Kittens transported in sealed bins, many die
Bronx, NY (US)Incident Date: Friday, Jun 20, 2008
County: Bronx
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Katehis Spiridoula
On Friday, June 20, Katehis Spiridoula of the Bronx drove to the ASPCA's 92nd Street headquarters to surrender her 25 cats. When Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital staffers went outside to retrieve the cats from her car, they came across a shocking scenario: Spiridoula had transported the majority of the cats inside closed plastic bins in the car's trunk. The lids of the bins were taped shut, and no air holes had been provided.
One bin contained 13 kittens, ten of whom were dead on arrival from heat stroke and suffocation. The three survivors were in grave condition. A second sealed bin contained 10 adult cats, all of whom were alive but dehydrated. An additional two adult cats were loose in the trunk and exhibited acute heat-related injuries. Temperatures in the bins topped 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and all the cats had body temperatures at or exceeding 108 degrees.
One of the surviving kittens suffered from severe eye disease--his eyes were dangling from the sockets by their stems. Although Bergh vets had to remove both eyes, this kitten was quickly adopted by a compassionate new family. In fact, all of the surviving cats have been treated by the ASPCA, and several adults and kittens-including Genie, Karma, Nino and Archer-are still available for adoption at the ASPCA Adoption Center.
ASPCA Special Agent John De La Torre arrested Spiridoula, 36, at the scene for misdemeanor animal cruelty. She has been charged with 20 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty and could face up to 20 years in jail and a $40,000 fine for the combined charges. References« NY State Animal Cruelty Map
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