40 Cats Rescued From Alleged Animal Hoarder in Philly

A woman is in custody after investigators say she hoarded over three dozen cats inside her home.

Humane Law Enforcement officers with the Pennsylvania SPCA were called to a row house on the 2000 block of Margate Street in the Bridgesburg section of the city on Tuesday. When they arrived, they found several cats being hoarded inside the home which was also filled with debris, according to investigators.

The officers rescued 40 cats and arrested the suspected owner, a middle-aged woman who has not yet been identified. The woman was taken into custody and will face 14 charges of animal cruelty for unsanitary conditions. Officials say most of the rescued animals will be available for adoption in about two weeks.

Tuesday’s incident marked the second time within a week that cats were rescued from an animal hoarding situation in Philadelphia. On June 12, the Pennsylvania SPCA executed a search warrant at a home on the 7000 block of Sprague Street in the Mount Airy section of the city. During their search, they rescued 14 cats and removed two dead cats from the home. The owner of the property was cited for animal cruelty.

"Summer is typically a time when we begin to see a lot of hoarders," said George Bengal, Director of Humane Law Enforcement for the Pennsylvania SPCA. "With warmer temperatures, odors and insect infestations that often accompany them, hoarding situations become more apparent. Thankfully we will be able to get these animals in a healthier situation."
 

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