Hoarding - 186 cats removed from two homes Denver, CO (US) Incident Date: Wednesday, Jun 20, 1990 County: S. Jefferson Local Map: available Disposition: Convicted Abuser/Suspect: Sally Cook

Case ID: 9789 Classification: Hoarding, Neglect / Abandonment Animal: cat View more cases in CO (US) Suspect was in animal welfare field Login to Watch this Case

Sally Cook, 44, kept approximately 186 cats in two homes in Denver and South Jefferson County near Denver. She had a 10 year history of keeping too many cats in her Denver home. Neighbors started complaining in August 1980 that she had about 50 cats at her home on 2775 South Teller Street.

On June 20, 1990, authorities seized 140 sick and starving cats from her Jefferson County home at 5975 South Eaton Street and another 46 cats from her Teller Street home.

A 95-year old woman shared a home with the 46 sick and starving cats located at 2775 South Teller Street. When social services visited the home after Marie Jones moved there a year ago they did not find any living conditions that would require the elderly woman to be relocated. The house was owned by Sally Cook. Of the 46 cats and three dogs that were seized at the Teller Street property, 37 cats were in such bad shape they had to be killed. The city allows five cats and three dogs in a home.

Cook was a woman who couldn't turn away a cat or a person. It was alleged Cook asked Jones to be placed in her her home rather than going to a nursing home.

The Jefferson County district attorney filed 30 counts of cruelty to animals against Sally Cook on Oct 26, 1990 who has been accused of housing 137 malnourished cats in a filthy home. Cook is a member of the board of directors for the Animal Rescue and Adoption Society for stray cats. If she is found guilty, she could face up to two years in the Jefferson County Jail or a $5,000 fine for each of the misdemeanors.

Cook made an agreement with Jefferson County allowing her to keep up to 35 cats as long as she keeps a healthy environment for the animals and allows her property to be inspected. Some of the seized cats from her home(s) have been adopted and others had to be destroyed.

Sally Cook pleaded guilty to eight counts of cruelty to animals. She has been sentenced to two years probation on one count and was given deferred sentences on the other seven counts. She must pay $3,900 in restitution that will go to the Jefferson Animal Shelter for sheltering the cats, many of the cats were ill. Twenty-three other counts of cruelty were dismissed.

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References

	Rocky Mountain News - Jun 21, 1990
	Rocky Mountain News - Jun 23, 1990
	Rocky Mountain News - Oct 27, 1990
	Rocky Mountain News - Mar 7, 1991 200

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