Hoarding - a dozen cats, six dogs seized
Kensington, PA (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2008
County: Philadelphia
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Rose Welch
From a filthy Kensington home, a dozen cats and six dogs, clinging to life, were rescued, after years of abuse at the hands of their owner, who was charged last night with animal cruelty, Pennsylvania SPCA officials said.
"It [was] horrible," said Dr. Ravi Murarka, director of animal health for the SPCA. "I walked inside the home and there was trash everywhere. You [could] not even stand inside the house for two minutes."
The SPCA was alerted after homeowner Rose Welch, 63, brought a dog and a cat to the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association for medical treatment, he said. The cat had a "tennis ball-sized hole in its neck;" the dog was barely breathing.
PACCA notified SPCA officials, who obtained a warrant and searched Welch's home, on Russell and G streets, shortly after 9 p.m. last night. In it, they found the remaining cats and dogs in similarly critical conditions.
"It was hard for me to walk around," Murarka said. Cages lined the walls piled on top of each other. Feces and urine mingled as it trickled down into cages and onto the floor. * References« PA State Animal Cruelty Map
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