Man who allegedly stole cat from Sonoma County trip rental writes letter to sheriff

On the shortest day of 2021, a Southern California man wrote a letter to Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick about a cat named Nubbins, who the man admitted getting in November from a family vacation rental on Railroad Avenue in Sonoma.

The male, James R. Wakefield, a litigator and trial lawyer in Irvine, alleged that Nubbins was a mistreated stray who was not owned by everyone and that it was a humane choice to consider her, according to his letter sent to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Workplace.

When explained to that the vacationing family experienced an obligation to return Nubbins to its nearby owner, Wakefield wrote, “We ended up never ever likely to allow that cat get set back again in the residing ailment she was in without a struggle.”

Jim Wakefield letter to Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick.pdf

Wakefield adopted with a collection of accusations in opposition to the cat’s operator, Troy Farrell, who lives on Railroad Avenue. Wakefield alleges Farrell did not feed or give water to Nubbins, and he purposefully remaining her exterior in the chilly.

But Farrell and his neighbors solid a very various description of Nubbins about the four a long time she roamed the neighborhood. Films from Farrell clearly show him opening the doorway to let Nubbins inside his household at her ask for. And when Nubbins experienced her past litter of kittens, Farrell established up a cozy birthing space for her inside, and helped elevate the kittens. Afterward, he took Nubbins to a veterinarian to have her chipped and spayed.

“She has so numerous folks who acquire care of her,” Farrell reported. “She doesn’t want to be an indoor cat. She won’t want to be stuck in a house. She just likes to be out and about performing her matter since which is how she came out.”

Wakefield said his family members met Nubbins on the very first working day they arrived in Sonoma to celebrate the Thanksgiving weekend at the trip rental. The cat was missing a piece of her lip and portion of her tail, and was “obviously hungry” and “she scarfed down the food stuff,” Wakefield wrote.

Nubbins “retreated” into the backyard of Wakefield’s holiday rental at evening, and he assumed the unit’s proprietor, Matthew Knudsen, also owned the cat. Wakefield stated he questioned Knudsen if the cat belonged to him.

“’She did not belong to any person. It was a stray cat that confirmed up in the neighborhood four decades ago,’” Knudsen reported, in accordance to Wakefield’s letter. “Many of the neighbors would feed her (together with [Knudsen]). But none of the neighbors authorized her to arrive into their households.”

Knudsen did not respond to a number of attempts by the Index-Tribune to go over this tale.

A chilly spell set in, and Wakefield’s son “made an igloo mattress out of towels” where by Nubbins stayed for four days, he wrote. He claimed that the Wakefields have been the only men and women who fed or provided water to her through their 5-working day continue to be in Sonoma. Nevertheless, Railroad Avenue resident Terry Muller stated he observed Nubbins lacking when he noticed her food stuff dish was even now full — he was 1 of a number of neighbors who fed the cat.

Wakefield’s daughter grew involved and contacted Knudsen once again inquiring if the Wakefields could acquire the cat residence. “Not only did he say there would be no issue,” Wakefield wrote, “he stated (his words and phrases) ‘it would be wonderful if a person adopted her and gave her a excellent household.’”

And so Wakefield took the cat property with his spouse to Southern California.

Nubbins looked the aspect of an out of doors cat, finish — or fairly incomplete — with a tail that experienced been lopped off at some issue. But she was rarely unfed or homeless.

“That cat lives so big it is not even funny,” Farrell mentioned. “That cat has so a lot of homes, so lots of folks, so numerous minor girls to play with down the block.”

Wakefield introduced Nubbins to VCA Los Altos Animal Clinic in Extended Beach front for a wellness verify, which led to the discovery that the cat was microchipped with Farrell’s relatives as the founded proprietor in Sonoma. Wakefield’s preliminary intent was to return the cat.

“Little did we know the particular person who caused her to be chipped was a neighbor who obtained tired of her acquiring kittens in the community and needed to neuter her,” he wrote.

The vet identified as the range linked to Nubbins’ chip.

After Farrell submitted a police report, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Ritz contacted Wakefield, in accordance to the letter, to explain to the family members they had an obligation to return Nubbins.

Wakefield alleged in his letter that nearby law enforcement had an anti-Southern Californian bias, which he explained was one of the explanations why the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Business sought Nubbins’ return.

“And sheriff, that suggests almost everything I will need to know about your character,” Wakefield summed up following 3 webpages of allegations.

The Sonoma County District Legal professional is even now reviewing the circumstance, according to Brandon Gilbert, an administrative aide. If the DA’s Office environment does not pick out to file criminal fees, which is attainable as theft is only regarded legal when worth exceeds $950, it would be Farrell’s decision no matter if or not to file a lawsuit in opposition to Wakefield in civil court. It is unclear what the market value of Nubbins would be, but California cat regulation states house owners have a suitable to declare damages incurred to their pet.

“She came up in this neighborhood just after the fires and she understood exactly where to go if she required heat or indoor area or food or nearly anything she necessary. She realized accurately where by to go and we’d usually give it for her,” Farrell mentioned. “You know, she adopted us.”

In the penultimate paragraph of the letter, Wakefield can make very clear his intent to resist returning the cat to Sonoma.

“I am particular you will carry on to do no matter what you can to prevail and get the little cat again outside in the community in which she belongs,” Wakefield wrote. “And you can be assured that your 70-12 months-old cat nappers will do anything in out capacity to secure her.”

Make contact with Chase Hunter at [email protected] and observe @Chase_HunterB on Twitter.