Jennifer Caneup runs Cane-9 Rescue & Sanctuary, a nonprofit in Ashland City, Tennessee, that says it rescues dogs, horses, and goats. On July 30, she was arrested and held without bond on an out-of-state warrant. That same day, her brother-in-law, Joshua Caneup, was arrested in Georgia and charged with 18 counts of animal cruelty, including two counts of aggravated cruelty. He is accused of letting a young animal starve to death and of keeping other animals in a sunroom with no ventilation. According to the arrest warrant, "the odor from the urine and feces was so potent that officers could not breathe and had no ventilation or open airways."

Jennifer and Joshua's brother, her husband, jointly owns the Ashland City property listed as Cane-9's address. Neither Jennifer nor Joshua has been convicted of any crime, and Jennifer's specific charges have not yet been made public. But the situation raises urgent questions about the welfare of any animals currently in Cane-9's care.

There's another concern too: Tennessee's Department of State confirms Cane-9 was never registered to legally accept charitable donations in the state, even though an Atlanta activist says the nonprofit took donations for medical care it never delivered. People who gave money to help rescued animals deserve to know where that money actually went.

No animal should be left in limbo while these questions go unanswered. Tennessee authorities should immediately inspect the Cane-9 property to confirm every animal there is safe, and the state should investigate whether donor money was misused.

Sign this petition to demand a welfare inspection of Cane-9 Rescue and a full investigation into its donations before any more animals or donors are put at risk.