Hoarding - 51 cats seized
Dalmatia, PA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Jul 30, 2009
County: Northumberland
Disposition: Not Charged
Abuser names unreleased
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
The 50 cats and two dogs abandoned inside a rural Northumberland County apartment will be taken away today, ending a Valley police chief's weeklong search for help in removing the animals.
Lower Mahanoy Township Police Chief Randall Wynn will breath a sigh of relief when animal cruelty officers from the Philadelphia branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals arrive at 313 Dairy Road, Apartment No. 1.
Wynn was alerted Friday about the animals by neighbors in the duplex.
Six people were living in the two-story apartment "” a married couple, their children and a girl "” said neighbors who asked to remain anonymous.
"We really need something to be done," the frustrated neighbor said. "I can't take the smell. But I deal with it."
Numerous calls had been made to the Philadelphia SPCA, "including calls made by friends and by our local constable," she said. "Nothing has come of it."
The Danville SPCA is not empowered to help. The facility's mission is now focused solely on serving as a shelter.
Wynn's investigation showed that the residents moved out, but returned numerous times and left bags of food out for the animals. The former residents also tried to clean the mess inside the residence.
From outside the apartment Wednesday, cats could be seen lounging on a window sill and on furniture inside. Dogs barked from the upstairs rooms.
Wynn said he tried to find homes for the cats and dogs, but could not locate a shelter willing to accept them. The former residents who own the cats showed Wynn paperwork suggesting that they had been trying to get the animals placed elsewhere. Because of their efforts, Wynn said he couldn't justify charging the unidentified former residents with abandoning the animals.
Neighbors, meanwhile, continued to complain about the stench.
Animal cruelty investigations are handled by the SPCA's Philadelphia office. Complaints about suspected cases of animal abuse are supposed to be directed to the Philadelphia office, where dispatchers contact a local investigator.
Efforts to remove the animals became bogged down because the animal cruelty officer assigned to Northumberland County no longer works for the SPCA, leaving the organization without a point person in the county.
George Bengal, director of law enforcement for the Pennsylvania SPCA in Philadelphia, said there are only three cruelty inspector officers in Eastern Pennsylvania, based in Monroe, Lycoming and Lancaster counties.
"We're stretched thin," he said. "When a situation arises such as the one in Northumberland, we will swear in officers and rectify the situation."
Case UpdatesThe animals taken from a rural Northumberland County apartment on Thursday are being held at an SPCA shelter in Susquehanna County, where they are being provided veterinary care in preparation for adoption.
The total number of cats continued to grow overnight from 48 seized to 51 total from a Dairy Road property that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals visited Thursday afternoon. The agency said the animals’ owner, David Peterson, willingly relinquished the animals.
“These cats have been living in terrible conditions,” Sue Cosby, chief executive officer for the Pennsylvania SPCA, based in Philadelphia said in a written statement. “They deserve to be someone’s best friend. We intend to work with the cat rescue organizations as well as members of the community to find them permanent homes.”
The case was handled by the Philadelphia office because the SPCA restructured its internal organization two years ago. Local branches, such as the Danville SPCA, now serve solely as animal shelters, while animal cruelty complaints are dispatched by the Philadelphia office.
The PSPCA is asking the public for help funding the costs associated with saving the lives of these cats. As a non-profit organization, the PSPCA relies on donations to prevent and prosecute animal abuse and neglect cases. If you are interested please donate today at http://pspca.org/donate/funds or call the PSPCA at (215) 426-6300. | Source: Daily Item - Aug 1, 2009
Update posted on Aug 2, 2009 - 10:02PM |
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