Linda Baker-Corsigilia - Tulare / Kern, California

Aug 6, 2010: Charges dropped against animal hoarder found with 200 dead and dying animals

The Tulare County District Attorney has released a woman who was found with more than 200 dead, sick and dying animals, many of which came from the Kern County shelter.

Linda Baker-Corsigilia is out of jail after 200 or so sick, dying and dead animals were found at her Strathmore property a week ago.

Kern County animal shelter employees became suspicious of the woman who frequently went to the shelter to supposedly rescue dogs and cats. Kern County Animal Control Director Guy Shaw says they became suspicious of the so-called rescuer because nothing about her fit the mold of a professional rescue operation. However, a bonafide group vouched for her when shelter called them. Still, Bakersfield animal shelter staff called Tulare County authorities to check it out. Officers found 200 dead and dying animals. About 40 animals were dead, some of which were decomposing in containers.

Tulare County sheriff's deputies said the DA wants the sheriff's department to do more investigating before they will file animal cruelty charges.

Corsiglia's 16-year-old daughter was also taken into protective custody..." Link

Aug 3, 2010: Tulare Animal Hoarder Puts Spotlight On Kern County Animal Control

by: Christine Dinh

A Tulare County woman has been accused of hoarding and abusing more than 140 animals. Kern County Animal Control said the woman had taken in 200 animals from the shelter over the past few months. ABC 23 went to the shelter to examine its rescue protocol

Tulare County released Linda Corsiglia from jail Monday after nearly 200 animals were found dead, abused or neglected inside her Tulare County home last week. Corsiglia was arrested after Kern County Animal Control tipped off Tulare authorities. "The staff sensed something was wrong. They were just uneasy," said Guy Shaw of Animal Control..." More & video

July 30, 2010: 200 animals abused in Strathmore

By: John-Thomas Kobos

Investigators said they've uncovered one of the worst ever cases of animal abuse even in Tulare County and a juvenile's life was also threatened. At least 50 animals were found dead and even more neglected at a home in Strathmore. Investigators have arrested 53-year-old Linda Corsiglia.

On a remote stretch of country road outside of Strathmore ... various animal crates, canned food, even a bale of hay makes this home look like it was turned into an animal rescue shelter -- Tulare County investigators said that's what Linda Corsiglia wants people to believe.

"Kern County Animal Control actually received some information that there was a location in Strathmore that might be operating as an animal shelter," said Sgt. Chris Douglass.

Douglass said that tip also included information that animals there were being abused. When investigators showed up on Thursday they found at least 50 animals -- dogs, cats, rabbits and a chicken -- dead inside this home. They also found 150 other animals starving for food and water.

Corsiglia only lived in this home for two months. Residents we spoke to say that was not enough time to get to know her but they did notice several empty animal cages outside of this home..." More & video

ASPCA on Animal Hoarding with Dr. Randall Lockwood

Dr. Randall Lockwood joined the ASPCA in 2005 and is currently Senior Vice President of the ASPCA’s Forensic Sciences and Anti-Cruelty Projects. For more than 25 years, Dr. Lockwood has worked with humane societies and law-enforcement agencies, serving as an expert on the interactions between people and animals. He has testified in numerous trials involving cruelty to animals or the treatment of animals in the context of other crimes, including dog fighting, child abuse, domestic violence and homicide

"...[Comment from Stryker]

I read that some of these hoarders operate under the guise of "rescuers" themselves. Isn't there a way to more closely monitor how many pets a person has "rescued"?

Randall Lockwood:

Yes. We are seeing a growing number of "rescue hoarders" who take in many animlas but who make no effort to find homes for them and often keep them in very poor conditions - unlike legitimate rescue groups. come may even have non-profit status and fancy websies - but the reality is that the situations for the animals is the same as other hoarding cases. I think about 1/4 of the cases we see are such "rescue hoarders".

Right now there are very few states that specifically set standards for rescue groups (Colorado is one) and the resources are often not there for a system of of inspection, also rescue hoarders often work through their own secretive network - rather than trying to help put healthy animals into loving homes..." More

Differences Between Animal Rescuing and Pet Hoarding

By Priscella King

This article was written partly in response to another AC article on pet hoarding, in which my friend Juniper raised the question of whether readers think I'm a pet hoarder. I am, after all, living in an old house in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a lot of cats. I commented that the main difference between me and a pet hoarder is that I'm not old enough to have Alzheimer's Disease. Then I signed off for the night.

Then I woke up thinking that these comments may have passed too lightly over a real concern for somebody out there. If a 70-year-old chooses to share her or his home with ten or fifteen cats, is that behavior a healthy, public-spirited animal rescue project, or the early stages of a senile, demented condition that will harm the human, the cats, and the neighborhood affected? How can you tell ("you" being either the 70-year-old or a concerned relative), and what can you do?

