Sunday, August 30, 2009

Woman asks for help with 74 cats

BY DARRELL CLEM

A Canton woman who has turned over 74 cats and kittens to the Humane Society of Huron Valley also hoarded 50 others that died five years ago when her earlier house caught fire, authorities said Friday.

“There's an extreme amount of animal cruelty in hoarding animals, and there should be punishment for that,” said Tanya Hilgendorf, executive director of the Ann Arbor-based Humane Society of Huron Valley.

The 58-year-old postal carrier last week sought help for 74 cats and kittens in her Carlisle Court home, near Warren and Morton Taylor roads, and she could potentially face misdemeanor charges of animal neglect, Canton police Sgt. Mark Gajeski said.

Unlike recent revelations about a Dearborn man who had 150 dead and 100 living Chihuahuas, the Canton woman had only living cats and kittens when she called the humane society, authorities said.

Humane society officials contacted investigators who went to the woman's house, “took two steps inside and were unable to remain in the home due to the odor,” Gajeski said.

“Most are in decent health,” Hilgendorf said, “although they came from very unsanitary conditions. Some are being monitored for their ability to use a litter box. I think they were basically using the floor.”.." More