The Napanee OPP were called out to a home in Stone Mills Township on Saturday, April, 21. When they arrived, they discovered more than 80 cats and one dog living in decrepit conditions.
Const. Roop Sandu says a number of the animals were found dead or in desperate need of medical care. “There were some animals in there that had deceased and had decayed,” he said. “In the quarters, there was a lot of feces, just the odour. It was a very unhealthy and unsafe condition for not just animals but any human.”
Members of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) and the OPP were on hand Monday for the removal of the cats. A veterinarian on site recommended the animals be removed immediately to get medical attention. Officials say the sheer volume of the operation required a lot of work.
“OPP with the OSPCA will do their process with the cats to see where they end up. Obviously, there are some health concerns for a lot of them.”
Photos were shared on Facebook showing dozens of cats roaming the house, with what appears to be feces all over the home.
The homeowner, a 62-year-old woman, has been charged with animal cruelty charges.
A family friend tells CKWS News, although it may look bad, she says the woman is an animal lover and would never intentionally harm any animals. Neighbours say it’s possible she may have been overwhelmed. Const. Sandhu cautions, in the end, people aren’t helping the cats in these conditions.
“What we see in these situations is that people think they have good intentions, they think they are doing the right thing, but actually, they’re doing a lot more harm to themselves and to the animals.”
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have laid a number of animal cruelty charges against 62-year-old Margarite Gerrard.
She appeared in Napanee court on Monday.