Caycee Lynn Bregel: Dakota County animal rescue owner pleads guilty to 13 counts of animal mistreatment after 100 animals — including 64 dead ones are found on property.
A Minnesota woman has pled guilty to animal abuse after more than 100 animals — including 64 dead ones — were found on her property.
Caycee Lynn Bregel, 25, the owner of a Dakota County animal rescue center come Friday was sentenced to 200 hours of community service, two years of probation and 90 days of electronic home monitoring after pleading guilty to one felony count of animal cruelty and 12 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty. She also was ordered to undergo a psychological examination.
Bregel ran the nonprofit ‘Minnesota Animal Rescue’ in Farmington.
Fox 9 reported law enforcement responding to several calls in May- regarding a loose 400-pound pig in her neighborhood.
When investigators searched Caycee Bregel‘s home, they discovered 43 cats, 64 dead cats, a guinea pig and five dogs.
Prior to her plea deal, Bregel had faced up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine for the felony count as well as 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for each misdemeanor.
Caycee Lynn Bregel studied Exercise Science, Nutrition, and Pre-Med according to bio.
Investigators recalled finding numerous cats and dogs in poor health along with an ‘overpowering smell of urine and feces’ being detected on the property. Dead cats were found in shallow graves across the backyard, in freezers and refrigerators, and in the garage.
Some cats had to be euthanized including one ‘which had both eyes matted shut due to a yellow discharge.’
Bregel reportedly received close to 150 cats from the Animal Humane Society between July 2017 and February 2018 – Pioneer Press reported.
Keith Streff, of the animal organization said that sometimes people who foster animals can ‘break’ down easily.
‘If we knew why people do what they do, we’d fix it, but we can’t withhold animals from everyone because we have a suspicion that there’s going to be a problem,’ he said.
Streff says the Animal Humane Society is revisiting how they could improve monitoring of foster volunteers after this incident.
‘We may need to do more and we’ve made some changes to that effect,’ said Streff.
Noted a report via citypages: Bregel listed as the ‘Owner, Strength/Powerlifting Coach, Sports Nutritionist’ at Next Level Fitness, a Christian-themed strength training gym based in Farmington.
Bregel was said to have a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Concordia College, to have grown up in small-town North Dakota, and ‘studied Exercise Science, Nutrition, and Pre-Med’ at both the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University.
Bregel’s property has since been condemned with the woman forbidden to own, possess or care for any animals.
