Animal Hoarding: When a love for animals turns into addiction

By Colleen Ferreira


Is it an innocent act or criminal? Or could it be the result of an illness? We're talking about people that have taken their love for pets too far. They are animal hoarders.

Their obsession with animals has become an addiction – so much so that this type of hoarding may soon be classified as a mental disorder.

The animals just want to be loved.

They want a healthy and happy home.

Some of them have come from a rough past of starvation and squalor, and there is really only one person to blame: Their caretaker. 

"We picked up 52 Chihuahuas recently,” said Dr. Carol Ecker with the St. Joseph County Humane Society. “We had another lady with 3,000 beer cans in her house.

The puppy that called that place home survived, but lived in filth.

It's a situation that is spreading in St. Joseph County: Dozens to hundreds of animals suffering in silence.

The Humane Society has already seen more cases of hoarding this spring than all of last year.

"This spring we've picked up five different hoarder groups," Ecker said.

People who hoard have more animals than they can care for, and they refuse to let them go.

This past March, more than a dozen Jack Russels were taken from a home in the county.

"This man got overwhelmed with his dogs, he didn't know who was breeding who," Ecker said..."  More & photos

Compulsive hoarding can also involve house pets

By Jerry Perryman

Mohandas Ghandi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Paws Along the River, also known as the Warren County Humane Society, works to meet that high standard when animal owners can't or won't. As humane officers with the Society, Karen Kolos and Tera Darts see first hand the aftermath of animal cruelty hundreds of times a year. Despite regularly having to seize animals from bad situations as part of their job, the two agree education is the best defense we can offer to those creatures that cannot speak out to defend themselves. "We don't just want to go take animals," according to Darts. "We want to educate people."..."  More

Donna Montoya - Indiana

Apr 28, 2012:  Chesterton dog hoarder: ‘They completely ruined my life’

By Amy

Donna Montoya’s life has fallen apart in the months since officers with Porter County Animal Control seized dozens of dogs from her Chesterton-area property.

“I go to the store and people say, ‘There is the dog killer,’  ” Montoya said during a recent phone interview punctuated by occasional tears. “They completely ruined my life.”

Law enforcement officials said the case was the worst incident of animal hoarding they had seen in Porter County.

Officers took most of the animals Jan. 11 and 12, and more were taken in mid-February. The dogs bit three people on the first day of the raid.

The sheer number of dogs — 105 in all, including seven puppies Montoya relinquished to the Porter County Animal Shelter a week before officers arrived at her door — overwhelmed the county’s resources to handle them all at one time.

Many of the dogs have found new homes, been placed with foster families or are awaiting adoption at the Porter County shelter and other area facilities....

She and her companion, George Mitchell, have decided to leave their Westchester Township home behind and find a new place to live, but no one will rent them a home.

...

She lost her job and hasn’t been able to find the externship she needs to complete her associate degree in business. She has yet to see the court documents charging her with animal neglect and cannot afford an attorney; she has a meeting this week to try to get a public defender.

She had previously been charged with animal neglect, though those charges were dropped and, at one time, Montoya had been working with the shelter and animal control to reduce the number of animals on her property.

Given the charges against her now, Montoya declined to comment on the number of dogs officers seized from her home. On the first day of the raid, as officers corralled her dogs — each of which she had named — Montoya readily admitted she knew she had too many dogs..."  More

Apr 28, 2012:  Shelter officials say traumatized dogs ready for homes

By Amy 

Rescued from a Westchester Township home in January and February in what law enforcement officials called the worst case of animal hoarding in Porter County, they are now being socialized and adopted.

Porter County Animal Control officials seized 105 dogs in all from Donna Montoya. About 40 of them had to be euthanized because they were too aggressive to be adopted out, said Jon Thomas, director of the Porter County Animal Shelter.

Three of the remaining dogs are at the shelter, and another 15 are being housed at an old church across from the shelter on Indiana 2. Another four or five are at the Lake County Animal Control Center in Crown Point, and many more have already been adopted or are in foster homes or with rescue groups, Thomas said.

