Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Hoarding - 26 seized, 179 found dead

Hoarding - 26 seized, 179 found dead
Alpharetta, GA (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Feb 1, 2005
County: Fulton
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available

Abuser/Suspect: Lauri Lockwood

Case Updates: 6 update(s) available

Case ID: 3763

Classification: Hoarding

Animal: cat

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Suspect was in animal welfare field

Fulton County authorities call it one of the worst cases of animal abuse in county history: more than 100 cats found dead inside a two-story house in an affluent subdivision in Alpharetta. One hundred and thirty-four cats lay strewn across every room of the house on Alstonefield Drive when animal services officials were called Feb. 1. An additional 26 severely malnourished cats were found, said Susan Feingold, assistant director of county animal services. They were taken to a local animal clinic where they are being cared for until they are strong enough to be put up for adoption, she said.

"We basically found a house of horrors," Feingold said. "They were everywhere. In every bedroom. In the bathroom, the garage, the basement."

Authorities believe the cats may have died of dehydration or starvation, but won't know for certain until tests are completed.

The district attorney is awaiting test results on how the cats died before deciding whether to pursue criminal charges. Erik Friedly, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, said it could be a week before test results are known.

According to WXIA-TV, the home belonged to a woman who has volunteered for several cat rescue organizations. The police report said the woman was out of town and her ex-boyfriend contacted authorities because he was worried about the cats, the television station reported.

Almost all of the cats brought to the clinic last Tuesday were sick, some severely, and some are not out of the woods after a week of treatment, Merck said. Several were dehydrated or suffering upper respiratory ailments.

Dr. Melinda Merck, the owner of Cat Clinic of Roswell, said she saw no evidence of physical abuse of the cats.

Fulton County Animal Services will leave the cats at the Roswell clinic for about a month to give the various agencies time to do the investigation, heal the cats, spay and neuter them, and arrange adoptions, Merck said.

"This is going to be a very costly undertaking," she said. For example, one kitten was so close to death when it arrived at her clinic that Merck sent it to an animal emergency room. The cost for one cat night in the ER: $400.

Merck commended the police and district attorney's office for their effort. "They have been extraordinary," she said. "They have taken it seriously."

The house was condemned by county health officials because of the inhumane conditions.

To send a letter to the prosecutor, urging appropriate prosecution of Ms. Lockwood, and if convicted, request that she be banned from owning animals again, and be required to attend mandatory counseling:

The Honorable Paul Howard Jr.
Fulton County District Attorney
136 Pryor St. S.W., 3rd Fl.
Atlanta, GA 30303

Case Updates

Lauri Lockwood was sentenced to 15 years probation Nov 7 after pleading guilty to aggravated cruelty to animals. Lockwood, 47, was charged with one felony county and 145 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty after the cats were found inside her Alstonefield Drive home in February 2005.

A sobbing Lockwood pleaded guilty to all 146 counts Tuesday before being sentenced by Fulton Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville.

Glanville imposed several conditions on Lockwood, including that she have no contact with animals and that she submit to monthly, unannounced inspections of her home for the first two years of probation. She must also continue psychological treatment that she has been undergoing since her arrest.

Assistant District Attorney Laura Janssen asked for $25,000 restitution to cover the costs of nursing the surviving cats back to health and finding homes for them. Glanville scheduled a restitution hearing for Jan. 11.

Before her sentencing, Lockwood tearfully promised that she would "never, ever repeat my past behavior."

When authorities entered Lockwood's home on Feb. 1, 2005, they found 146 dead cats and 26 surviving ones. She had volunteered to keep cats temporarily for Cats in the Cradle, an organization that rescued the animals from shelters and tried to find homes for them.

Janssen said some of the cats had been dead for 6 months, and had been cannibalized by other cats. She said dead cats were found "on every single level, in every single room" of Lockwood's house.

Lockwood had faced a potential sentence of five years in prison on the felony count and up to 12 months in prison on each of the misdemeanor counts.

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution - Nov 7, 2006
Update posted on Nov 7, 2006 - 1:34PM

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Lockwood pleaded not guilty today in the largest suspected case of animal cruelty in Fulton County history. The group she reportedly volunteered for, Cats in the Cradle, also made an agreement that will allow it to stay in business.

Lockwood made only a brief appearance in Superior Court. Her attorneys did all the talking on her behalf, both inside and outside the courtroom.

"She's had a very hard time. She's been given death threats and everything else. I just think it's incredibly inappropriate for people to treat someone that way if we're supposed to have any validity in our criminal justice system -- you're innocent until proven guilty," said attorney Manny Arora.

