Hoarding 100 birds Taylor, MI (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 County: Wayne Local Map: available Disposition: Acquitted Case Images: 1 files available Person of Interest: Margaret Molnar Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Case ID: 1422 Classification: Hoarding Animal: captive exotic View more cases in MI (US) Login to Watch this Case

The Michigan Humane Society has accused an elderly women of cruelty to animals for keeping more that 100 birds in unsanitary conditions and raising mallard ducks, which is illegal.

The HS removed 140 birds, many of them exotic pheasants, from the back yard in the 23400 block of Mary St.  The city of Taylor had requested the HS's services and had its own employees oversee the demolition of the cages and the killing of a large colony of rats beneath the pens.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which regulates the ownership of ring-necked pheasants and certain breeds of quail, took 66 of the birds.

John Curcio the womans, power of attorney, believes Molnar should have the right to keep her birds, through a "grandfather" clause since she had them before current ordinances went into effect.  Curcio and Molnar are also doing battle with the city over the issue of erecting new pens.  City officials want to be assured the rat problem doesn't return.  Members of a game breeders association offered to help rebuild the pens.

At a court hearing the Michigan HS argued that the 76 birds they confiscated need to be euthanized to stop the spread of disease.  The birds have avian tuberculosis.  The recommended treatment is to euthanize the entire flock and burn their carcasses.  About 1/2 of the birds have already died.

Curcio, Molnar's spokesman, has had his own problems with birds when he lived in Taylor.  For many years, city officials and neighbors complained about his collection of 80 pheasants, silver foxes and raccoons.  Curcio, has a license from the Department of Natural Resources for his bird collection but was ticketed several times for building and safety violations.

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