Hoarding - 14 cats seized, 5 more dead
Woodstock, GA (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, May 19, 2011
County: Cherokee

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Michael Patrick Thompson

A Woodstock man will face at least 20 counts of animal cruelty after police said they found five dead cats and filthy conditions in his apartment.

Animal control officials brought out 14 cats and a dog from Michael Patrick Thompson's unit at the Alta Woods apartments.

All the cats, including two kittens, were injured and feral, officials said. They also told Channel 2 Action News that the cats had to be euthanized.

Neighbors told Channel 2's Linda Stouffer that the smell of cat waste was overwhelming.

"It was like trash two feet thick, all over the whole floor," Clint Elbert said as he looked inside.

Neighbors said they called apartment management for help.

A representative for the Alta Woods apartment community emailed Stouffer a statement that said, "As soon as we became aware of the situation, the Woodstock Police Department was called. As details emerged, officials from the Woodstock Fire Department, Animal Control Department and City Building Code Enforcement arrived to assist us. We are grateful to and continue to cooperate with these agencies."

A biowaste expert went into the apartment on Thursday with protective gear.

Woodstock code enforcement officer Paul Brown told Stouffer he saw, "a lot of animal feces and beer bottles. Just a giant mess," he said. Brown said the smell was "unbearable. It's definitely rough."

At the Cherokee County Animal Shelter, workers gave the surviving dog a special bath to kill fleas. They have named her Flower because she has a chance to survive. They will care for the dog until she is healthy and available for adoption.

"Pretty unbelievable that people and animals would have to live in those conditions," said Cherokee County Animal Shelter Director Susan Garcia.

A representative for the Woodstock police said the city has since condemned the apartment.

References

• wsbtv.com - May 19, 2011

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