Case Details

Hoarding - 65 cats found
Delray Beach, FL (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Jun 15, 2005
County: Palm Beach
Local Map: available
Disposition: Not Charged

Person of Interest: Diane Genneken

Case ID: 4943
Classification: Hoarding
Animal: cat
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When a fire erupted at Diane Genneken's home in the 2600 block of Florida Boulevard on the night of June 15, firefighters and animal control officers discovered more than 60 cats inside, some of which had died earlier and were skeletons or carcasses kept in re-sealable bags.

In all, 65 cats were found throughout the heavily fire-damaged house, with 46 killed in the fire or having died some time ago, said Sgt. Tammie Crawford of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control. Nineteen injured cats had to be euthanized, and others escaped.

Genneken's home appeared to be uninhabitable because of a buildup of animal waste, according to the Delray Beach Police Department. City building code officers planned to examine the house in more detail Thursday.

The fire was reported around 9:20 p.m. while Genneken, 54, was not home, firefighters said. When firefighters arrived, they rescued some cats and saw other cats escaping. Most of the cats died in the fire, although an unspecified number of carcasses were later found in various forms of decomposition.

"It was pretty sad. Those cats just couldn't get out," Crawford said.

Genneken, a postal service employee, declined to explain why she had so many cats, other than to say she had a "good heart." She said she was upset and embarrassed but would not elaborate.

She has been offered assistance from the Greater Palm Beach Area American Red Cross to stay in a hotel, said Hal Knabb, lieutenant inspector with Delray Beach Fire-Rescue.

The fire likely started in a back bedroom, Knabb said. The cause of the blaze was under investigation, but firefighters are trying to determine whether it was related to a short circuit in an electric guitar found in that room, Knabb said. An estimate of the amount of damage was not immediately available.

Animal control officers put three traps in and around Genneken's home on June 16 to capture cats that escaped the blaze and roamed the neighborhood.

A veterinarian is performing necropsies on the cats to determine causes of death, Crawford said. If there is evidence of abuse, Genneken could be cited with a civil charge or face criminal felony counts, she said.

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References

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