Hoarding - dozens of cats seized from warehouse
Petal, MS (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Nov 30, 2006
County: Forrest
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Brenda Clark
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
A Petal resident will stand trial for 16 charges ranging from animal cruelty to building code violations after dozens of cats were removed from a building in what officials said was reminiscent of a horror movie.
The old furniture store on Mississippi 42 that was owned by Brenda Clark, 54, stood vacant for some time before it was sold in December, said Petal Police Chief Lee Shelbourn.
Mayor Carl Scott said his office had received numerous calls about the property.
"We had received some complaints about a horrific smell at the warehouse," he said. "We had code enforcement and animal welfare go investigate it."
Shelbourn said the scene inside the building was horrific.
"I don't know how all these cats got up in there, but it was real bad," he said. "I got to the front door and had to turn and go back because the odor was so bad."
City animal warden James Knight was forced to don protective wear to enter the building, Shelbourn said.
Dozens of animals were removed from the site, city officials say.
"There were literally half-eaten animals in there, with no food and no water," Shelbourn said. "It was bad."
"I know we had dead cats, cats eating on other cats," Scott said.
On March 19, Clark was charged with the animal cruelty-related misdemeanors including:
* Failure to provide sustenance
* Animal cruelty
* Unsanitary living conditions
* Failure to provide veterinary care
* Failure to remove fecal matter
* No rabies shots
* No rabies tags
* More than six animals within the Petal city limits.
On March 20, about seven building code violations were added.
The municipal court can sentence offenders to a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine per charge, said court administrator Sharold Franklin-Fedrick.
Clark's trial on the 16 charges is set for May 1.
Attempts to contact Clark were unsuccessful.
Shelbourn said cleanup at the site was almost complete.
"The new owner is cleaning the building up," he said. "I think we're on the road to recovery."
Case UpdatesThe court appearance of a Petal woman charged with multiple counts of animal neglect has been postponed, court officials said.
Brenda Clark of Petal was charged in March after public safety workers say they found dozens of feral cats living in horrible conditions inside a former mattress factory on Mississippi 42 owned by Clark.
No new date has been set for the appearance, originally scheduled for today, officials said. | Source: Hattiesburg American - Aug 7, 2007
Update posted on Aug 7, 2007 - 7:47AM |
The trial for a Petal woman charged with more than a dozen misdemeanors has been postponed until Aug. 7, court officials say.
Brenda Clark, 54, was charged in March with violations ranging from building code infractions to animal cruelty after dozens of feral cats were found inside an old store owned by Clark on Mississippi 42.
The animals, officials said, weren't properly fed or cared for, their waste hadn't been removed, and in some cases, the animals were eating each other. | Source: The Hattiesburg American - June 6, 2007
Update posted on Jun 6, 2007 - 11:54PM |
References
« More cases in Forrest County, MS
|
