83 Cats seized from home of postal worker - New Berlin, WI

Friday, Aug 1, 1997

County: Waukesha

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Daniel Casteneda

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Daniel Casteneda, 58, a Milwaukee postal worker has given up legal rights to 37 of the 83 cats that were seized from his New Berlin Home. Approximately half of eighty-three seized cats are likely to be euthanized this week.

Mark Hess, executive director of the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County, confirmed one of the cats died of unknown causes and it appears that all but one of the other 83 are dangerous, wild cats and are unsuitable for adoption.

The officials at the society's office said Daniel Casteneda has paid $2,700 in costs for housing forty-five of the cats.

Case Updates

Daniel Casteneda, 58, has been given thirty days to repair the approximately $65,000 damage to his home for housing so many cats or the city will be required to raze the house. The city building inspector Howard Gygax has confirmed the home is uninhabitable due to the accumulation of cat urine and feces. "There were so many cats that they were uncontrolled. The floors, the cupboards, the counters were so permeated with cat elimination the only alternative is to take out the inside of the house." Mayor James Gatzke said the city had little choice and needed to protect the neighborhood. The Waukesha County Health Inspector had made two visits to Daniel Casteneda's home and had warned him about the existing conditions. Casteneda had done very little to correct the problems after the health inspector's visits.

Source: Milwaukee Journal Update posted on Jul 17, 2008 - 5:28PM

References

• Associated Press - Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Aug 22, 1997

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