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Hoarding - home found full of cat feces & urine
Fort Wayne, IN (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, Feb 3, 2011
County: Allen

Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 6 files available

Abuser names unreleased

A well-being check on a Fort Wayne home has triggered an investigation into the neglect and abuse of several cats.

Animal Care and Control and Code Enforcement were first called Thursday evening to check on a deceased woman's pets. When they arrived, they found several cats inside and outside of the home located on Forest Ridge Drive off of Ardmore Avenue.

A neighbor told NewsChannel 15 that the woman who lived there had passed away last Saturday.

We spoke with Peggy Bender of Animal Care and Control about the conditions of the home, "The conditions inside the home were horrendous. There was a substantial amount of feces and urine. [They] were literally sinking into the floor as they were trying to enter."

NewsChannel 15 has learned that a relative called Animal Care and Control to check on the deceased woman's cats.

"Crews did have to wear protective clothing and masks to get in. It was very, very difficult," said Bender.

Animal Care and Control continued its investigation Friday. On Friday the home was condemned and described as unlivable.

Bender commented on the well-being of the cats found inside the home, "The animals, it was a wonder they were still alive. Their organs were shutting down; they had advance disease, upper respiratory infections. Those cats were in very, very poor condition. Interestingly enough, the cats outside the home were in better condition that those found inside the home."

Officials at Animal Care and Control said at least eight cats were brought in Thursday night from inside the home. Several strays were found outside, as well as several that were found deceased. Many of the remaining cats were euthanized.

"It sounds like a hoarding situation. It has all of the classic characteristics of a hoarding situation -- someone who is living in isolation; someone who is unable to use any kind of resources for their own health or the health of the animals that they have accumulated… certainly unable to use any kind of resources to care for their home. So, that's classic hoarding," said Bender.

NewsChannel 15's Chris Hopper asked Bender if these cats would be available for adoption, "There's always a chance and there's certainly always a goal on our end to try to find homes for the animals that come from the abuse or neglect or hoarding situations. Unfortunately, when they live inside a home like that they generally are not clean animals. They're not going to be litter trained. They are usually very unsocial. They are usually very inbred with one another, so they are not usually the pet that anybody is going to choose."

A neighbor talked anonymously to NewsChannel 15's Chris Hopper about the house. She said it was in a terrible condition 20 years ago. She said she went inside then and the smell was unbearable. She said she offered help to the people who lived there, but they did not want to be bothered. She also said she contacted authorities about the situation, but Animal Care and Control said it never received a complaint about the house. If it did, officers would have checked it out immediately.

Officials plan to continue clean up and the investigation throughout the weekend.

References

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