During the past 25 years, I've supported my writing habit with a wide variety of skilled and unskilled odd jobs. Most long-term clients have been elderly or disabled or both. I've had a lot of opportunities to observe the aging process, even been certified as a Geriatric Nursing Assistant. Based on this experience, here are ten suggestions for those who may be concerned about "crazy cat lady syndrome." (There are also crazy dog people, crazy pigeon ladies, crazy squirrel or wildlife lovers...it seems to be the same general pattern.)..." More

What is Animal Hoarding?

Animal hoarding is a very serious public health concern, the effects of which are a mental health, animal health and public safety issue.

Below are markers which indicate animal hoarding.

 More than the usual number of companion pets

 An inability to provide even the minimum standards of nutrition, shelter, veterinary care andsanitary conditions.

 Denial of this inability and the impact that it has on the animals and the home environment for both them and the human occupants of the home.

For a full definition and more information, log onto: http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/hoarding/index.html

So, Why do People Hoard Animals?

That’s a good question and one we cannot fully answer. However, early research points toward a number of obsessive-compulsive disorders. Newer studies lead toward attachment disorders in conjunction with personality disorders, paranoia, delusional thinking, depression and other mental illnesses. For example, some animal hoarders began collecting following a traumatic loss or event. Then again, others see themselves as ‘rescuers.’

Very often, hoarders appear to be intelligent people, clearly believing they are helping animals. Many even possess the ability to garner sympathy and can even deceive others into thinking their situation is under control. They become ignorant to the fact they are not helping the animals but are inflicting extreme suffering upon them.

So, How Do You Spot a Hoarder?

Animal hoarders range in age and gender. The elderly tend to be more at risk and this is possibly due to their own deteriorating health and isolation either from family, community or social groups. However, one common denominator between them is the lack of understanding of the pain and suffering they are inflicting upon the animals and of the crises they are committing.

Here’s a sample checklist to look for:

 They have many animals and may not even know the total number in their care.

 Their homes are in a state of deterioration, (broken furniture, in need of repair, lots of clutter.)

 A strong smell of ammonia is present and floors may be covered in animal poo, urine, vomit etc.,

 Animals in their care are emaciated, poorly groomed and not properly socialized.

 Vermin are present.

 The person themselves are isolated and have neglected themselves.

 Despite the signs of distress, the individual insists all is well and the animals are well cared for.

Do Hoarders Often Pass Themselves Off As Rescue Officers?

Sometime they can set themselves up as ‘rescue shelters,’ and may appear to be sensible individuals. They convey their love for those animals that have special needs. Lately, the internet has become a tool for such solicitation.

So, How Do You Know If It’s a Hoarder or a Rescue Shelter?

The hoarder is unwilling to allow visitors see the location where animals are kept. (The rescue shelter will have no problem).

The hoarder will not disclose the number of animals in its care. (The rescue shelter will be able to provide facts and statistics).

Little or no effort is made by the hoarder to adopt animals out. (Rescue shelters actively seek to re- home animals in their care).

Legitimate rescue shelters are viewed as the enemy by hoarders.

Animals may be picked up or handed over at a remote location – (car park, field, street corner), rather than at the hoarder’s facilities. The legitimate rescue shelter will have a headquarters.

I Have Lots of Animals – Am I a Hoarder?

Not every one who has multiple animals is a hoarder. An individual may have many animals, have them spayed/neutered, and provide them with regular veterinary care, a correct diet, proper living conditions and a sanitary environment. Such a person would not be considered a hoarder. However, if you do think you have too many animals in your care and are not providing adequate facilities for them; please contact your local shelter or vet immediately and ask for help....

...Educate others about the misery that’s involved in hoarding animals both for the animal and the hoarder. It’s not eccentricity – it’s cruelty.

Ask your local social services to get involved. Health visitors need to be aware that this is not just about the animals’ welfare; it’s also a human problem too. The hoarder needs help.

Let the hoarder know it’s ok to accept that help. Hoarders are usually worried their animals may be put to sleep. The DSPCA does not put any healthy animal to sleep! However, the hoarder must understand that their animals will need the urgent, expert, care and attention of the veterinary staff.

Sadly, in many cases, the animals are too unsocialised, too old and too ill to be considered for adoption and their fate usually involves humane euthanasia...." More

Rescue Hoarding - Overview & Information

By Jen Blood

WHAT IS RESCUE HOARDING?

