This is 5 minutes away from my house.
http://www.ohio.com/news/53179052.html
Summit officials find 29 live cats, 8 dead ones in home
By Beacon Journal staff report
POSTED: 07:50 p.m. EDT, Aug 13, 2009
Three kittens that appeared to be no more than an hour old were among 29 cats and kittens rescued from a West Nimisila Road home in New Franklin on Thursday.
Karen Conklin, executive director of the Humane Society of Greater Akron, said all of the cats in the home were flea infested. It appears one of the cats will not survive.
''Right now, we are giving them fluids and food, and we're bathing some of them in a flea bath,'' she said.
Robert Hasenyager, director of the environmental division of the Summit County Health Department, said authorities contacted the home's landlord to gain access to remove the cats around noon Thursday.
Authorities went to the home Wednesday and saw a dead cat through a window. Outside of the home, they detected a strong odor of feces and urine, Hasenyager said.
Humane Officer Shannon O'Herron said there were eight cats and kittens found dead in the home. ''Some looked like they'd been deceased for some time,'' she said.
Inside the house, ''the smell is just horrific,'' Hasenyager said.
He said the house, at 564 W. Nimisila, ''will be ordered to be vacated and either renovated, if it's possible, or tear it down.''
Barry Ganoe, zoning administrator for the city, said he received a complaint about the odor from a neighbor Wednesday. He contacted the health department and it called the humane society.
The property is owned by Barbara Yanik of North Carolina.
Hasenyager said Yanik was aware there were some cats, but had no idea there were so many living alone in the house.
Ganoe said neighbors told officials someone would come to the home nightly to feed the cats and leave.
O'Herron said the resident had been killed in a car accident within the past few weeks. She said there was no sign of food or water in the house.
She said no one knew there were so many cats living in the house.
Ganoe said it is unlikely the odor can be removed and the house will probably be torn down. ''I have my doubts the house can be salvaged,'' he said.
Ganoe said the city has no zoning laws to cover how many animals are kept in a house. ''It depends on the care of the pets,'' he said.
The Humane Society has removed more than 200 animals from homes that have been condemned this summer alone, Conklin said.
A volunteer cat rescuer is still scrambling to find homes for dozens of cats living in a Lakemore home its owner vacated.
Eric Schickendantz of Akron said the initial flurry of interest has waned in the month since news broke about the animals living in the house.
Schickendantz said about 40 cats have yet to be placed in permanent homes or shelters.
A total of 98 cats lived in the house when it was vacated.
Schickendantz initially counted about 60 or so when he began working with a relative of the home's owner to remove the cats.
''It was really hard with all the furniture and the hiding places to get an accurate count,'' Schickendantz said.
The Humane Society of Greater Akron took 15 of the cats several weeks ago. The group cannot accept any more animals because of overcrowding.
Schickendantz has been raising funds so that any cat adopted from that home is first neutered or spayed. He has turned his garage into a rehabilitation area for the animals once they have had surgeries.
''I can't vet them and deflea them and then send them back to a house full of fleas,'' he said. ''It will cause more problems.''
Anyone interested in taking a cat from the Lakemore home can call 330-864-2879.
The newly rescued cats from New Franklin will be ready for adoption within 10 days, Conklin said. She said the humane society now has 300 cats ready to be adopted and there is a buy-one-get-one-free deal. For details, call 330-657-2010.
Three kittens that appeared to be no more than an hour old were among 29 cats and kittens rescued from a West Nimisila Road home in New Franklin on Thursday.
Karen Conklin, executive director of the Humane Society of Greater Akron, said all of the cats in the home were flea infested. It appears one of the cats will not survive.
''Right now, we are giving them fluids and food, and we're bathing some of them in a flea bath,'' she said.
Robert Hasenyager, director of the environmental division of the Summit County Health Department, said authorities contacted the home's landlord to gain access to remove the cats around noon Thursday.
Authorities went to the home Wednesday and saw a dead cat through a window. Outside of the home, they detected a strong odor of feces and urine, Hasenyager said.
Humane Officer Shannon O'Herron said there were eight cats and kittens found dead in the home. ''Some looked like they'd been deceased for some time,'' she said.
Inside the house, ''the smell is just horrific,'' Hasenyager said.
He said the house, at 564 W. Nimisila, ''will be ordered to be vacated and either renovated, if it's possible, or tear it down.''
Barry Ganoe, zoning administrator for the city, said he received a complaint about the odor from a neighbor Wednesday. He contacted the health department and it called the humane society.
The property is owned by Barbara Yanik of North Carolina.
Hasenyager said Yanik was aware there were some cats, but had no idea there were so many living alone in the house.
Ganoe said neighbors told officials someone would come to the home nightly to feed the cats and leave.
O'Herron said the resident had been killed in a car accident within the past few weeks. She said there was no sign of food or water in the house.
She said no one knew there were so many cats living in the house.
Ganoe said it is unlikely the odor can be removed and the house will probably be torn down. ''I have my doubts the house can be salvaged,'' he said.
Ganoe said the city has no zoning laws to cover how many animals are kept in a house. ''It depends on the care of the pets,'' he said.
The Humane Society has removed more than 200 animals from homes that have been condemned this summer alone, Conklin said.
A volunteer cat rescuer is still scrambling to find homes for dozens of cats living in a Lakemore home its owner vacated.
Eric Schickendantz of Akron said the initial flurry of interest has waned in the month since news broke about the animals living in the house.
Schickendantz said about 40 cats have yet to be placed in permanent homes or shelters.
A total of 98 cats lived in the house when it was vacated.
Schickendantz initially counted about 60 or so when he began working with a relative of the home's owner to remove the cats.
''It was really hard with all the furniture and the hiding places to get an accurate count,'' Schickendantz said.
The Humane Society of Greater Akron took 15 of the cats several weeks ago. The group cannot accept any more animals because of overcrowding.
Schickendantz has been raising funds so that any cat adopted from that home is first neutered or spayed. He has turned his garage into a rehabilitation area for the animals once they have had surgeries.
''I can't vet them and deflea them and then send them back to a house full of fleas,'' he said. ''It will cause more problems.''
Anyone interested in taking a cat from the Lakemore home can call 330-864-2879.
The newly rescued cats from New Franklin will be ready for adoption within 10 days, Conklin said. She said the humane society now has 300 cats ready to be adopted and there is a buy-one-get-one-free deal. For details, call 330-657-2010.