Standing in a fenced run erected at the back of the old church, which was installed earlier this month, Thomas said Friday the dogs are smart, crate-trained and ready for homes.

“They’re just like kids,” he said as the dogs frolicked in the run. “They all have their own personalities. The young interact with the older ones, and they’re just really neat to be around.”

When the dogs arrived, they were scared and traumatized from being removed from Montoya’s home, said Toni Bianchi, an animal behaviorist and chairwoman of the shelter’s advisory board.

The dogs have undergone a tremendous transformation, Bianchi said.

“They’ve learned to trust people, that we’re not going to hurt them, and that we supply their food,” she said with a laugh..."  More

Jan 16, 2012:  82 Dogs Seized from Indiana Woman's Home

A day after officials seized 55 dogs from a home in Northwest Indiana, they went back Thursday and took about two dozen more.

Animal control officers re-visited the home just outside of Chesterton and removed an additional 27 dogs, bringing the two-day total to 82. The officers told local reporters it was the worst case of animal hoarding they'd seen.

It's not clear why the additional dogs were not removed during officials' visit to the home on January 11.

The dogs were taken to a local animal shelter, but several of them have been isolated because they tested positive for canine parvovirus. Some have already been put down.

Donna Montoya, 50, who lives in the home where the dogs were seized, could face a number of counts of cruelty to animals. The property owner could also faces charges.

Animal control officers first went to the home in November after neighbors told the local health department they were worried that animal waste was getting into their drinking water..."  More

Investigators find evidence of animal hoarding and animal cruelty in home west of Las Cruces

Complaints from neighbors and a citation for illegally burning urine-soaked newspaper has prompted an investigation into possible animal hoarding and animal cruelty at a home west of Las Cruces in Doña Ana County. The Animal Cruelty Task Force with the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Department obtained two warrants for a home off N. Fairacres Rd. on Thursday, after evidence suggested approximately 25 dogs were being kept inside the home. There were also as many as 100 chickens and ducks on the property, some of which were housed in cramped cinder-block pens in the backyard. Other fowl were seen wandering in the front yard. According to a news release, deputies and Doña Ana County animal control officers found a broken sewer pipe in the home. The break allowed raw sewage to pool on the property, and animal control officers observed ducks swimming in the sewage and drinking from it. The homeowner recently received a citation from the Doña Ana County Fire and Emergency Services Department after neighbors complained he was burning newspapers outside his home that dogs had urinated and defecated on. The home is located in the Extra-Territorial Zone between Las Cruces city limits and Doña Ana County. ETZ ordinances forbid property owners from having more than six animals on their property without a permit, and fowl cannot be kept in the front yard..." More

Investigators Find Ducks Swimming in Sewage, Matted Dogs In Man's Home

Maria Garcia

EL PASO, Texas -- Dona Ana County Sheriff's investigators are considering charging a man with animal cruelty for the second time, after removing 25 dogs from his home. ABC-7's cameras were the only ones at the 500 block of South Fairacres throughout the day Thursday as deputies removed the seemingly matted poodles from Jack Catlan's home.

One dog appeared to be bleeding from his nose and face. A few were too matted to see their faces.

Investigators were granted two search warrants. The first was to check the home after neighbors complained of a foul smell and too many animals. The second search warrant allowed deputies to remove the dogs.

Dona Ana County Spokeswoman Kelly Jameson said investigators found several code violations inside the home. She also said the dogs will be examined by a veterinarian.

"They're all very matted. Their hair is overgrown so we're unable to determine if they're malnourished or not. The floor is covered in newspaper that has been soaked in urine and feces. There's boxes stacked everywhere, food container boxes. What we categorize as trash that hasn't been thrown out."..."  More & video

Manhattan’s Mysterious Trash-Filled Car

On a quiet street in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, there sits a dented, scraped and graffiti-covered Chevrolet Corsica, filled from floor to ceiling with trash. How did this car get into this state? Is it some hoarders final refuge? How does it survive in such a fashionable Manhattan neighborhood?

This isn't the first time we've seen Manhattanites with strangely-filled cars. Last year we brought you the story of the mysterious book-filled car on the phallically-shaped borough's tony Upper West Side. Now we've found, thanks to a tweet from business reporter Ken Sweet, another car that's just as weird.

