An aged Lengthy Island widower was hit with a sequence of animal cruelty expenses Tuesday after practically 100 cats — lifeless and alive — have been discovered inside his feces-filled home over the weekend, authorities stated.
Suffolk County resident Stephen Glantz, 75, was arrested by the county’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for allegedly maintaining the hordes of pets in horrific situations.
First responders pulled 28 lifeless cats from the Westminster Drive house in Bohemia Saturday afternoon. One other 69 felines have been discovered alive, together with eight kittens, however veterinarians have been compelled to place three grownup cats down afterward, SPCA chief Roy Gross advised The Publish.
“About two dozen cats have been within the freezer,” he stated in an interview.
“Flooring coated in feces, soaked in urine, the flooring have been truly spongy. The scent from urine was very overwhelming to say the least. One of many investigators ran out vomiting from the scent.”
The probe jump-started final week when the SPCA obtained studies of doable animal abuse within the house, the place Glantz and his late spouse lived for 30 years.
The home is not inhabitable, Gross stated.
The cats have been interested in the dingy property for years as a result of Glantz and his partner put out meals for the scores of felines who finally discovered their method inside, neighbors beforehand stated.
However his spouse died a number of weeks in the past, which meant Glantz was caught with the swarm of cats alone.
He’s dealing with 9 counts of animal cruelty to animals and 9 counts of failure to supply correct foods and drinks to impounded animals, Gross stated.
Every rely is a misdemeanor and will carry as much as a 12 months in jail and/or a $1,000 nice, although it’s unlikely he’ll face a stiff sentence if convicted on all expenses.
Glantz could be positioned on a registry that forestalls him from proudly owning a pet for 5 years if convicted, Gross stated.
The cats have all been transferred to the Islip Animal Shelter for ongoing care.
On Sunday earlier than his arrest, Glantz declined to remark concerning the horrid situations as he sat in his automotive outdoors the home when approached by a Publish reporter.
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