58 cats found in horrible conditions in home - Dale City, VA

Wednesday, Apr 28, 1999

County: Prince William

Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: Janice Van Meter

Janice Van Meter, 42, Kenwood Drive, Dale City, had 68 Himalayan cats removed from her home. There were 51 living cats and 17 were dead at the time of their removal from the horrible living conditions in her home.

Dozens of the sickly Himalayan cats had to be euthanized. The Prince William Animal Control officers said the last of the surviving cats were given to new owners.

The cats were infected with ringworm, fleas, maggots, ear mites and internal parasites when they were found in a portion of the Van Meter home. The home was covered in feces, urine and cat hair when the cats were removed from the premises on April 28.

Caring for the cats cost the county about $5,700. Approximately 40 of the cats had to be euthanized because they were "unadoptable."

People that came to the facility to adopt a cat, once they saw them, they weren't willing to take on that much work.

SPCA volunteers adopted 11 of the Himalayan cats and have placed them in foster homes pending permanent adoptions. The cats had extreme socialization problems and are in "horrific" physical condition.

"They are afraid of people. They don't know how to act, like they've never been touched before."

The SPCA volunteers will care for the cats for at least four to six weeks before offering them for permanent adoption, at this time they should be ready to go into normal homes.

Van Meter gave up ownership of the cats as part of a plea agreement early last month. She was given a one-year suspended jail sentence and two years of probation on two counts of cruelty to animals and will have to pay thousands of dollars in fines.

Van Meter was despondent about losing her pets. She cannot own pets while on her two year probation, but she intends to own pets again as soon as the probation expires.

References

• The Washington Post - July 14, 1999
• The Washington Post - Aug 4, 1999

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