These felines will get to keep all of their nine lives thanks to the actions of the SPCA of Texas and the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office.
The SPCA of Texas seized 19 cats from a Greenville residence Thursday after an investigation of animal cruelty began elsewhere earlier in the week.
Hunt County Sheriff Terry Jones said the seizure occurred at a home on Utah Street.
“It began as an investigation on livestock out in the county and ended up there,” he said.
On Thursday, the SPCA of Texas and the Sheriff’s Office served search and seizure warrants at the property before removing the cats from the property.
The SPCA of Texas said the cats were found living inside the house among piles of debris, feces and urine. A few cats were confined to pens, and others roamed the house freely.
The SPCA measured the ammonia level to be 65 parts per million (ppm) inside of the home. For a point of reference, 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.
The animals appeared to be suffering from various health conditions, including eye issues and other possible health conditions.
The SPCA of Texas said it received a complaint of animal cruelty referred by the Sheriff’s Office and visited the property on Monday, Oct. 3. The warrants were obtained on Wednesday and served Thursday.
The animals were taken to the SPCA of Texas’ Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center to be evaluated and cared for by medical and behavioral staff until a civil custody hearing. The hearing will take place at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 13 at the office of Hunt County Precinct 1, Place 2 Justice of the Peace Sheila Linden at the Hunt County Criminal Justice Center.
