Hoarding - 29 cats, 8 dogs Lilburn, GA (US) Incident Date: Friday, Mar 29, 2002 County: Gwinnett Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Charges: Felony CTA Alleged: Sharon Smith

Case ID: 1522 Classification: Hoarding Animal: cat, dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in GA (US) Login to Watch this Case

Workers in protective gear cleaned up a Gwinnett County home Monday where 29 cats and eight dogs were found living in filth.

Authorities say 48-year old Sharon Smith lived in the home with 29 cats and eight dogs. Many of the animals were so sick, they had to be put to sleep.� The pets waste had accumulated on the carpet, furniture, and the floors over a lengthy period of time.

Smith was charged with felony animal cruelty on March 29. Her family says she is out on bail and receiving medical and mental health care.

Smith's brother told 11Alive News that the house on Linda Lane in Lilburn is owned by his father and that his sister was the caretaker. He said family members knew Smith had pets, but thought she only had a handful.

The filth inside the home was hazardous enough that cleanup crews wore suits typically used in chemical hazards. They wore masks, fearful of potential respiratory infection from a high concentration of ammonia.

Some neighbors said they hoped the home would be razed because of its condition. The family has chosen instead to clean it up at their own cost.

Neighborhood Map

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

Back to Top

Add this case to:

Del.icio.us

|

Digg

|

Furl

|

References

11 Alive News

« GA State Animal Cruelty Map

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.