As defined by The Hoarding of Animal Research Consortium (HARC), animal hoarding is defined by:

- More than the typical number of companion animals;

- Inability to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, and veterinary care with this neglect often resulting in starvation, illness, and death;

- Denial of the inability to provide this minimum care and the impact of that failure on the animals, the household, and human occupants of the dwelling.

In rescue hoarding, the issue is exacerbated by the fact that the hoarder actively seeks more animals to "save," and recruits other individuals in the rescue community to enable him or her to reach this goal. Monetary donations may be sought, and 501(c)3 federal non-profit status attained. According to HARC, "These cases are particularly difficult to resolve becasue it involves overcoming an entrenched systematic effort to acquire animals, usually with a long history of enabling by a public ill-informed about animal hoarding and easily swayed by claims of good intentions.".." Link


FAQ:

How can a 501(c)3 rescue get away with hoarding? Aren't there inspections?

Unfortunately, not in most states. Though there is legislation being proposed, 501(c)3 status addresses only the allocation of funds in an organization. Animal rescues are not subject to local, state, or federal inspections, and typically will not face so much as a home visit until complaints are lodged.

I have suspicions about a rescue I know of, but they adopt out animals. Don't hoarders keep all the animals they have?

Not always. Many rescue hoarders have a rigorous adoption process, and will adopt out to the "right" home. Some even start out with a great adoption record that gradually deteriorates as they become more entrenched in the belief that they are the only ones who can adequately care for their animals...." More

IDENTIFYING THE RESCUE HOARDER

In a world where much of our shopping, news-gathering, communication, and philanthropy takes place virtually, it can be very difficult to ensure that the causes we support are legitimate. This is not exclusive to animal rescue: most people agree that due diligence is crucial before donating to any cause. Whether you are thinking of giving money to an animal rescue or simply think one you've heard about sounds suspicious, here are some tips from The Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium to determine whether or not you are dealing with a rescue hoarding situation.

According to HARC, rescue hoarders frequently:

-Are unwilling to let visitors see the facilities where animals are kept

-Are unwilling to say how many animals are actually present

-Make little effort to adopt, focusing instead on acquiring more animals

-Continue to acquire in the face of declining care for existing animals

-Claim to be able to provide excellent lifetime care for animals with special needs (paralyzed, feline leukemia positive, extreme aggression) without verifiable resources

-Have a number and staff and/or volunteers inconsistent with the number of animals

-Desire to receive animals at a remote location rather than on-site..." Link

Marci Biesheuvel, Litl' Bit of Love Animal Rescue and Sanctuary - Capenter, Wyoming

Mar 7, 2010: Animal rescuer operator faces cruelty charges

The operator of an animal rescue shelter near Carpenter faces two counts of animal cruelty after authorities seized more than 100 dogs, cats and rabbits.

Fifty-year-old Marci Biesheuvel is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Laramie County Circuit Court on the two misdemeanor counts.

Cheyenne Animal Control officers seized the animals last week from the nonprofit Litl' Bit of Love Animal Rescue and Sanctuary.

Authorities originally went to the property on Feb. 24 with a search warrant after receiving a complaint about unclean and filthy conditions.

Cheyenne Animal Shelter Director Rick Collord says the seized animals have been surrendered to his organization..." More

Feb 25, 2010: 93 dogs seized from rescue

By Jodi Rogstad

A rural animal rescue facility northwest of here had 93 dogs, 17 cats and several pet rabbits confiscated Wednesday afternoon because officials say they were in crowded and unsanitary conditions.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Marci Biesheuvel, 50, after she allegedly refused to allow them into her residence at 4765 County Road 206 on a search warrant.

The warrant was issued in response to a complaint from a prospective customer who visited the non-profit that Biesheuvel operates there, Litl' Bit of Love Animal Rescue and Sanctuary.

Rob Shank, shelter manager at the Cheyenne Animal Shelter, said there were 45 dogs living inside the manufactured home, and more were living in outdoor kennels.

Officers at the site said the house floor, where Biesheuvel lived, was littered with feces. A foul odor from the house could be detected about 20 feet away.

The dogs, cats and rabbits will be examined at the shelter and kept there in protective custody at least until the case is resolved. Aside from the misdemeanor obstruction charge, other charges have not been proposed yet in connection to the animal case..." More

Brenda Neely, Neely's Pet Place - Bonham, Texas

Mar 4, 2010: Seized animals to remain with SPCA

By: Daniel Armbruster

Sixty four animals were seized from Brenda Neely's 501 Rescue Shelter on her private property last month. Authorities say they discovered them to be malnourished and sick. There were also skeletal remains of others. The animals, in SPCA custody, range from dogs to horses, small mammals, reptiles and a bird.

