Russell Dee Sanderson, 50, and Deborah Kay Atkinson, 51, were arrested and arraigned on animal cruelty charges Monday May 12, 2003. They were released after posting $1,000 bond each.
The Odessa residents face 45 counts of animal cruelty after authorities found 146 feral cats confined in a home that police say reeked with odor. Animal control officials had to euthanize all the cats to prevent disease from spreading to other animals in the city�s shelter. The cats were suffering from eye diseases and mange, among other ailments, said Cheryl Brom, animal control manager for the Odessa Police Department.
�That�s a lot of cats, but there�s nothing cruel about that,� said defense attorney Robert Leahey of Odessa. �I think they obviously had an affinity for cats.�
Authorities went to the home April 17 after neighbors complained of a foul odor. The residents were issued a Class C misdemeanor citation for offensive odor from more than four animals and told to take care of the odor problem before a second visit about a week later.
On April 23, animal control officers returned and found the odor persisted. A second citation was issued and residents again refused to let the officers inside to inspect the home.
Armed with a seizure warrant, the animal control officers returned the next day and euthanized 24 cats. In subsequent days, the remaining cats also were euthanized.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality also was called to the house because of several air-quality complaints the commission received about the smell.
If convicted of all the Class A misdemeanor charges, Sanderson and Atkinson could each face up to 45 years in jail and a $180,000 fine. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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