Hoarding - 67 animals seized Citra, FL (US) Incident Date: Thursday, Apr 20, 2006 County: Marion Disposition: Alleged Case Images: 13 files available Alleged: Patrick J. Montalbano

Case ID: 8161 Classification: Hoarding Animal: dog (non pit-bull), bird (pet), pig, reptile View more cases in FL (US) Login to Watch this Case

Animal control officers in Marion County said they found deplorable conditions in a home they were investigating for animal neglect on April 20.

They removed 67 animals from the property in Citra, and it's believed to be one of the largest animal seizures in the county's history.

Code enforcement officers obtained a warrant to access Patrick Montalbano's property to remove dogs, birds, reptiles and a pig from what they said was extreme filth, but Montalbano is nowhere to be found.

Nineteen dogs were seized from Montalbano's property. In the yard and home were dogs, puppies, a pig and birds to name some of the animals that were found in extreme filth, according to Marion County Code Enforcement.

Some 3-month-old German shepherd puppies were scared, and they had no food or water. They were found sitting in their own feces and urine, officials said.

"They were found locked in a closed bathroom, with no ventilation, no windows. It was totally dark. There was no power in the house," code enforcement officer Carol Cichy said.

Iguanas, which are supposed to be exposed to light, were found in the dark. Code enforcement said the stench from the house was overpowering. They said they have no idea how long the power has been shut off.

"They were in very small, unsanitary cages," Cichy said.

Time and again, they would find empty bags that once held food and no water in dishes that were sometimes filled with dirt. None of the outside animals had proper shelter, investigators said, and the cockatiels that Montalbano apparently kept inside a former food pantry were also found with no food.

"There was so much debris in the bottom of this cupboard that the floor was actually moving with the roaches that were underneath the old newspaper pieces and bird droppings," Cichy said.

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References

WESH - April 20, 2006

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