Hoarding, child neglect - over 50 animals seized
Sloan, NY (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008
County: Erie
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Anthony Sokolik
» Kristen Sokolik
A Village of Sloan couple now facing charges of child endangerment and animal abuse charges after law enforcement allegedly found their apartment on Lackawanna Avenue in Sloan "deplorable". Police say that 33-year-olds Anthony and Kristen Sokolik lived in appalling conditions and endangered the life of their two small children.
"The place is a mess. There's food laying all over the place. There's animal feces laying all over the place," said Capt. John Glascott of the Cheektowaga Police Department. "There was a collection of dead animals, living animals, the whole house was just in a mess."
The SPCA says it seized over 50 exotic and domestic animals from the residence. The animals included snakes, lizards, fish, cats, rabbits, birds, gerbils, and turtles. The animals will remain at the SPCA for care and treatment. Officials say that all the animals were neglected and many were malnourished.
"When it comes to animal hoarding, it goes beyond neglect. It actually is deemed an addictive mental illness," said SPCA spokesperson Gina Browning. "Because of that mental illness, the owner does not see the reality of the situation. There are not capable of seeing the conditions in which they're living and the condition in which the animals are in."
The Erie County Health Department also added that no one is allowed into the house with out clearance from the ECHD. References« NY State Animal Cruelty Map
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