20 Frozen Kitties Found at Alleged Cat Hoarder's Mom's House: Cops

The home is directly across the street from alleged Upper Darby Brothel.

Ardmore Avenue in Drexel Hill, Pa. is abuzz with activity this week.

On Wednesday, Margaret Dougherty and Amy Prudish were arrested for running an alleged brothel from Dougherty’s home on Ardmore Ave.

That same night, Upper Darby Police found 20, yes 20, frozen kittens in a basement of a home directly across the street from the alleged brothel.

But that, my friends, is not even the most peculiar part of the story.

The row home belonged to the mother of 58-year-old Denise Ann Merget, (pictured above) the gun-waving Upper Darby woman that was taken into custody on Sept. 10 when animal control and health department officers removed more than 75 cats from her home on Leighton Terrace.

According to the Delaware County Daily Times, Merget’s neighbor called the township’s health department reporting that she suspected dead cats were stored at Merget’s mom’s house on Ardmore Ave.

Upon obtaining a search warrant, a health department official and an animal control officer entered the empty residence, noting an “obnoxious” odor.

“The smell was from the odor of animals [previously] in the house. Her mom is in a nursing home. The water to the house was turned off in May. We don’t know how long the cats were in the freezer. They were wrapped in paper and then in plastic bags. The majority of all the frozen cats were baby cats,” Health Department Code Enforcement Officer Matt Verdi told the Delco Times.

The frozen kitties were removed from the home and taken to the Delaware County SPCA where they were placed in a freezer.

“It’s a sad commentary to freeze cats. Merget obviously has a problem. Hopefully the lady will get the help she needs,” Police Superintendant Michael Chitwood told the Times.

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