Hoarding 13 cats
Arlington, TX (US)Incident Date: Friday, Sep 21, 2007
County: Tarrant
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Kathleen Jenkins
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A woman could face animal cruelty charges after 13 neglected cats, including two kittens with amputated legs and a dead kitten were seized on Sept 21 from her family's southwest Arlington home, officials say.
Arlington Animal Services and the Humane Society of North Texas removed the cats from a house on Bright Star Trail at the request of the woman's mother, who said the family does not have money to care for the animals. The cat owner, Kathleen Jenkins, is scheduled to go before a municipal court judge on Sept 27 to determine whether she should regain custody of the animals or whether the case will be turned over for further criminal investigation, said Alan Pierce, Animal Services field operations supervisor.
Investigators said some of the cats had diarrhea and sores from living in their own feces and urine. Some cats were kept in an air-conditioned shed in the backyard without food or properly maintained litter boxes, inspector Susan Waits said.
Also no cat food was set out inside the house, which had cat feces and urine on the floors and furniture, Waits said.
The kittens were in the worst shape, Waits said.
Two of them apparently had their legs cut off when someone used a rake to retrieve them from beneath the shed, she said.
A necropsy will be performed to determine how a kitten, whose body was found in a trash bag, died.
Jenkins mother, Beverly Trice, said at one time her daughter entered area cat shows and won awards. But Trice said her daughter does not have a job and can no longer afford the cats' medicine and other needs.
"She loves cats," Trice said. "It's her addiction."
Inspectors said they found evidence, including stacks of cat care books and several cat show ribbons, which show Jenkins knew how to be a responsible pet owner.
"The lady obviously should know how to take care of the animals," said Charles Thompson, who works for the Humane Society.
Since October 2006, Arlington Animal Services has investigated more than 700 cases of animal cruelty, Director Chris Huff said.
If you suspect that someone is living in unsanitary conditions or is abusing or neglecting animals, call the Community Services hotline at 817-459-6777.
Learn more about responsible pet ownership or pets available for adoption on the city's Web site, www.ci.arlington.tx.us/animals. Visit Arlington Animal Services at 5920 W. Pioneer Parkway or call 817-451-3436.
Case UpdatesAn Arlington woman lost custody of a dozen cats and was ordered to pay $1,100 in expenses to the Humane Society of North Texas after a municipal court judge ruled Thursday that the animals had been treated cruelly.
The Humane Society and Arlington Animal Services seized 13 cats from Kathleen Jenkins' southwest Arlington home Sept. 21 after they found that the cats lacked food, clean litter boxes and proper medical treatment.
Investigators told the judge that three kittens were emaciated and two had crudely amputated legs.
One of the kittens died of malnutrition and parasites shortly before the hearing, Arlington investigator Susan Waits testified. The death could have been prevented had the kitten received treatment earlier, according to a humane society veterinarian.
Jenkins said she has been raising cats for 20 years and knows how to diagnose and treat their illnesses. The case will be turned over to Arlington police, officials said. | Source: Star-Telegram - Oct 2, 2007
Update posted on Oct 2, 2007 - 10:54AM |
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