Hoarding - 50 cats, 40 more found dead
Hart Flat, CA (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Aug 20, 2005
County: Kern
Disposition: Not Charged
Abuser names unreleased
Kern County animal control officers found 40 dead cats plus dozens more live animals on a property in the upper Hart Flat area on Aug 21 that one official called "deplorable."
Denise Haynes, division chief of county animal control, said the cause of the cats' deaths has not been determined; a veterinarian will visit the site. She said animal control is still trying to determine a lot of the circumstances of the situation.
Another 50 cats, two dogs and an unknown number of horses are still alive and remain on or near the property, she said.
Public health officials advised animal control to leave everything on site, Haynes said. If there are public health hazards, she said, officials don't want them brought to town.
At this point, animal control is "dealing more with a public health issue than a cruelty or neglect (issue)," Haynes said.
The property, on Ridgewood Drive, has been quarantined. Haynes said there are other residences on the street, but there is some distance between them.
Haynes said the neighbors are not at any immediate risk, but that an environmental health official was in the neighborhood that morning distributing information about the situation.
Animal control officers learned of the animals' plight on the evening of Aug 20 through a tip.
The animal owners do not live on the property and officials are trying to locate them, Haynes said. She declined to identify the couple.
Neighbors told animal control the owners fed the animals every two or three days, according to Haynes.
Animal control, along with county code compliance, environmental health and public health officers, plan to return to the property today for a joint investigation.
Haynes said police are not involved at this point.
Of the 50 cats still alive, Haynes said, about 30 are living in trailers and that "for the most part, they're doing OK." She said animal control officers left the felines food and water.
Some of the cats showed signs of illness, such as running noses, Haynes said. She said it has not been determined if the cats are sick for normal reasons, or for some other reason.
The other 20 cats that are still alive are loose on the property. Haynes said neighbors are looking after them.
She said the two dogs need grooming but seem to be fine. The horses are also being cared for by neighbors. References« CA State Animal Cruelty Map
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