97 feral cats, 9 dogs - removed from home
Woodbury, NJ (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, May 31, 2006
County: Gloucester
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 7 files available
Alleged:
» James J Penney
» Rita D Penney
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
Officials here are removing at least 70 feral cats and 9 dogs from a ramshackle home in the 800 block of Harker Avenue.
An elderly couple who live in the home, James and Rita Penney, are being charged with disorderly persons offenses, said Sgt. Jane Donoghue of the state Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Conditions inside the home, in the middle of a residential neighborhood, were described as "horrendous" by officials on the scene, saying the animals were crawling inside and out of holes in the walls and the floors were covered in feces.
Case UpdatesNinety-seven sickly cats have been removed from a Harker Avenue home in the two weeks since authorities found it infested with fleas and flies and the floor covered with excrement and urine, officials said.
An exterminator was ready to fumigate the dwelling within 24 hours of gaining entry on a search warrant June 19, but the SPCA ordered that all the cats be removed first.
The feral cats were lured from behind walls and beneath floors with traps baited with food or captured with the help of firefighters who used infrared cameras to track their body heat, said Matthew Stanton, spokesman for the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The homeowners, James and Rita Penney, of 817 Harker Ave., have agreed to meet with township officials next week to discuss the fate of the property.
"We're out of this," Stanton said on Monday. "It's a local matter now."
SPCA officers are charging the couple with 194 counts of animal cruelty for allegedly failing to provide sustenance and veterinary care. The cats are being removed only to be euthanized at the county animal shelter in Clayton.
A Cherry Hill firm is cleaning and gutting the property and the township still plans to have the home fumigated even though it could be demolished, said township administrator Gerald White.
The pests and their nests should be destroyed so that the bugs don't migrate to other areas and spares wrecking crews from wearing protective gear. And any gutting work would reduce the demolition cost proportionally, White said. | Source: Courier Post Online - July 5, 2006
Update posted on Jul 5, 2006 - 6:00PM |
All 45 feral cats removed from a Harker Avenue home in West Deptford have been euthanized, officials said. The cats were euthanized at the Gloucester County Animal Shelter here. They had respiratory problems and their eyes and ears were infected with pus, likely from inhaling ammonia from their own urine for a prolonged period.
James and Rita Penney, both 68, face criminal and civil charges for failure to provide necessary sustenance and veterinary care. The summonses are being brought by the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, whose officers were refused entry to the home on three occasions before returning with a search warrant.
Eight dogs removed from the home at 817 Harker Ave. are still being evaluated. Nineteen cats taken from the home since then also must be evaluated. | Source: Courier Post Online - June 21, 2006
Update posted on Jul 1, 2006 - 4:55AM |
Authorities found as many as 70 cats and nine dogs roaming in and out of the home, where James and Rita Penney were living. Officials say they had no running water, gas or electricity, and had holes all over the roof of the building. Officials tell Action News they don't know how the couple, both in their 60's, even lived inside the home.
Rita Penney was taken into custody and was facing multiple counts of cruelty to animals. The question now, is what happens to the stench and the house. Code enforcement officials say the homeowners will have ten days to clean up or face legal action. One official says the home should be condemned. The Township says nothing was done about the home in the past, despite the complaints from neighbors, because the Penney's denied inspectors access. Tonight the SPCA tells Action News that most of the animals will have to be destroyed, because they suffer from a number of health problems. | Source: 6ABC News - June 20, 2006
Update posted on Jun 29, 2006 - 11:19PM |
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