Doa Ana County man held in animal hoarding case released from jail

A man accused of extreme animal cruelty in April and facing harassment charges bonded out of jail on Friday afternoon.

Jack Catlan, 60, was arrested by Doa Ana County Sheriff’s deputies after some of his neighbors reported he threatened them while carrying a handgun.

Catlan was first arrested in April and charged with 71 counts including extreme animal cruelty after deputies seized 25 sick dogs and 13 diseased chickens and ducks from his home.

Earlier this week, the district attorney’s office fought for Catlan’s bond to be raised because they said he is a danger to the community.

“He’s out and now we just see the pattern starting again,” District Attorney Amy Orlando told ABC-7.

The judge set the bond at $500 surety and Catlan posted it Friday afternoon.

Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Kelly Jameson said Catlan’s animals have multiplied, having litters of puppies and laying eggs, which is another violation of his release conditions.

While Catlan was incarcerated, the sheriff’s office animal task force cared for the remaining animals on his property: 65 ducks and chickens, a turkey, a turtle and 2 fish.

He was given a deadline of July 9 to find someone to care for them or the sheriff’s office would seize the animals. Now that Catlan has bonded out, Jameson said they expect he will meet that deadline.

“It’s sort of a situation that’s starting to get worse before it’s getting better,” Jameson said.

Jameson said Catlan is being billed for the care of those animals. She also told ABC-7 the animals seized back in April are all in better health.

Now the district attorney’s office is fighting for his bond to be revoked after Catlan’s many violations to his conditions.

“In this case, he clearly started hoarding again. He clearly started that same behavior,” Orlando said.

The district attorney’s office has filed a motion to revoke Catlan’s bond based on his recent actions that should be heard in court next week.

“It concerns the district attorney as for the community and his neighbors, the animals. I mean, if he’s already starting again we can imagine how many more animals will show up in another week,” Orlando said.

This is not Catlan’s first animal hoarding case. Back in 2008, a judge threw out a previous case against him for lack of a speedy trial.