Hoarding 89 cats
Rock Springs, WY (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, Jul 31, 2003
County: Sweetwater

Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: Gayle Browne

A woman accused of having 89 cats, most of them in deplorable condition, pleaded no contest to animal cruelty.

Gayle Browne, 47, was sentenced Friday to 20 days in jail, with all time suspended, and placed on six months of probation. She was fined $300, with $90 suspended.

She was ordered to undergo counseling; maintain a clean house, with visits by animal control officers; and not to commit more violations.

Most of the animals were in such bad shape they had to be euthanized.

Some of the animals were blinded by wounds they received in fighting, some kittens' eyes were matted shut, and some cats were covered in their own excrement, testified Mike Kiggins, an animal control officer with the Police Department.

Browne told the court she has cleaned her house and now has only four cats and two turtles.

"I did the best that I could," she said. "I fed the cats the best that I could. I cared for them, I got them medication."

But Municipal Judge Daniel Erramouspe called her treatment of the cats appalling. He said she does not seem to have remorse.

References

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