Overview
- Rescuers, working with Los Angeles and Pasadena humane groups, kept the operation going into a fourth day following Friday’s 18-page search warrant at Villa Chardonnay near Julian.
- Teams documented one of the largest cases they have seen, with more than 350 cats, about 165 horses and several ponies, over 30 dogs, and dozens of donkeys, alpacas, geese, chickens, goats, ravens and a crow.
- Most animals have been moved to partner facilities for treatment, and a small number, including kittens and some horses, were euthanized because their conditions could not be reversed.
- The case began during a bankruptcy process to place animals after the Humane Farming Association asked the society to vaccinate hundreds of cats, which led to a deeper assessment.
- Officials say agencies had watched the site for years and reported widespread neglect, and they note California has no single regulator for sanctuaries, which can delay oversight and action.