The Chevy is filled mostly with newspapers, some from a few weeks ago, some at least two years old. There are cups, bottles, napkins, wrappers, utensils, cords, rubber bands, umbrellas, bags, and a backscratcher filling the car from the carpets to the headliner; from the dashboard to the parcel shelf. The back windshield is almost completely obscured. There is hardly any room for the driver and none for any passengers. The whole rear of the car sags down under the weight of the junk.

The outside of the car is equally trashed; the paint has chipped off of the hood, both door mirrors have been replaced, the sides and trunk have been repeatedly covered in graffiti, and the whole roof has been bashed in..."  More

Research Suggests Genetics Are Behind Hoarding

By David Wade

It’s a secret hidden behind closed doors, but millions of people are driven to collect things most of us consider junk, even trash.

Reality TV shows like “Hoarders” have made us aware of the lives these people lead, but they haven’t answered why they are compelled to live this way.

Researchers are now finding more evidence there could be a genetic link.

It is estimated up to six million American could suffer from this pathological brain disorder.

“Amanda” was one of those hoarders. “I was obsessed with this, truly obsessed,” she admitted.

She hoarded old TVs, furniture, paper, stuffed animals, and just about anything else she could find. “Literally, I had to sometimes push items on my hands and knees down the hall, on the floor, to get them in here.”

Storing so much stuff can turn deadly. 85 year old Joseph Kozlowski, a WWII veteran was trapped in the basement of his Wayland home in March as piles of debris smoldered. He lived in the basement because he could no longer access the upper floors of the house. They were packed with junk..."  More & video

Puppies seized from Franklin home

by David Ham

Six puppies have been seized in an animal abuse investigation in Franklin. 

The American bulldog puppies didn't have any food or water inside a shed that reached temperatures of 85 degrees, according to Lt. Tim Whitt.

He says officers were called to the home on Laurel Street by a concerned neighbor and they found the six pups walking in filth..."  More

Dogs survive by eating Ohio hoarder's corpse

Authorities are investigating the gruesome case of an Ohio animal hoarder found dead in his home.

Neighbors called the Lawrence County Ohio Sheriff's Office to check on the man after they hadn't seen him for a while.

When the deputy arrived at the house in Elizabeth Township Friday, he found the man upstairs. He'd been dead at least a couple weeks.

Lawrence County Dog Warden Benny Call said he'll never forget what he saw. "I've been to a lot of bad situations since I've been here," he said. "I believe this was the worst."

The floor of the home was covered in trash, feces and urine. Call said the man lived alone and had about 50 dogs.

Some of the dogs had starved to death; others had taken extreme measures to survive.

"Some of his body had been eaten," neighbor Charlie Jenkins said.

Some dogs were in such bad shape they had to be put down.

"It hurts when you see a dog like that," Call said.

Eight dogs were taken back to the Lawrence County Dog Shelter in Ironton. The dog warden said his agency had tried to help with the man's dogs, but the man always turned them away.

"He didn't want our help," Call said. "He'd just run us off if we went out there. He probably cared for the dogs, but he just got overwhelmed."...."  More & video

Bay Area hoarding and cluttering conference opens

Erin Allday



Sandra Stark started collecting things when she was a little girl: pretty rocks, bird's nests, interesting sticks and twigs.


Over the decades her collections ballooned to include glassware and utensils, floral frogs and paperweights. Her kitchen filled with stuff to the point she could no longer cook in it. To get to her bed, she had to carve pathways through the clutter. The only spot to sit in the living room was a tiny square of couch.


"I used to entertain a lot. And then the collections started taking over and I didn't have anyone in my home anymore," said Stark, 67. "I didn't know that I actually had a disorder."


Her problem was hoarding, and it took more than three decades for Stark to realize it and another 20 years for her to seek help for it.


She's still digging her way out of the disorder, but her collections no longer rule her life, she said, and she's part of a new San Francisco project - called the peer hoarding and cluttering response team - to help others like her get the help they need..."  More

Hoarding conference

The 14th annual International Conference on Hoarding and Cluttering takes place Thursday and Friday at the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel.


