CRIME

Putnam SPCA pulls 70 cats from home in 'deplorable' conditions, some were dead

Christopher J. Eberhart
Rockland/Westchester Journal News
The Putnam SPCA pulled 70 cats, nine of which were dead, from a Kent home on Tuesday.

KENT — The Putnam SPCA found 61 living cats and nine dead cats in a Kent home that was in "deplorable" condition. 

SPCA officers executed a search warrant on Tuesday and pulled 57 adult and young adult cats, four kittens and nine dead cats from a Kent Acres Court home. 

The SPCA said officers found partially cannibalized bodies of dead cats throughout the home, cat urine and feces all over the floors, no food or clean water and thick, acrid-ammonia-filled air. 

"The conditions inside the residence were extremely deplorable, unfit for both human and animal existence," the Putnam SPCA said. 

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The cats were removed from the home and taken to the Westchester Animal Hospital in Mount Vernon. Because of the "extreme severity of their conditions," five cats died overnight while being treated, and three were euthanized.

The majority of the cats are now being taken care of by the Bedford-based non profit animal rescue group Rescue Right, Inc.

Penelope Smith-Berk, of Rescue Right, said her organization put 42 young cats, ranging from six months to four years old, up for adoption. She said there are more kittens who are too young to be put up for adoption now but will be once they're old enough. 

Smith-Berk said if there are people who want to help but don't want to adopt, they can donate money, cat food or other supplies. 

The address is 402 Old Post Road in Bedford, and their phone number is (914) 234-3771. 

The SCPA said the owner, who's in the hospital right now, is expected to be charged with 60 to 70 counts of animal cruelty. 

The owner's name wasn't released, but the SCPA said they've had interactions with him before. 

Putnam recently approved an animal abuse registry, which bars people convicted of animal cruelty from owning an animal for 10 years. The registry went into effect in February after the state signed off on the law. 

Twitter: @ChrisEberhart2