A Two Harbors man accused of hoarding more than 100 cats has pleaded guilty to animal neglect and maltreatment.
Prosecutors say 70-year-old Edward Todd Stoehr agreed Friday to a sentence of 180 days in jail, stayed for two years as part of a plea deal. He'll also be fined $1,500 of which all but $250 will be stayed.
The Duluth News Tribune reports felony charges of animal cruelty were reduced to misdemeanors as part of the plea deal.." MoreOct 7, 2010:
More Cats Found in Duluth Township Home
More cats have been found in the home of a Two Harbors man accused earlier this year of hoarding 100 cats.
A search warrant was executed at Edward Stoehr's property in Duluth Township Thursday afternoon.
Duluth Township police said they found three cats, two of which were in poor shape. The animals were taken from inside a pole barn and are being cared for at Animal Allies in Duluth.
Stoehr was charged in April with animal cruelty. The complaint reads that he may suffer from cat-hoarding behavior. He will be in court again in November..." Link & video
Apr 26, 2010: Charges filed in cat hoarding case
A 68-year-old Two Harbors man was charged with six crimes Friday for allegedly mistreating dozens of cats.Edward Todd Stoehr is charged with two felony counts of cruelty to animals, one count of misdemeanor maltreatment of animals and three counts of misdemeanor failure to adequately care for animals.
“We are serious about prosecuting animal cruelty cases,” St. Louis County Attorney Melanie Ford said in a prepared statement. “Defenseless animals suffer greatly, and we will pursue justice in this case.”
Stoehr has been summoned to make his first appearance in St. Louis County District Court on May 20.
The complaint alleges that on March 15, Duluth Township police and personnel from the Minnesota Humane Society executed a search warrant on Stoehr’s property at 1848 Korkki Road.
The officers reported that there were no lights on, and no windows, ventilation or fresh food or water in a pole building.
Twenty live cats were found, two of which had to be euthanized. Portable kennels were in poor
condition, and litter boxes were overflowing. A veterinarian determined that the cats’ basic needs were not being met and could have caused premature death.
The officers also found 39 dead cats in bags and containers outside the pole building. The animal recovery team then went to Stoehr’s residence and removed 34 live cats. A veterinarian conducted necropsies on three cats and found that two of them died from emaciation from not eating for an extended period of time. Other live cats were found that suffered from various diseases allegedly due to improper treatment by Stoehr..." More
Mar 26, 2010: Animal cruelty charges sought in St. Louis County cat-hoarding case
By Brandon Stahl
Duluth Township's police chief said he'll forward a report Thursday to the St. Louis County attorney's office seeking 79 counts of animal cruelty charges against a Two Harbors man accused of hoarding more than 100 cats at two of his properties.
Thirty-nine of those charges could correspond with the number of cats found dead at the Duluth Township property of 68-year-old Todd Stoehr, said Police Chief Shawn Padden. But, Padden said, he's still awaiting autopsy results to see if the cats died of a cause such as respiratory distress.
The cats found alive at Stoehr's property were kept in what Padden described as "filthy" conditions, including a pole barn housing 20 cats without light or ventilation and with floors covered in feces.
"They might knock some of the charges down a bit," Padden said. "But they seemed pretty receptive to it."
Stoehr declined comment for this story.
Meanwhile, Animal Allies Humane Society said as of Tuesday afternoon 11 of the 35 cats the shelter took in from Stoehr's properties have been adopted..." More
