Hoarding - 15 cats Chilhowie, VA (US) Incident Date: Sunday, Jun 30, 2002 County: Smyth Local Map: available Disposition: Convicted Abuser/Suspect: Jack Walker, Jr

Case ID: 7553 Classification: Hoarding Animal: cat View more cases in VA (US) Login to Watch this Case

Jack Walker Jr, 35, of Chilhowie has been convicted of 49 counts related to neglect and cruelty. The conviction was the result of animal neglect when a warrant found 15 cats living alone in a house full of garbage, dead cats and insects.

Walker has been sentenced to four months in jail and ordered to pay $4,775 in fines.

In July neighbors complained of the stench coming from the house on Market Street even though all the doors and windows in the home were closed. One neighbor said she had to hold her breath when she went from her car to her home because the smell was overwhelming. Another person said anyone that walked too close to the home found themselves covered in fleas.

Animal control officer Angie McGee said, "I've worked on some pretty bad stuff, but not like this. She testified that when she went to the house to notify Walker of the complaints, she saw two junked vehicles parked in the overgrown yard, both "packed with garbage, beer cans (and) general household refuse."

"There were large green blow flies in the windows," an indication of dead animals. "When I posted the notice (about the complaints) on the door, ... I could smell the odor of dead animal."

When Walker failed to respond to the notice, a search warrant was obtained.

County sheriff's investigator Johnny Joannou attended the search of the house. Animal control officer McGhee said when "Joannou opened the door ... (and) put the search warrant inside. We went inside wearing our uniforms, face masks, rubber gloves ... Fleas invaded our bodies the minutes we stepped in."

The odor was worse than the flea infestation. McGhee said, "The odor -- whew! It was rough. I couldn't describe it to you. It made your eyes water, made your throat sore... It was very heavily odored in ammonia from the cat waste, among other rotten smells beside dead cats, rotting food, ... lots of garbage."

In the corner of at least one room were cat feces that McGhee estimated about 2 feet deep. Flies were on every surface in the home.

In the back yard, officers found an animal kennel. Feces covered the ground inside it. There were piles of hair and bones in the outdoor cage area. Plastic covered the cages duirng the heat of summer in July.

Walker did not live in the house for about two years.

He testified in court his forsmer girlfriend liked cats and he ended up with the cats when that relationship came to an end. His new girlfriend did not like cats. Walker said he tried to give them away but was unable to do so.

He left the home on Market Street and moved in with his new girlfriend in Chilhowie.

When asked why he didn't contact the Humane Society, he said he didn't have a car and his new girlfriend wouldn't let him borrow her car to move the cats to the shelter.

Both Walker and his new girlfriend said they never cleaned the Market Street home.

Judge Joseph Tate ordered Walker to have no companion animal for two years, and he cannot petititon the court for permission to have a companion animal until after two years.

The county animal shelter is looking for good homes for the surviving cats. Fifteen live cats were removed. One cat was pregnant and had a litter of kittens. It is thought that the cats would make good pets.

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References

Bristol VA Herald Courier - Nov 20, 2002

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