the time to also write an email, the more effort, the sooner we will see some results.
@Kerry – Aw, Kerry, you disappoint me… I was counting on you to say everything I can’t…
What’s next? Gee, can you imagine if the world had NO
ANIMALS, what would the scumbags do?
Let’s see, torture little babies; torture their parents;
well, you can figure out the rest!
This is getting beyond control! Sometimes, you have to
wonder how these POS were brought up? What leads someone
this low?
Alright Deanna….You gave me the go ahead…….Of all the low down,pathetic ways to make a damn buck!!!!!The poor furbabies…Having already been through the shelter system and who knows what else…To end up with these “people”…Throw this trash in a cage with no food or water…nothing but a big pile of money….See how long their affection for the green paper lasts then!!!!!!And when they start whining about being hungry…..just walk away!!!Let’s start our own “Farm”….We can call it the “POS,GREEDY,HEARTLESS,BASTARD FARM”!!!!We’ll act like we will “help” get these poor people back on the right track…promising great financial opportunity…..Then slam their ass in a cage and just leave!!!!I guess we would have to buy a 10,000 acre plot tho….Greedy trash seems to be everywhere!!!!!!!And Thanks for the info Andrea…
Well, it certainly is time for us to start writing or emailing especially petfinder.com and myspace.com. God, we find one bad seed and then another one grows! It gets so damned frustrating!
I HAVE A LOT OF RESCUE PEOPLE ON MYSPACE WHO ARE GOOD FRIENDS & THEY DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB WHEN IT COMES TO RESCUE. THEN YOU GET SOB’S LIKE THIS & IT REALLY MAKES THE ONES WHO DO GREAT WORK LOOK BAD. PLEASE LETS GET HTESE SOB’S OFF THE STRETS SO THOSE WHO ARE REAL HERO’S IN RESCUE WORK CAN CONTINUE TO DO THE GREAT JOB THAT THEY DO.
@AIR – I HAVE CONTACTED PETFINDER & HAVE POSTED BULLITENS ON MYSPACE. I ALSO CONTACTED MY RESCUE FRIENDS ON MYSPACE & TOLD THEN TO HELP GET THIS PACE REMOVED.
The director turned herself in last nite.
I also received a reply from Petfinder this morning. They are looking into this as well.
@AIR – Saw that last night too Andrea, and did an update on it this morning. Thanks! D.