Twenty-two cats living in filth - Olympia, WA

Wednesday, Jun 25, 2008

County: Thurston

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 2 files available

Defendant/Suspect: Judith Ann Lawson

Case Updates: 4 update(s) available

Judith Ann Lawson was jailed for investigation of 20 counts of felony animal cruelty after animal control officers found 20 Persian cats locked up in cages inside the garage of her home.

The animals were found living in filth. Feces covered their bodies. In some cases, the weight of the hardened waste pieces had caused their heavily-matted fur to tear right off of their bodies.

One of the cats was found covered with open and infected sores. The cat also had a broken tail and severe respiratory problems that affected its breathing.

Erika Ellenbecker with animal control says this is animal cruelty at its worst.

"When I asked her how long the cats have been in the room, she said about six years," she said. "This is the worst I've seen."

Lawson's neighbors said they never suspected any of it was going on. Neighbors said Lawson moved into the quiet neighborhood seven years ago and has mostly kept to her self.

"She was very private," said Sandy McCaig.

According to prosecutors, Lawson, a 64-year-old former cat breeder, kept the blinds to her house closed and the garage door sealed. Such measures kept the strong smell of cat urine from escaping from the garage and alerting the others living nearby.

On Wednesday, a contractor working inside the home discovered the cats stuffed into crates stacked inside the unventilated garage. He took photos of his findings and called police, prosecutors said.

The crates were being taken away for evidence and the cats were taken to an animal hospital.

Veterinarians do not yet know how many of the animals will be able to recover.

Case Updates

A woman responsible for a case of animal abuse that investigators described as one of the worst they'd ever seen was sentenced Monday to time served and ordered to pay $15,000 in fines. Judith Ann Lawson, 64, was arrested in June after animal control officers found 22 purebred Persian cats locked in cages in her garage and living in filth. Feces covered the cats' bodies. In some cases, the weight of the hardened waste had caused their heavily-matted fur to tear right off of their bodies. One of the cats was found covered with open and infected sores, a broken tail and suffering from severe respiratory problems. The cats lived in wire cages, and food was thrown in atop the feces. The hair of two of the cats was so intertwined that everyone thought the matted being was just one cat, until they saw two heads. "When I asked her how long the cats have been in the room, she said about six years," Erika Ellenbecker with animal control said when the animals were seized. "This is the worst I've seen." Rescue workers had to wear respirators to enter the property and, once inside, they saw that even fleas were trying flee. "There were flies and fleas pounding at the window, trying to get out," said animal control officer Susanne Beauregard. Prosecutors said Lawson, a former cat breeder, kept the blinds to her house closed and the garage door sealed. Such measures kept the strong smell of cat urine from escaping the garage and alerting the others living nearby. Investigators were notified when a contractor working inside Lawson's home discovered the cats stuffed into crates stacked in the unventilated garage. He took photos and called police. Two of the cats died, and the rest were treated at a local veterinary clinic and adopted out to new owners. Lawson pleaded guilty in October to 22 counts of second-degree animal cruelty, and prosecutors agreed not to seek jail time beyond the eight days she already served. Lawson's attorney, James Dixon, said his client suffers from depression and didn't mean to harm the animals. He said Lawson is an agoraphobic and didn't want to leave her house. As part of the terms of her agreement, Lawson will have to undergo mental health treatment and will not be allowed to own any cats. The agreement does not prohibit her from owning other animals, however. In Thurston County Superior Court on Monday, Lawson was in tears and could barely get out the word "no," when the judge asked her if she had anything to say. If she violates any of the terms of her plea agreement, Lawson could be forced to serve an 82-day jail sentence for each of the 22 cats that were in her care.

Source: KOMO News - Dec 1, 2008 Update posted on Dec 1, 2008 - 9:49PM

A Lacey-area woman has pleaded guilty in Thurston County Superior Court to 22 misdemeanor counts of second-degree animal cruelty. In June, Thurston County Animal Services seized 22 malnourished and neglected Persian cats from Judith Lawson's home. Animal Services Director Susanne Beauregard said two of the cats died and the other 20 were placed in adoptive homes. Lawson's guilty plea Monday was part of a plea deal in which felony animal cruelty counts against her were dismissed. The deal recommends no jail time for Lawson, but it does require her to pay more than $12,000 in fines. Lawson is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Oct 20, 2008 Update posted on Oct 21, 2008 - 12:24AM

Twenty-two Persian cats are soon ready for adoption after they were found two weeks ago malnourished and covered with their own feces inside an Olympia-area home. The cats were found malnourished, dehydrated and living in cages filled with their own waste in a Lacey woman's home. Most of the cats have been shaved of their once-matted fur covered with feces, and although they remain skinny and scared, they are safe. "Given their original condition, they are doing just beautifully," said Susanne Beauregard of the Thurston County Animal Services. "I am so impressed with their resilience." It's the worst case of animal cruelty Thurston County investigators remember, and the cats' owner Judith Lawson, has been charged with 22 counts of felony animal cruelty. "They couldn't walk; some of them could not stand upright," Beauregard said. One of the rescued cats had to be put down and another was so weighed down with feces that its tail broke and had to be amputated. Still the cats are doing better than anyone would have imagined, and many could soon be finding new homes. "A long, happy life in a normal family as a cherished family member, that's what I want for them," Beauregard said. If the cats continue to improve, officials said many of them may be ready to be adopted within the next few weeks. If you're interested in adopting a cat, contact the Thurston County Animal Shelter at [email protected].

Source: KIRO TV - July 10, 2008 Update posted on Jul 11, 2008 - 12:37AM

A 64-year-old woman is being held without bail, accused in a horrific animal cruelty case. Judith Ann Lawson faces 22 counts of animal cruelty and five years in prison. The alleged victims are 22 purebred Persian cats. Officials initially thought there were just 20 cats. One reason: the hair of two of the cats were so intertwined that everyone thought the matted being was just one cat, until they saw two heads. There was even a show cat -- a prized Persian worth $1,500. Prosecutors say its show days turned into hell in Lawson's garage a few years ago. Animal control says the 22 Persians were warehoused, 15 in the garage and seven in another room. They lived in wire cares, where food was thrown in atop the uncleaned feces. When one of the cats was picked up, a thick layer of matted fur just ripped right off of its body. It all happened in an upscale neighborhood. The scene was in such bad shape that animal rescue workers had to wear respirators to enter the urine-stenched property and once inside, they saw that even fleas were trying flee. "There were flies and fleas pounding at the window, trying to get out," said animal control officer Susanne Beauregard. Investigators say they found cat after cat with hair, feces and urine all matted together. Some of the cats were taken to the South Bay Veterinary Clinic, where the animals lost inches of matted hair. A bag full of hair from just four of the cats weighted 2 pounds and 15.5 ounces. Each of the cats is expected to survive, but it make take a year before all the fur grows back. Meanwhile each cat is being handled extremely carefully. "Each cat must be treated compassionately but as if it were a crime scene of its own," said Beauregard. Prosecutors on Friday said they have reason to believe this same horror may have happened seven years ago in Bellevue, where Lawson lived at the time. They said Lawson's former neighbors called and said when she moved out of her Bellevue home, its floor and walls had to be ripped out because they were contaminated with cat urine and feces.

Source: KOMO News - June 28, 2008 Update posted on Jun 29, 2008 - 2:11AM

References

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