Who: Open to health care and other service providers as well as patients.


Tickets: Two-day tickets cost $500. One-day tickets and scholarship reductions are available.


For more conference information, go to http://www.mentalhealthsf.org/conference.php

Heidi Erickson

note:  scroll to the bottom of this page for links to articles dating from 2009

April 25, 2012: Court appeal by Plymouth's 'cat lady' unsuccessful

Plymouth’s most notorious pet owner, Heidi Erickson, has lost her appeal of a 30-day sentence of home confinement for violating her probation following her conviction for animal cruelty.

The state Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday issued a ruling in which it upheld a Plymouth District Court judge’s ruling that Erickson, 51, violated the terms of her probation. She was convicted in early 2011 and sentenced to 90 days in jail followed by five years of probation. During the spring of 2009, Plymouth police took 11 Persian cats from her house on Lothrop Street in Plymouth. Police said at least eight of the animals were in poor health..."  More

April 24, 2012:  Heidi Erickson, Plymouth's "Cat Lady", loses appeal

Plymouth’s most notorious pet owner, Heidi Erickson, has lost her appeal of a 30-day sentence of home confinement for violating her probation following her conviction for animal cruelty.

The Supreme Judicial Court issued a ruling Tuesday in which it upheld a Plymouth District Court judge’s ruling that Erickson, 51, violated the terms of probation for animal cruelty. She was convicted in early 2011 and sentenced to 90 days in jail, followed by five years probation. During the spring of 2009, Plymouth police took 11 Persian cats from her house on Lothrop Street. Police said at least eight of the animals were in poor health.

In 2003, police found 60 dead cats in Erickson’s Boston apartment and she was convicted of animal cruelty for the first time.

Erickson moved to Kentucky during the summer of 2010 and police there found five cats and two horses living in squalor in her home. Under the terms of her probation in the Plymouth case, Erickson was barred from having any contact with animals.

Erickson acted as her own lawyer in her appeal of the probation violation finding and the 30-day home confinement sentence..."  More

July 12, 2011: Home confinement for Heidi Erickson

By Rich Harbert

Heidi Erickson will not be traveling back to Kentucky to resume animal husbandry classes in the near future.

By court order, the so-called “Cat Lady” is rarely even allowed out of the house.

A District Court judge has denied Erickson’s request to travel to the Kentucky home where she had been living just prior to her conviction here in December on animal cruelty charges.

Further, the same judge found Erickson in violation of the terms of probation and ordered her to remain confined to her current home in Boston for all but three hours a day for 30 days.

Erickson has been ordered to wear a GPS bracelet to ensure that she only leaves her home in the Fenway section of Boston for doctor’s appointments and food shopping.

Judge Rosemary Minehan’s June 17 order also calls for Erickson to have no contact with any animals and provide verification within 30 days that she does not own horses, dogs, cats or other animals.

A jury convicted Erickson, 50, in December on eight counts of animal cruelty. The charges stemmed from the 2009 seizure of 11 Persian cats from the apartment Erickson rented on Lothrop Street in downtown Plymouth..." More

Mar 25, 2011: Court order takes Heidi Erickson cats

By Rich Harbert

Six Persian cats seized from Heidi Erickson’s apartment nearly two years ago won’t be going back to their abusive owner.

A judge last week issued an order that takes the cats from Erickson and gives them to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA).

The animal welfare group, meanwhile, has given custody of the cats to a more local animal rescue group that has been caring for the cats for nearly two years.

Plymouth police had temporary custody of the cats while Erickson faced trial on animal cruelty charges.

Erickson was convicted on eight counts of cruelty to animal in December. She was sentenced in January to 90 days in jail; she earned released earlier this month. She will remain on probation for five years and cannot have any contact with animals during probation.

District Court Judge Beverly Cannone issued the forfeiture order last week while considering Erickson’s request to modify the conditions of her probation..." More

Jan 14, 2011: Animal right advocates frustrated by Erickson sentence

By Rich Harbert

The animal rights advocate who cared for Heidi Erickson’s malnourished cats blasted judicial officials this week for giving the so-called Cat Lady a light sentence for cruelty to animals.

