The Story of the Great Kitty Rescue – Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Posted on December 24, 2008 by Kermit

Reported by Peter J. Wolf -

The people who eventually came to the aid of the FLOCK cats referred to the worst of them — which were little more than skin and bones — as “pancakes.” There were 748 cats in all when Nye County Animal Control seized control of a Pahrump rescue sanctuary last July. The facility was owned and operated by FLOCK (For the Love of Cats and Kittens), a non-profit organization based in Las Vegas. Operation of the sanctuary was immediately handed over to Best Friends Animal Society.

Although stories differ about how operations at the FLOCK sanctuary came so completely off the rails, there is general agreement about the resulting conditions. Many of the cats — like the facility itself — were filthy. Most of them were starving and dehydrated, their only activity limited to finding what little shade was available. Continue reading →

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Great Kitty Rescue Education

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Kermit

I have spent so much time involved with the cats of the Great Kitty Rescue and the rescue people involved over the past few years, that it is ingrained in my daily life.

Hope for the cats of the Great Kitty Rescue

So, this past week when I met Claudene, the head of the Cat Petting Program at our local animal care facility, I was taken by surprise when I found out that she knew nothing about it.

I gave her an overview of the institutional hoarding situation in Pahrump, NV and subsequent rescue by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Being a cat lover and cat rescuer, she was horrified by the details.

It is not that I want to stay immersed in the past. As I explained to Claudene, I want people to know about it for a number of reasons.

Practically, I want people to be aware of potential hoarding situations and do not be afraid to report them.

Emotionally, I want to pay homage to the cats – both those who suffered and died needlessly and those who continue to thrive.

I also believe that there are numerous lessons that everyone involved has learned about cat behavior and cat care. And make no mistake, the cats from the Great Kitty Rescue continue to grow and evolve and so we continue to learn from them.

These insights can benefit rescue cats everywhere if we share our experiences and spread our knowledge. And that is what we will do.

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Appeal in FLOCK Case

Posted on March 1, 2010 by Kermit

Reported by Gina B. Good in The Pahrump Valley Times ~ Feb. 19, 2010

Beckett files notice of appeal over FLOCK

Black Cat at FLOCK

Black Cat at FLOCK

Justice of the Peace Kent Jasperson June 11 dismissed the case against the cat sanctuary formerly located on Bond Street, called For the Love of Cats and Kittens, or FLOCK.

None of the 15 witnesses subpoenaed by the district attorney’s office had the opportunity to speak during the abbreviated hearing.

The case was lost by the state, at least for the time being, due to legal procedures and timing that attorney Tom Gibson, the corporate counsel for FLOCK, argued went beyond the statute of limitations. Continue reading →

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Volunteers Upset

Posted on March 1, 2010 by Kermit

As reported by Gina B. Good in the Pahrump Valley Times ~ Feb. 19, 2010

Volunteers say justice not served

FLOCK Victim

FLOCK Victim

Justice of the Peace Kent Jasperson’s small Pahrump courtroom was nearly filled to capacity last week with former FLOCK volunteers, Best Friends Animal Society volunteers and individual animal lovers.

Some of the volunteers traveled from neighboring states to testify in the case of the State vs. For the Love Of Cats and Kittens.

The volunteers had helped to rescue the 764 sickly, malnourished, disease-ridden cats found at the FLOCK cat sanctuary in July 2007. Continue reading →

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Flock Trial Dismissed

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Kermit
Site of the Great Kitty Rescue - Pahrump, Nevada

Site of the Great Kitty Rescue - Pahrump, Nevada

On Thursday, February 11th, Judge Kent Jasperson dismissed animal neglect charges against FLOCK (For the Love of Cats and Kittens) before the trial even started.

You can read the report from eyewitness Cathy Scott on the Best Friends Animal Society website: “Disappointing Day in Court”

Also reporting are San Diego Cat Examiner Corinne Mitchell: “Animal neglect charges against FLOCK dismissed”

And San Francisco Cat Examiner Barbara Kohn: “Judge dismisses Great Kitty Rescue case, cites technicality”

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Flock Trial 02.11.10

Posted on February 10, 2010 by Kermit
Hope for the cats of the Great Kitty Rescue

Hope for the cats of the Great Kitty Rescue

Mr. Bettinger was hoping for a continuance as there is so much evidence yet to go through and more is coming in daily since the word has spread about the trial. Yesterday the judge denied the request saying the opposing attorney would have none of it.

We are hoping that Mr. Bettinger and his investigator Sharon Wehrly have managed to compile a solid case based on what they have compiled. The trial is set for 9 am tomorrow morning (Thursday, 02/11/10).

If you are interested in this case, I would appreciate hearing your experience, thoughts and feelings about the case in the comments section.

You may send a private message from the Contact the Great Kitty Rescue page.

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Great Kitty Rescue case set for trial this week

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Kermit

Reprinted with permission from Cats Examiner, Barbara Kohn:

Best Friends caring for nearly 800 cats

Best Friends caring for nearly 800 cats

Over two years ago, Animal Control in Nye County, Nevada, took control of some 800 cats in what has been described as a rescue effort that turned into an extreme case of animal hoarding. FLOCK (For the Love of Cats and Kittens), a registered 501c3 non-profit corporation, had kept the cats in deplorable conditions in their facility in Pahrump, Nevada.

Nye Country convinced FLOCK owners to surrender the cats and then turned their care over to Best Friends Animal Society. “The Great Kitty Rescue,” as Best Friends called it became the largest successful cat rescue in American history. Continue reading →

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Gregory Castle

Posted on February 5, 2010 by Kermit
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
Image by puck90 via Flickr

We received an e-mail from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary CEO and Founder Gregory Castle in response to our inquiry about what Best Friends was doing to help build the case against FLOCK. We were concerned because the Nye County DA’s investigator had told us that she was getting no response from anyone at Best Friends. After reading Gregory’s e-mail, I firmly believe that the people at Best Friends simply needed time to organize themselves. After all, the arraignment was sprung on all of us rather suddenly.

Gregory has asked us to share his e-mail with everyone and so here it is: Continue reading →

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Take Action

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Kermit
Prosecute FLOCK for animal neglect and cruelty

Prosecute FLOCK for animal neglect and cruelty

Sign the Petition

Targeting: District Attorney Robert Beckett (District Attorney, Nye County)

Started by: ANIMAL LAW COALITION

FLOCK, a 501c3 non-profit, in Nevada, may finally go to trial on Feb. 11, 2010 in Nye County on charges of animal cruelty and neglect.

In 2007 animal control discovered hundreds of cats trapped in FLOCK’s desert compound, living in filth, covered with flies, starving, dehydrated and suffering from the extreme desert temperatures, and from untreated diseases, illnesses and injuries.

Read more about this egregious case of institutional hoarding and cruelty and how you can help make sure this organization is prosecuted fully.

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FLOCK on Trial

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Kermit

Ziggy - a Casualty

Ziggy - a Casualty

The headline reads, “FLOCK May Finally Go on Trial for the Tragedy in Pahrump.”

Many of us who are still involved with the cats of the Great Kitty Rescue had begun to wonder if this day would ever come. We are the adopters, foster families, caregivers and volunteers who lost their hearts to these feline survivors. We speak on their behalf and fight for justice for the atrocities they suffered at the hands of FLOCK. Continue reading →

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Rapid Response in Pahrump

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Kermit

The Best Friends Rapid Response Team talk about The Great Kitty Rescue in Pahrump, Nevada.

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