Prosecutors contend that Lockwood caused the cats unjustified pain and suffering by intentionally withholding food and water.

"The physical evidence the state has with regards to the cats being sick or malnourished, that's not an issue. I can't dispute that. The issue is, was it done intentionally? Was it done with malice? Those are the kinds of things we have to discuss with the D.A.'s office," said Arora.

After taking photos inside Lockwood's home of the dead cats, state inspectors found that Lockwood was a volunteer for an animal rescue group called Cats in the Cradle. The group used Lockwood's home as a foster facility for neglected animals.

According to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, there are no records to show the group had ever inspected Lockwood's home or any of its other foster homes as required by law. There was also no inventory to track the whereabouts of cats the group rescued.

The state threatened to revoke Cats in the Cradle's state license, but the group agreed to do the following in order to stay in business:

* Pay a $2,000 fine
* Replace its board of directors
* Appoint someone to maintain records and inspections
* Inspect each facility every 90 days
* Report the tracking of animals

Source: 11 Alive - Oct 13, 2005
Update posted on Oct 13, 2005 - 5:38PM

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A Fulton County grand jury on Friday indicted a woman in the largest animal cruelty case in the county�s history. Lauri Lockwood was indicted on one felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals and 145 counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals.

Police found more than 100 dead cats in Lockwood's Alpharetta home earlier this year. Officers say the cats died of dehydration and starvation. Twenty-six other cats survived.

Source: 11 Alive - July 15, 2005
Update posted on Jul 16, 2005 - 2:29PM

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Five months after more than 200 dead or sick cats were found in a north Fulton County home, the prosecutor's office is fine-tuning an indictment, some of the feline survivors are in foster care and a cat rescue group has lost its state license pending the outcome.

Fulton district attorney spokesman Erik Friedly said he does not know when the case will be presented to the grand jury.

When authorities entered Lauri Lockwood's house at 590 Alstonefield Drive outside Alpharetta on Feb. 1, they found 179 dead cats and 26 survivors.

Lockwood, 46, turned herself in on Feb. 26. She was booked at the Fulton County Jail on two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and freed on $10,000 bond.

Lockwood volunteered for Cats in the Cradle and other rescue groups that get cats from animal shelters and care for them temporarily until they are adopted.

Cats in the Cradle's license expired Jan. 31.

State Department of Agriculture spokesman Arty Schronce said the license will not be considered for renewal until the Lockwood case closes.

Calls and e-mails to Cats in the Cradle were not returned last week.

David Smith, executive director of Fulton County Animal Services, said the county will not release cats to a rescue group without a license.

Smith said many people who wanted to adopt the surviving cats were screened months ago. When the district attorney's office said they could not be adopted as long as they might be needed as evidence, Smith told the applicants to direct their questions to the prosecutor.

"This happened back in February," Smith said. "It wasn't fair to the people who put in applications for them to string them along forever."

Friedly said more than half of the cats are in foster care. The rest remain with Roswell veterinarian Dr. Melinda Merck, who treated and housed all of them.

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution - July 4, 2005
Update posted on Jul 9, 2005 - 10:04AM

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The Alpharetta animal rescue volunteer whose house was found full of dead and sick cats has turned herself in to authorities and been released on bail.

When Lauri Lockwood, 45, arrived at the Fulton County Jail on Sunday, she was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, according to jail reports.

She was released on $10,000 bond.

The district attorney's office may file additional charges, according to public information director Erik Friedly.

Authorities were tipped to the gruesome scene at Lockwood's house on Feb. 1. When they arrived, they found 26 surviving cats, which are being cared for by a veterinarian and retained as evidence. They also found 179 dead animals.

After evidence was collected, the Department of Health hired a company to remove the dead animals. It then sealed the house on Alstonefield Drive.

Source: ajc.com - March 2, 2005
Update posted on Mar 2, 2005 - 11:10PM

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The Fulton County District Attorney and Fulton County Police are awaiting lab results to determine the cause of death of the animals, and pending those results will decide whether to charge Lockwood with animal cruelty.

Source: Appen Newspapers - Feb 16, 2005
Update posted on Feb 20, 2005 - 8:45AM

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References

	Atlanta Journal Constitution
	Ledger-Enquirer - Feb 8, 2005
	11 Alive - Feb 8, 2005
	Atlanta Journal Constitution
	PETA Action Alerts

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Hoarding - 26 seized, 179 found deadAlpharetta, GA (US)

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Hoarding - 26 seized, 179 found dead
Alpharetta, GA (US)