Linda Brackett, director of the Nemasket Orphaned Animal Haven, said she now will work to make the state’s animal cruelty laws even tougher.

“The sentence shows that animals in this society are not given the respect they need and deserve. They are helpless animals that can’t help themselves,” Brackett said. “I would have liked to see five years, but would have been happy with a 2 1/2-year sentence.”

Erickson was, indeed, sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Tuesday, but Judge Beverly Cannone suspended the sentence after Erickson serves just 90 days. With time off for her stay at a state hospital, Erickson is expected to serve only about 17 days behind bars.

A District Court jury convicted Erickson of eight counts of cruelty to animals in December. The charges stemmed from the 2009 seizure of 11 Persian cats from her Lothrop Street apartment.

A veterinarian testified at trial that eight of the cats were malnourished and six were in “medically unacceptable” condition. Five of those six cats have since died.

Brackett, who took custody of the cats for police, has since found foster homes for the remaining cats. She expects to permanently place the cats in those homes now that the trial is over..." More

Heidi Erickson trial underway

By Rich Harbert

Jury selection has begun in the animal cruelty trial of former Plymouth resident Heidi Erickson.

The former Lothrop Street resident faces eight counts of cruelty of animals. The charges stem from a March 2009 police investigation of foul odors coming from Erickson’s home.

Police seized 11 cats from the house. Erickson is accused of failing to provide eight of the cats with proper food, water and shelter.

District Court Judge Beverly Cannone dismissed a ninth count of cruelty to animals against Erickson prior to the start of jury selection.

Cannone told prospective jurors that three veterinarians and three police officers are expected to testify in the trial. She said testimony should be finished by Thursday.

Jury selection got off to a slow start however, after all 62 men and women in the jury pool responded that they had been pet owners. That ensured that every member of the pool will be individually screened before the selection of panelists begins.

Nearly half of the jury pool additionally noted that they have donated money to animal rights groups..." More

Mar 27, 2009: Heidi Erickson’s competency to be determined

A local woman accused of abusing nine cats will not get to keep two other felines deemed healthy.

District Court Judge Rosemary Minehan refused Heidi’s Erickson’s request for the return of her two Persians Friday, citing public interest standards.

Police meanwhile said the department will press next week to have Erickson’s dog, a Great Dane, removed from her custody as well.

Erickson, 48, faces nine counts of cruelty to animals. Police seized 11 Persian cats and the dog from her Lothrop Street apartment last week after investigating complaints of a putrid odor.

Police later returned the Great Dane after a veterinarian deemed the dog healthy. Another veterinarian examined the 11 cats and found nine of them in questionable health. Some were malnourished and dehydrated. Others were missing large patches of fur. Others had feces matted into their fur.

One seemed unable to put pressure on its paws. All 11 are being cared for at the local animal shelter. The town has hired Linda Brackett of the Nemasket Orphaned Animal Haven (NOAH) to consult police on caring for the cats. Brackett, an expert on Persian cats, visited the cats after the hearing Friday.

Erickson, through her attorney, unsuccessfully argued that the two healthy cats should be returned to her because they, like the dog, are service animals that help her ease the strain of a disability. She has said the animals help her with posttraumatic stress disorder brought on several years ago by the city of Boston’s removal of dozens of cat from her home. Erickson was dubbed the “cat lady” after the cats were taken from her Beacon Hill apartment. Boston authorities also found several dead cats in her freezer..." More & video

More at: Pet-abuse.com

Heidi Erickson's site: Here

1. Court appeal by Plymouth's 'cat lady' unsuccessful
   Plymouth’s most notorious pet owner, Heidi Erickson, has lost her appeal of a 30-day sentence of home confinement for violating her probation following her conviction for animal cruelty. The state Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday issued a ruling in which it upheld a Plymouth District Court judge’s ruling that Erickson, 51, violated the terms of her probation.
    
