Send Thanks to Judge and District Attorney

FROM The National Humane Education Society (NHES)

Please send notes to Assistant District Attorney Jugan and Judge Rangos expressing your gratitude for their services in putting one animal hoarder out of business. Also please take the time to contact your own legislators to push for laws that protect animals and to create harsh penalties for those who violate them.

CONTACT

The Honorable Jill A. Rangos
Room 533 Courthouse
436 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
phone (412) 350-4346

Assistant District Attorney Deborah Jugan
4th Floor Courthouse
436 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
phone (412) 350-4400

Email both of them

INFORMATION / TALKING POINTS

Judge Jill A. Rangos ordered Lin Marie, owner of Tiger Ranch, to serve 2 years house arrest and 27 years probation during which time she can have no contact with animals. Judge Rangos also sentenced Marie to undergo a mental health evaluation and counseling and to make $200,000 in restitution to cover costs associated with the care of the live animals taken from Tiger Ranch.

Judge Rangos noted that by not sending Marie to jail, she can continue to work to make restitution rather than be a drain on tax dollars if she were to sit in jail. However, if Marie violates the terms of her sentence, Judge Rangos said she will not hesitate to send her to jail.

According to news sources, “Assistant District Attorney Deborah Jugan laid out…in very minute detail, the number of cats—both alive and dead—found on the [Tiger Ranch] property and their medical conditions.

“According to Ms. Marie's own records, the prosecutor said, there should have been 7,819 cats on the property that she had taken in. Instead, they recovered 391 live cats and 106 that were dead and stored in freezers. Of the live cats, 300 of them were malnourished, and 294 had some form of upper respiratory infection.”

“You couldn't walk on Tiger Ranch without stepping on cat bones," Jugan said.

Animal hoarding is often a symptom of serious mental illness. Unless animal hoarders seek mental health intervention, they will return to hoarding. Animals of hoarders suffer for long periods of time before they die or are rescued. Some hoarders acquire animals from the unsuspecting public. If you need to rehome your companion animal, avoid advertising “free to good home” as anyone who answers such an ad might not be the most suitable candidate for your companion.

Thank you for everything you do for animals!