 15 cats, 2 dogs abandoned
Staten Island, NY (US)Date: Mar 10, 2003
County: Richmond
Local Map: available
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Luanne Abel
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Carcasses of dead cats and birds littered Luanne Abel's three-story West Brighton home, according to two volunteer veterinary technicians for the Staten Island Council for Animal Welfare, who waded through piles of feces as they attempted to rescue any remaining live animals.
Neither the city Department of Health nor the Center for Animal Care and Control (CACC) could say exactly how many animals were in the house. Animal advocates said many of the starving felines were in hiding and were too terrified to come out even when coaxed with food.
On Monday, March 10 2003, 15 cats and two dogs were taken out of the home, where they had been left abandoned for at least a month, said Clo Garguilo, president of the Council for Animal Welfare.
"It's not a question of will they die, it's when," said a male volunteer, as he brought out three cats in carriers yesterday.
A timid black cat with mucus oozing from both eyes crouched in the back of one carrier.
Although the family of Abel denied an Advance reporter access to the home, the two volunteer techs, who declined to give their names, described a scene where room doors couldn't be forced open because of the amount of accumulated feces. "It looks like a concentration camp in there," said the female tech.
Sources said Abel left her home last month and has been hospitalized for an undisclosed illness. Next-door neighbor Rob Mahoney said he called the city Health Department twice in the last month after he became alarmed by the sight of many cats appearing in Ms. Abel's windows and no sighting of his neighbor.
"She was trying to do the right thing and it just snowballed on her," said Mahoney.
Abel was described by animal advocates as a woman who often didn't know when to draw the line when taking in stray animals.
According to Health Department spokesman Greg Butler, a temporary order to vacate was issued to a tenant in the home while the premises are cleaned. Butler said the Health Department did not have any records of complaints for Abel's address.
Mrs. Garguilo noted that although Abel annually renewed her membership with the group, she hadn't been an active member for almost a decade. Instead, she had ventured out on a solo animal rescue campaign.
"We tried to help her out with food for the animals, but she wouldn't give them up for adoption," said Mrs. Garguilo.
The last contact council members had with Ms. Abel was over a month ago, when she was offered money for supplies. At that time they were told that everything was fine, said Mrs. Garguilo. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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