Attorneys/Judges
| Judge(s): | Carol Southwick |
Hoarding - 25 cats seized, 85 more dead
Union City, PA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Nov 5, 2009
County: Erie
Charges: Summary
Disposition: Civil penalty imposed
Alleged: Pauline Haburski
The woman in whose home investigators found 25 live cats and 82 dead cats has been charged with 25 counts of cruelty to animals.
The summary offenses were filed Friday [Nov 13, 2009] at District Judge Carol Southwick's office in Union City.
The Humane Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania filed the charges against Pauline Haburski because the animals were living in inhumane conditions and had not received proper veterinary care, said Merle Wolfgang, the Humane Society's chief cruelty officer.
The 25 live cats found in the Union City home Nov. 5 were infested with fleas, ear mites and intestinal parasites. Some had open sores. Others suffered from malnutrition or dehydration, officials said. One of the surviving cats had to be euthanized because it was in such poor health, Wolfgang said.
Wolfgang said cruelty charges were not filed for the 82 dead cats because it cannot be determined how they died.
The dead cats were found throughout the house, with most being stored in freezers.
Each charge of cruelty to animals carries with it a fine of $50 to $750 and up to 90 days in jail.
If Haburski is found guilty or pleads guilty to the charges, the district judge can also prohibit her from owning pets or limit the number of animals she can own in the future.
Joe Grisanti, executive director of the Humane Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania, said the 24 surviving cats are in good condition.
The cats are being held in a clinic area, separate from the animals available for adoption, and being closely monitored, Grisanti said.
The shelter has received a few calls from people interested in adopting the cats, as has the Erie Times-News.
But it's uncertain if or when they would be available for adoption, Grisanti said. The cats are being held as evidence and cannot be adopted until court proceedings are completed or the owner signs them over to the Humane Society.
"This person has not been prosecuted yet," Grisanti said. "They are her property and we have the right to hold them for evidence, but if she was found not guilty, there is a possibility we might have to return them."
In the meantime, the cats have stretched the Humane Society's financial resources.
Grisanti estimated the shelter spent $3,000 on an initial veterinary evaluation and expects the total bill will reach into the tens of thousands of dollars.
"These cases have near-bankrupted organizations like ours," Grisanti said. "They do have the ability to cause very severe financial stress as they go on." References« PA State Animal Cruelty Map
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