After 20 years of keeping exotic animals on her property, a Carroll County woman says state officials came and took the animals.
Sherry Carney told Channel 2 Action News she doesn't even know where the four cats are, but will fight to get them back.
"They're my life," Carney said. "For the last 20 years, they're my life."
The cats, including two Canada lynx, a caracal and a serval, are considered exotic, meaning owners must have a license. But Carney recently lost her federal license to have the cats, due to a dispute with the USDA. Therefore, Georgia DNR officials say they were forced to remove the cats from their locked cages inside a 10-foot high enclosed fence on Carney's property.
DNR spokeswoman Robin Hill said the state had no choice but to move in with a warrant and legally seize the animals. Agents issued two citations to Carney before they removed the four cats, Hill said. The cats were taken to an undisclosed care facility somewhere in Georgia.
Although the animals are considered by many to be dangerous, Carney said she's raised the cats since they were kittens.
"They know me," Carney said. "I'm the one that bottle-fed them."
Carney said she wants to know her animals are OK. And she wants to get her federal license renewed so she can get her cats back. Carney said she's never had any problems with the animals.
"I have never had a cat get out," Carney said. "I have never had a call saying my cats are out. Nothing has ever happened."
For information on keeping wildlife as pets in Georgia, visit the state DNR website.
About the Author
