Hoarding - 45 cats seized
Balcones Heights, TX (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Mar 30, 2006
County: Bexar
Disposition: Not Charged
Case Images: 1 files available
Abuser names unreleased
Forty-five cats were found March 30 inside an empty house in the 200 block of Pleasant Drive in Balcones Heights.
Neighbors thought the residence was empty. According to authorities, some of the animals are sick, but it appeared that someone was stopping by on a regular basis trying to take care of the felines.
"It smelled like dead animals," said Natalie Flores, who has lived next door for 41 years. "A lot of cages with cats; there were too many.
"We smelled a bad odor, and we didn't know if a body was in there, or if there was a dead animal, or what."
Authorities say the floor is covered with feces, making breathing and seeing very difficult.
"It's probably one of the worst cases I've seen," said Sgt Eddie Hill with the Balcones Heights Police Department.
"Most of the cats were inside carriers," said Kathryn Bice with the local humane society.
"In fact, it is very strange," she said. "The carriers were all in a circle inside the living room."
Apparently, this is a clear case of animal hoarding. The pet owners didn't live with the cats.
"It was very sad for the cats, but I was relieved to find that there was no one in the house," Bice said.
A hearing will take place within 10 days, and at that time a judge will decide what to do with the cats. It appears the homeowner is in a nursing home, and whether authorities will file misdemeanor charges remains to be seen. References« TX State Animal Cruelty Map
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