In Case You Missed It ...
Apr 10, 2009 11:19 pm US/Central
FWPD: Woman Found Hoarding Cats, Some Of Them Dead
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
An animal lover crossed the line in Fort Worth.
Police say the woman was hoarding dozens of cats, some of them dead, inside her apartment.
Investigators paint a grizzly scene inside the location in the 6000 block of Westridge Lane. "You've got a house literally full of cats," said Fort Worth Animal Control Manager Keane Menefee.
Nearly three dozen cats were collected and brought to Fort Worth Animal Control. Investigators say all of the cats were sick and had to be put down.
"They all had severe respiratory infections and had to be euthanized," said Menefee,
They say the woman who was hoarding them put her own health at risk as well.
"Your immune system is going to be compromised whenever you have that high concentration of ammonia from the urine, the feces, the hair, the dander," said Menefee.
Authorities say the cats had free reign inside the two-bedroom apartment. Many of them ran in and out of a cat door, all day and all night.
"There is quite an odor in the backyard," said Susan Millin, the woman's neighbor.
Police were called to the apartment Wednesday by two nurses from the neurological unit at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth. They say a co-worker kept coming to the hospital with feces on her shoes and smelling like urine so they went to check on her.
The nurses tell police when they got to the apartment, they removed three dead cats from underneath a sofa. They say it appeared the animals had been there for quite some time.
Two more dead cats were found inside the apartment, along with nearly 30 live felines that were captured. Investigators say the conditions inside were deplorable.
They say the woman needed a shovel to remove pet waste near the front door in order to open it. Urine and feces covered her apartment with piles nearly three inches high in some spots.
"I know they had to pull up her carpet and stuff inside," said Millin.
Investigators say the owner meant well, but she got overwhelmed because most of her cats were not sterilized and they kept multiplying.
"She was crying. You know it's a sad thing. She was trying to do her best to help them, but it gets to a point you're not helping them. You're not helping yourself," said Millin.
Fort Worth residents are only allowed to have three dogs or cats on their property. Investigators say animal control should be called on people who own more.
Officers say they can help get the animals down to a manageable number and help get the remaining pets spayed or neutered so they don't keep breeding.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
RAW VIDEO: 100-Mile Police Chase
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
