Case Details

Hoarding - 57 cats seized, 25 found dead
Salem, VA (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Jul 24, 1999
County: Salem
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted

Abusers/Suspects:
» Michael Wayne Boyd
» Cheryl W. Boyd

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Case ID: 8113
Classification: Hoarding
Animal: cat
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Michael and Cheryl Boyd have been sentenced to two weekends in jail and fined $600 each for having 57 live cats and 25 dead cats in their Salem home.

On July 24 animal control officers visited their home when a neighbor complained about a foul odor coming from their home. When officers entered the home, they found piles of cat feces and litter on the bottom floor of the house.

Twenty-three dead cats were found in a freezer and two kittens decomposing under a couch in their home.

A Salem judge convicted the Boyds of two counts each of animal cruelty and one count each of keeping more than three cats in a residence. Salem law allows no more than three cats in a residence.

The Boyds will meet with a clinical specialist on obsessive compulsive disorder, serve 100 hours each at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and give up the three cats they still own.

They cannot keep pets for two years.

Fifty-four of the 57 live cats were euthanized because they were sick and contagious.

Michael Boyd told the judge he and his wife never intended to hurt the cats. He said they did everything they could to take care of the cats, but didn't have the financial means to do so.

Case Updates

Cheryl and Michael Boyd, 41, had about 50 ill cats that had been living in a feces filled house. The Boyd's house was razed. The couple is now living with Cheryl's parents.

Typical people who hoard pets are 76% women, 46% are older than 60. The median number of animals found per home is 39. Couples who hoard are rare. Pet hoarders are not defined by the number of pets they have but the condition of the animals. They love their animals and believe they are providing good care even though the animals are diseased and dying.

The Boyds got their first cat 15 years ago. They lived with at least 25 cats at a time. Michael Boyd said they piled litter and feces on the stairs and in the basement so their neighbors wouldn't see them disposing of large amounts of animal waste.
Source: Roanoke VA Times - Sept 27, 1999
Update posted on Apr 15, 2006 - 2:41PM 

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References

Associated Press - Sept 29, 1999

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