   http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1780492117/Court-appeal-by-Plymouth-s-cat-lady-unsuccessful
   Wed Apr 25 2012 12:11:20 GMT-0700 (PDT)
2. Heidi Erickson, Plymouth's "Cat Lady," loses appeal
   Plymouth’s most notorious pet owner, Heidi Erickson, has lost her appeal of a 30-day sentence of home confinement for violating her probation following her conviction for animal cruelty.
   http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1780490197/Heidi-Erickson-Plymouths-Cat-Lady-loses-appeal
   Tue Apr 24 2012 16:55:15 GMT-0700 (PDT)
3. UPDATED: Home confinement for Heidi Erickson
   Heidi Erickson will not be traveling back to Kentucky to resume animal husbandry classes in the near future.
   By court order, the so-called “Cat Lady” is rarely even allowed out of the house.
   http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x910594493/Home-confinement-for-Heidi-Erickson
   Tue Aug 09 2011 20:30:08 GMT-0700 (PDT)
4. 'Cat Lady' Heidi Erickson sentenced to 90 days in jail
   A judge sentenced Heidi Erickson to 90 days in prison Tuesday for cruelty to animals.
   Erickson, a former Plymouth resident known as the “Cat Lady,” left the courtroom in handcuffs, shackles, a wheelchair and tears, crying that she would be would not survive behind bars.
   “They’re going to kill me. They told me they’re going to kill me in there,” Erickson sobbed as a court officer pushed her from the courtroom.
   http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1062717509/Cat-Lady-Heidi-Erickson-sentenced-to-90-days-in-jail
   Wed Jan 12 2011 15:07:21 GMT-0800 (PST)
5. Plymouth's ‘Cat Lady’ convicted of animal cruelty, faces possible jail time
   The woman called “the Cat Lady” after police found 60 dead cats in her Boston apartment seven years ago has been convicted of animal cruelty for a second time.
   http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x106454062/-Cat-lady-found-guilty
   Fri Dec 17 2010 14:04:38 GMT-0800 (PST)
6. Plymouth woman dubbed "Cat Lady" found guilty of animal cruelty
   A Plymouth District Court jury convicted Heidi Erickson on eight counts of animal cruelty Thursday. Judge Beverly Cannone delayed sentencing but revoked Erickson’s bail pending sentencing. She faces up to 2 1/2 years in prison on each of the eight counts.
   The jury deliberated just slightly more than an hour before returning verdicts on all counts.
   
   A veterinarian who examined cats seized from a Plymouth woman who had been dubbed “the cat lady” said Wednesday that eight of the 10 Persians were
   http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1046515039/Eight-of-10-cats-owned-by-cat-lady-deemed-unhealthy
   Thu Dec 16 2010 20:08:00 GMT-0800 (PST)
7. Animal-cruelty convictions of 'cat lady' upheld
   Plymouth’s attorney says the state Appeals Court decision to uphold animal-cruelty convictions of the so-called “cat lady” may make it easier for Plymouth prosecutors to seize a Great Dane that is in her care.
   http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1194149860/Animal-cruelty-convictions-of-cat-lady-upheld
   Fri May 01 2009 10:56:51 GMT-0700 (PDT)
8. Animal-cruelty convictions of “cat lady” upheld
   Plymouth’s attorney says the state Appeals Court decision to uphold animal-cruelty convictions of the so-called “cat lady” may make it easier for Plymouth prosecutors to seize a Great Dane that is in her care.
   http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1669764809/Animal-cruelty-convictions-of-cat-lady-upheld
   Fri May 01 2009 08:32:23 GMT-0700 (PDT)
9. Appeals court upholds cat lady convictions
   The state Appeals Court has upheld the animal cruelty convictions of the so-called “cat lady” who currently faces similar charges in Plymouth.
   http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x514463840/Appeals-court-upholds-cat-lady-convictions
   Thu Apr 30 2009 15:24:17 GMT-0700 (PDT)
10. ‘Cat lady’ fights to get cats, keep dog
    The Plymouth District Court judge Rosemary Minehan has continued the case until April 15 against Heidi Erickson, who has been charged with nine counts of animal cruelty.
    http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1916562027/-Cat-lady-fights-to-get-cats-keep-dog
    Sat Apr 04 2009 06:00:00 GMT-0700 (PDT)
11. No cats for Plymouth’s ‘cat lady’
    A Plymouth District Court judge has rejected a request by Heidi Erickson to have two of 11 seized cats returned to her. Erickson faces nine counts of animal cruelty after a veterinarian determined that nine of the cats were emaciated and suffering from other ailments.

