Hoarding - dogs, cats, birds
Elizabeth, NJ (US)Incident Date: Friday, Aug 25, 2000
County: Union
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Robert York
It was gunshots that brought the police to an apartment on North Broad Street where they discovered an obese, bedridden man living with a menagerie of animals in conditions described as "filthy" and "disgusting."
Police reported there was excrement of birds, dogs and cats all around the apartment. The apartment was filled with a foul stench and there were fresh bullet holes in the wall.
Bob York, 53, was charged with firing a gun inside the apartment. City health officials declared the apartment uninhabitable and ordered it vacated. The police could not determine why York had fired the gun.
York was estimated to weight between 500 and 600 pounds, he was taken to Trinitas East Hospital's Psychiatric Unit for evaluation. The birds, cats and dogs were taken by Elizabeth Animal Control
There were seven exotic birds, six Persian cats and two Rottweiler dogs. York's apartment had four bedrooms one for the birds, one for the dogs, one for the cats and one for himself. Animals were not licensed.
York could face charges for health code violations and for keeping unlicensed animals.
He had reportedly been living at this address for six years, confined to his bed all that time due to his size and other health problems.
Approximately 10 men, wearing full protective gear as a precaution due to the foul conditions of the apartment, were required to remove York and his animals from the apartment. A giant gurney was used to bring York from his fourth floor apartment to the ambulance.
The first animals to be removed from York's apartment were large Rottweilers one male and one female. Next exotic birds including macaws and cockatoos, some of them called "Hello, hello" to the crowd.
A cage full of six docile Persian cats were removed last from the apartment. York reportedly told police he had eight more at the veterinarian's office.
Most of the animals appear to be well taken care of, but the place where they lived was filthy.
Based on estimates of the value of the animals, the birds would be worth between $4,500 and $6,500. The most valuable, a scarlet macaw, could sell for between $1,000 and $1,500.
A sulfur-crested macaw and an umbrella macaw could also bring $800 to $1,000 each. A brilliantly colored Military macaw could be sold for $700 to $900, two blue and gold macaws are worth between $400 and $800 each and a green macaw with yellow and orange feathers is worth $400 to $500.
The Rottweilers and Persian cats retail between $600 and $800 each.
It was not known why York had all the animals in his apartment and what he was doing with them.
References« NJ State Animal Cruelty Map
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