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Case #16349 Rating: 1.8 out of 5
Hoarding - over a dozen animals seized, more dead
Plattsburgh, NY (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2010
County: Clinton
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Michael David Malpass
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Police are continuing to find more animals living in deplorable conditions at Michael Malpass's former residence.
He now faces numerous charges.
The Plattsburgh man had been living at his South Acres Road home until earlier this week, when city officials condemned his residence after reportedly finding more than a dozen animals living in neglect, surrounded by dead cats and piles of feces and urine.
The investigation began after a neighbor complained about unsanitary conditions outside of the 51-year-old's residence and voiced concerns about possible animal cruelty.
When authorities arrived, they found at least three dead animals inside the residence and three others in Malpass's vehicle.
Officials deemed the home uninhabitable as they worked to clean the property and rescue the animals.
As of Friday afternoon, 15 cats and three dogs had been captured alive.
The surviving animals are being treated at Eagle's Nest Veterinary Hospital for fleas and parasites and are recovering well, police said.
"We're still taking more animals out of the home," Plattsburgh City Police Lt. Pat Rascoe said Friday.
Malpass has apparently said he couldn't afford to fully care for the animals and had left the deceased animals in his vehicle intending to bury them after the spring thaw.
He has been staying in the area since the raid on his home and was picked up by police Friday to face charges for the prolonged neglect.
Malpass has been charged with nine counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty and is expected to reappear in Plattsburgh City Court next week.
He has been released on his own recognizance.
Mayor Donald Kasprzak has called it "one of the worst situations" he's encountered in office.
Malpass has reportedly surrendered the cats, though the status of the dogs was still being worked out as of Friday afternoon.
Anyone interested in adopting one of the cats, which range in size and age, is asked to call City Police at 563-3411.
Case UpdatesMichael Malpass pleaded guilty to one count of cruelty to animals on September 9, 2010.
He was sentenced on October 27, 2010 to three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution of over $15,000. | Source: democracyinaction.org - Nov 5, 2010
Update posted on Nov 26, 2010 - 5:18PM |
The City of Plattsburgh is foreclosing on a South Acres Road home that's the center of an ongoing animal-cruelty case.
The Common Council recently approved $14,500 in funding to begin cleanup work at Michael Malpass's former residence, where officials last month discovered deplorable conditions and more than a dozen animals living in neglect.
City officials said the home, which is reportedly causing an odor problem in the neighborhood, has been in legal limbo since it was deemed uninhabitable.
Mayor Donald Kasprzak, who visited the residence during the emotional animal rescue, said the cleanup issue has been a priority but has taken longer than expected to resolve.
"We moved as quickly as we could but because of the legal foreclosure issues, the process was more lengthy than we expected."
He said officials had to finalize the foreclosure process before the contract could be awarded, which happened at the council meeting last week.
Malpass recently signed the appropriate paperwork to have the home foreclosed upon because of unpaid taxes and its uninhabitable status.
The work, awarded to Jim Burgess, will begin Monday, Kasprzak said.
The residence, reportedly littered with feces and infested with bugs, became the focus of neighborhood concern and complaints to the Mayor's Office.
Kasprzak thanked the neighbors for their patience and made assurances that the issue will remain a priority.
The foreclosure also helps move the property toward future auction and, Kasprzak hopes, return to the tax rolls.
A future sale would reimburse the cleanup costs.
The property is one of eight currently being foreclosed upon by the city but is the only site with physical problems.
Authorities were called to the residence in early May after Kasprzak received reports about unsanitary conditions and possible animal cruelty.
Officials later found several dead animals and more than a dozen pets living in what they called "horrendous conditions."
Initially, 18 cats and three dogs were taken from the residence, where Malpass had been living.
The animals have since been put up for adoption, and several cats have already found new homes, as have the dogs. The rest of them are now being cared for at Elmore SPCA in Peru.
This week, authorities discovered another six cats at the residence as city crews, with help from Malpass, worked to clean the property, Police Chief Desmond Racicot said Wednesday.
Those cats are reportedly being cared for at Eagle's Nest Veterinary Hospital.
Malpass is facing nine counts of animal cruelty and is due back in City Court on July 8. He is free on the pre-trial release program.
Anyone interested in adopting one of the cats is asked to call City Police at 563-3411. | Source: Press-Republican - Jun 25, 2010
Update posted on Jun 25, 2010 - 2:06PM |
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