     http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1239302575/No-cats-for-Plymouth-s-cat-lady
    Sat Mar 28 2009 07:15:00 GMT-0700 (PDT)
12. No cats for “cat lady”
    Plymouth District Court Judge Rosemary Minehan on Friday denied a motion by Heidi Erickson, nicknamed the “cat lady” to return two of 11 cats seized last week from her apartment.
    http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1704458958/No-cats-for-cat-lady
    Fri Mar 27 2009 17:34:29 GMT-0700 (PDT)
13. Plymouth police say ‘cat lady’ is unfit to own pets
    A Housing Court hearing to evict the so-called “cat lady” from her Plymouth apartment has been continued. Police planned to ask a Superior Court judge for permission to seize Erickson’s Great Dane and keep 11 cats seized last week, but that action will wait until a judge rules Friday on Erickson’s motion to have at least two of the cats returned.
    http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1950206790/Plymouth-police-say-cat-lady-is-unfit-to-own-pets
    Thu Mar 26 2009 10:58:04 GMT-0700 (PDT)
14. Plymouth 'cat lady’ arraigned on animal cruelty charges
    Plymouth police charged local woman Heidi Erickson, known as the “cat lady,” with nine counts of cruelty to animals Tuesday.
    http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x730577663/Plymouth-cat-lady-arraigned-on-animal-cruelty-charges
    Wed Mar 25 2009 14:32:32 GMT-0700 (PDT)
15. ‘Cat Lady’pleads innocent to nine counts of animal abuse
    Heidi Erickson, dubbed the “cat lady” after 60 dead cats were found in her Beacon Hill apartment six years ago pleaded innocent to nine counts of animal abuse in Plymouth District Court Tuesday. She will still be allowed to keep pets.
    http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1404199689/-Cat-Lady-pleads-innocent-to-nine-counts-of-animal-abuse
    Tue Mar 24 2009 21:22:31 GMT-0700 (PDT)
16. Police return dog to Plymouth 'cat lady' accused of hoarding animals
    PAWS New England wants a judge to order Heidi Erickson, the woman called the “cat lady” to give up her great Dane. Plymouth police returned the dog to the cat hoarder on Friday night after it was checked by a veterinarian.
    http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x317593538/Animal-welfare-group-joins-fight-against-Plymouth-cat-lady
    Mon Mar 23 2009 12:10:28 GMT-0700 (PDT)
17. Video: 'Cat lady' may face new animal-neglect charges in Plymouth
    Police oficers and the town’s animal control officer went to Heidi Erickson’s Lothrop Street apartment Wednesday and removed eight live cats in various stages of neglect, and a Great Dane, police said. She is expected to face animal neglect charges.
    http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x108133215/Video-Cat-lady-may-face-new-animal-neglect-charges-in-Plymouth
    Thu Mar 19 2009 14:50:44 GMT-0700 (PDT)
18. 'Cat lady' may face new animal-neglect charges in Plymouth
    Police oficers and the town’s animal control officer went to Heidi Erickson’s Lothrop Street apartment Wednesday and removed eight live cats in various stages of neglect, and a Great Dane, police said. She is expected to face animal neglect charges.
    http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1555728953/-Cat-lady-may-face-new-animal-neglect-charges-in-Plymouth
    Thu Mar 19 2009 09:54:31 GMT-0700 (PDT)
19. Dead cats, unsanitary conditions found in 'cat lady’s' apartment
    Police are removing animals from the Lothrop Street home of Heidi Erickson, who was dubbed the “cat lady” after housing inspectors in Boston found 60 dead cats in the freezer of her Beacon Hill apartment six years ago.

    http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x441466971/Dead-cats-unsanitary-conditions-found-in-cat-lady-s-apartment
    Wed Mar 18 2009 17:06:36 GMT-0700 (PDT)