Hoarding - 25 dogs and cats malnourished, 10 dead
Colton, CA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Apr 7, 2005
County: San Bernardino
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: 74 year old woman
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A 74-year-old woman may be charged with animal abuse and neglect after police found 10 dead cats and about 25 malnourished dogs and cats inside a home on South La Cadena Drive, officials said on April 15.
Colton police are recommending to the District Attorney's Office that charges be filed against the unidentified woman, Detective Jack Morenberg said. A decision is expected next week.
Officers went to the home April 7 after receiving an anonymous call saying the woman hadn't been seen for several days, police Sgt. Steve Davis said.
They found trash and debris outside and smelled a foul odor coming from inside the home, he said.
After forcing their way inside, officers saw the animals. In addition to the 10 dead cats, they found six dogs and about 18 cats who appeared "undernourished or malnourished,' Davis said.
The woman was not home when officers arrived. She was taken two days earlier to a Riverside hospital for a respiratory problem and has not been released, Davis said.
The animals were taken to a veterinarian for treatment. Four cats and two dogs had to be euthanized.
After being checked, the other dogs and cats were taken to the San Bernardino animal shelter, where they will be made available for adoption, Morenberg said.
The woman will not be able to recover any of the animals, Morenberg said.
Davis said he talked to the woman after she was admitted to the hospital.
"She made a comment to me that she likes animals and she takes in strays,' Davis said.
The woman, who rents the home, is expected to be turned over to county Adult Protective Services officials when she is released from the hospital, Davis said.
"It's a real shame this lady didn't know about us before,' said Pat Dunaway, who co-chairs the Inland Empire branch of the Pet Assistance Foundation, a nonprofit group that provides money for spaying and neutering. "I could have helped this lady. I could have taken all these animals to the vet.'
Davis said several code violations were found at the home, including trash, a dilapidated garage and wooden shed, exposed electrical wiring, stagnant water and an accumulation of feces on the floor. He said the conditions have existed for several weeks.
"It's easily the worst case I've ever seen as far as filth and unhealthy living conditions,' Davis said.
He said a notice was sent to the Los Angeles-area homeowner giving him 30 days to make efforts to fix the code problems.
Case UpdatesA 74-year-old woman may be charged with animal abuse and neglect after police found 10 dead cats and about 25 malnourished dogs and cats inside a home on South La Cadena Drive, officials said Friday.
Colton police are recommending to the District Attorney's Office that charges be filed against the unidentified woman, Detective Jack Morenberg said. A decision is expected next week.
Officers went to the home April 7 after receiving an anonymous call saying the woman hadn't been seen for several days, police Sgt. Steve Davis said.
They found trash and debris outside and smelled a foul odor coming from inside the home, he said.
After forcing their way inside, officers saw the animals. In addition to the 10 dead cats, they found six dogs and about 18 cats who appeared "undernourished or malnourished,' Davis said.
The woman was not home when officers arrived. She was taken two days earlier to a Riverside hospital for a respiratory problem and has not been released, Davis said.
The animals were taken to a veterinarian for treatment. Four cats and two dogs had to be euthanized.
After being checked, the other dogs and cats were taken to the San Bernardino animal shelter, where they will be made available for adoption, Morenberg said.
The woman will not be able to recover any of the animals, Morenberg said.
Davis said he talked to the woman after she was admitted to the hospital.
"She made a comment to me that she likes animals and she takes in strays,' Davis said.
The woman, who rents the home, is expected to be turned over to county Adult Protective Services officials when she is released from the hospital, Davis said.
"It's a real shame this lady didn't know about us before,' said Pat Dunaway, who co-chairs the Inland Empire branch of the Pet Assistance Foundation, a nonprofit group that provides money for spaying and neutering. "I could have helped this lady. I could have taken all these animals to the vet.'
Davis said several code violations were found at the home, including trash, a dilapidated garage and wooden shed, exposed electrical wiring, stagnant water and an accumulation of feces on the floor. He said the conditions have existed for several weeks.
"It's easily the worst case I've ever seen as far as filth and unhealthy living conditions,' Davis said.
He said a notice was sent to the Los Angeles-area homeowner Thursday giving him 30 days to make efforts to fix the code problems. | Source: San Bernardino Sun - April 15, 2005
Update posted on Apr 20, 2005 - 12:45PM |
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