SPCA of Texas gets custody of 34 cats recovered from North Texas property
GREENVILLE, Texas - The SPCA of Texas was awarded custody of 34 cats recovered from a property in Hunt County last week.
The decision was made during a civil custody hearing Thursday. A judge also awarded the SPCA $8,539.50 in restitution.
This case started to be investigated on October 3, when the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office contacted the SPCA of Texas about an animal cruelty complaint.
Investigators could see cats through the windows and noticed a strong smell of ammonia from outside the house.
The owner was reportedly not willing to speak with investigators, so they got search and seizure warrants to remove the animals.
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They went back to the home on Oct. 6 and removed 19 cats, many of which appeared to be suffering from eye issues and other health conditions. The SPCA of Texas reports some cats were confined to pens, while others lived "among piles of debris, feces and urine."
The ammonia level was measured to be 65 parts per million (ppm) inside the home. Short-term exposure to any ammonia level over 20 ppm or long-term exposure to any level over 12 ppm can cause health problems in humans, according to a release from the SPCA of Texas.
The SPCA of Texas set traps to catch more cats on the property, and over the next six days, 15 more cats were recovered.
All 34 cats were taken to the SPCA of Texas' Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center to be evaluated.