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CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #4445 Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Hoarding - 61 cats seized
Tonawanda, NY (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Apr 21, 2005
County: Erie
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 11 files available
Defendant/Suspect: Christopher G. Huber
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
SPCA cruelty investigators seized more than 60 cats from a Town of Tonawanda residence described by representatives as "deplorable."
A call from Tonawanda Police to the SPCA was placed early this morning after police officers received complaints of "revolting odors" emanating from the house, located at 314 Traverse Blvd. in Tonawanda. When the police, accompanied by members of the Town of Tonawanda Building Department, arrived at the residence and saw multiple cats in the house, they contacted the SPCA for assistance.
SPCA Senior Investigating Officer Michael Armatys charged Christopher Huber with one count of cruelty to animals. Huber is scheduled to appear in Town of Tonawanda Court Wednesday, May 11. Also on the scene were SPCA Cruelty Investigators Charles Braun and Paul Breslin, and Senior Veterinary Technician John Lattimer.
Case UpdatesChristopher G. Huber will be allowed to keep three animals with a Wednesday plea agreement struck in Town Court. The deal also calls for court-ordered counseling for animal hoarding and two years of unannounced home inspections from the Erie County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
He was charged April 21 after town police responded to a call of foul odors coming from his Traverse Boulevard home. Authorities said they found dozens of cats in the house filled with trash, feces and cat urine.
The SPCA seized 95 cats, many of them suffering from respiratory infections. The retrieval process took days because a lot of the cats were hiding in the home out of fear. Humane traps were set to get all the animals.
Huber, who was once a volunteer with Second Chance Sheltering Network, where he adopted some of his cats, will have to seek counseling from a local, in-person professional and over the phone with a Massachusetts animal hoarding expert.
Huber's house had been deemed uninhabitable, but has since been cleaned, Browning said.
A lot of the cats were put up for adoption or have been put in foster care homes through the SPCA. Two animal rescue agencies also took some cats to find them new homes. | Source: Buffalo News - May 26, 2005
Update posted on May 26, 2005 - 12:30PM |
The alleged animal owner, Christopher Huber, was charged by the SPCA with cruelty to animals due to the household's deplorable conditions, and was scheduled to appear in the town's court on May 11. Because of the overwhelming number of animals seized, and the level and cost of veterinary care required to treat the high number of illnesses in this particular cat colony, a request was made to move the court date to Wednesday, April 27.
The request was approved late this morning; Huber will appear in Town of Tonawanda Court on April 27, 9:30 am. | Source: spcaec.com - April 22, 2005
Update posted on Apr 22, 2005 - 8:31PM |
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