Thursday morning, Neely was at the Fannin County Court House for a hearing to determine if the SPCA would keep the animals. Many packed the courtroom to make sure Neely didn't get custody.

"She said that she wanted the dog. I thought that that would be the best place for the dog. I was under the assumption that she would have a good home out in the country," said Lisa Palevo, a former client.

Lisa Palevo said she thought she was giving her dog a good home when she turned it over to Neely, but months later when she asked about what happened to the dog, Palevo said she couldn't get a straight answer.

"I would just like to know how my dog is. If she's alive or if she's dead. If she is alive, I would like her back so I can find her a good home," said Palevo.

Not everyone is against Neely though. Camille Snider said she met Neely in January 2010. Snider said she witnessed Neely save an animal that she personally took to her.

"She not only cured Scout, that was the dog’s name, but she has him living on a 70 anchor ranch," said Snider.

Snider said she feels there's more behind Neely's case that many don't know about.

"It's pretty one sided at one point and I hope all of this comes out. I hope the truth comes out, because I know she has a good heart," said Snider.

Snider and Neely's defense attorney, Bob Jarvis, argue many of the animals in Neely's care may have already been sick when they arrived.

(Jarvis)"When they come to a shelter. They're generally not in good health in the first place," said Bob Jarvis. "(Armbruster) Are you saying that more than 60 animals were dropped off sick?" (Jarvis) Well I can't get into the specifics but most people don't drop off healthy animals to the shelter. There's usually something wrong with the animals, said Jarvis."

The S-P-C-A said Neely neglected the animals and they're satisfied that today, before the hearing began, an agreement was reached between prosecutors and Neely. The animals will stay where they are and are officially the property of the SPCA..." More & video

Feb 24, 2010: 20 dead animals found, others seized from shelter

When the SPCA rescue team arrived at Neely's Pet Place, they expected to find some thin and possibly sick animals. What they discovered was far worse.

"The heartbreaking discovery today was actually twenty deceased animals. One dead horse, that is actually just a skeleton had a halter still around it," Maura Davies with the SPCA, said.

Many of the animals appeared to be suffering from skin diseases and mange. Some were emaciated, and many tied up without access to fresh water or food.

Just a year and a half ago, KXII visited Brenda Neely's Pet Place, when she took in 75 abandoned puppies found on the side of a road near Courtney, Oklahoma.

In August 2008, Brenda Neely, said, "Look at their faces, how can you tell them no. How can you not care? I mean these guys didn't deserve what they got put through. And we just want to make sure that never happens again."

But according to Neely's neighbor, Dee Barber, the conditions on Neely's property were far from ideal for those rescued puppies, and for the rest of the animals she kept there.

"One day I came by here and there was one laying here by their dumpster, dead. The others had sores all over them. Malnutrition. It was just an awful site to see everyday," Barber, said.

Maura Davies says the SPCA is involved in about 25 seizures a year. But, in all her time with the organization, she's never seen anything quite like this..." More & video

Rescue Hoarding & an Interview with Celeste Killeen, co-author of "Inside Animal Hoarding"

By Jen Blood

RESCUE HOARDING: A HORROR CLOSE TO HOME

In February of 2009, police stormed a former elementary school in Columbia, Kentucky, as a result of complaints from neighbors. They found 362 live animals - dogs, cats, horses, chickens, goats, pigs, and a donkey - and several dead. The man who lived there ran an organization called Clean Slate Animal Rescue, and he insisted that the animals were well cared for and he was doing what he could to save them from certain death at the hands of what are known as high-kill (high rates of euthanasia) shelters in the area.

I was co-founder of Clean Slate Animal Rescue, working with this man - Dave - on his farm in Estacada, Oregon. The first time I visited his house, there were stacks of filthy crates out front and piles of soiled dog and cat blankets covering every available surface out back. A mound of fresh dog feces was on the floor in the entryway; the two pieces of furniture he had - matching lounge chairs - were torn to pieces. Dave and I talked. His rescue partner had bailed on him; he was in over his head. He was intelligent, well-spoken, attractive. Funny and passionate, warm and engaging..." More

Celeste Killeen, co-author of Inside Animal Hoarding: The Case of Barbara Erickson and Her 552 Dogs.

"...Celeste Killeen, co-author of Inside Animal Hoarding: The Case of Barbara Erickson and Her 552 Dogs. In the book, Killeen provides an unprecedented look inside the mind of an animal hoarder, by establishing a dialogue with Erickson through a series of interviews over several months. Killeen took time out of her schedule to speak with me about her insights regarding Barbara Erickson, her own views on animal hoarding, and how writing the book has affected her own perspective on pets and people. Following is the complete transcript of my interview...." More