Case Report

Ontario police walked into Sandra Hess' Ontario apartment Tuesday and found twenty-five cats, most in need of medical attention. The cat owner believes she did little wrong but Ontario police say they'll seek criminal charges.

"We've got them back here in the corner because it's a way we can keep them isolated." Four Rivers Veterinarian Dr. Erin Robinson.

Doctor Erin Robinson was with Ontario police when they found twenty-five cats in a small two-bedroom apartment, some with an incredibly contagious disease.

"Most of them have runny eyes and sneezing, coughing, and if you get close to them you can hear them wheeze and that's from the upper respiratory infection." Dr. Robinson said.

"There was one that lost an eye, the place was filthy and had a terrible odor to the place, it was becoming a public health concern." Ontario police captain Mike Alexander said.

"Yes it's cramped, it's a small two bedroom, the cat odor, yes, the cat litter was in the bathroom, it's a small confined area, and you're going to smell cat odor that's hard not to avoid." Cat owner Sandra Hess said.

Cat owner Sandra Hess defends her side of the story. She says it was wrong to move her twenty-five cats to her small apartment, but she was left with no other choice.

"My cats were being taken care of by a shelter in Weiser, they contacted me and told me they were going to get rid of my cats in the country and abandon them." Hess said.

But Ontario police don't buy it. They say she could face a year in county jail and up to a five thousand dollar fine for each charge of animal neglect. Hess says she'll fight the animal neglect allegation if Ontario police press charges, claiming she was always good to her cats.

"It's not at all like the Harper thing, I take care of my cats."

The clinic will continue to test the cats for the coming days. Some of the cats will move to a shelter in Fruitland, the case will now go to the Malheur county district attorney.

References