Tuesday, August 24, 2010

A dying woman, a filthy home, cats and a dilemma

BY MARK HARPER

A hospitalized woman asked a nurse to check on her pets, to make sure they were fed.

And thus began Deltona Animal Control Case No. AC2010-02283, a case that has stirred passions, brought a city's pet-population problems into focus and moved those involved to dig into their own pockets to help a dying woman and her cats -- many of whom also have died.

On a hot day in June, the nurse arrived at the house on Outlook Drive, and heard the cries of kittens. Unsure, she called a friend who had previously been involved in cat rescues, and the two entered.

The rescuer, Jan Sanders, later said in an e-mail to Deltona Animal Control officials she was "awestruck to the condition and smell of this home. Then I located the kittens and my heart broke from that moment. Innocent little beings."

Sanders described the home: no electricity or water. "Very hot and filled with junk. No refrigerator or stove. A fire hazard. I slipped a few times on the urine on the floor from the dog."..." More

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