Over 50 animals removed from home in animal hoaridng incident

Several of the animals appeared unclean and malnourished, police said

By CHRIS PYBURN

A 33-year-old woman in Virginia has been charged with animal cruelty and being an unfit animal owner after police spent nearly 12 hours removing dirty and underfed animals from her home.

After neighbors' complaints of foul odors coming from Megan Barber's home in Mount Vernon, Fairfax County police officers got a search warrant and went in, protecting themselves with hazmat suits and self-contained breathing gear.

Over two dozen live cats, five dogs, a rabbit, three guinea pigs, a hamster and nine birds were removed from the home on Ramsgate Terrace, amidst cluttered conditions including animal feces and debris, police said.

They also took 28 dead animals out of the house.

According to county officials, the live animals' medical conditions ranged from poor to good, with most appearing unclean and malnourished.

Sources told News4 that Barber had come to the attention of police for a similar situation five years ago...." More

Dec 30, 2009: Over 50 animals removed from home in animal hoaridng incident

A woman has been charged with animal cruelty after police removed dozens of dead and living animals from her home Tuesday.

Police removed more than 50 animals - nearly half of them dead - from the home of 33-year-old Megan Barber on Ramsgate Terrace in Mount Vernon after neighbors called local authorities complaining about an odor coming from the house.

Twenty-eight dead animals were removed from the house. Over two dozen living cats, nine birds, five dogs, three guinea pigs, a hamster, and a rabbit were removed from a house police say was filled with debris, including animal feces.

Police say the conditions of the living animals ranged from poor to good, with most appearing unclean and malnourished. They were transported to local veterinarians after being removed from the home.

Barber will not be able to return to her home immediately as the house has been condemned..." More

Family, cats removed from house of squalor

By BRIAN CRANDALL

NEW BEDFORD, Mass.—New Bedford police said a family was living in one of the worst cases of squalor they’ve ever seen.

Investigators went to the house Tuesday for a report of cats that might be in tough shape.

Lt. Jeffrey Silva said that was an understatement.

“The stench was absolutely horrendous. We couldn’t even go into it without putting on special hazardous-materials suits,“ Silva said. “It’s really like something out of the movies. We’ve never seen anything like this.“

Police were barely prepared for what they found: 13 cats—two of them dead—and floors covered in waste.

“It’s amazing that anybody or anything could live in there,“ Silva said.

The house apparently did not have working toilets.

“Very sad situation,“ Silva said. “Not only were there 11 cats alive that we had to take out of there as well as two skeletal remains of cats, but three people were living in there. A couple in their 50s and their adult son were living in a house that was in just utter squalor. Human and animal feces three feet high, trash turned over.“..." More & video

SPCA: Kittens Found In Tupperware

PHILADELPHIA - The SPCA is investigating a shocking case of animal hoarding in the city's Germantown section.

Animal control officers say two kittens were found in tupperware containers in a home off of Germantown Avenue, reported Fox 29's Sharon Crowley.

Two dogs were found along with a foot of feces in a small crate. An elderly dog was found in "horrific condition" lying in its own feces in a front room.

The animals were removed from the home.

"The smell was atrocious, took your breath away. That's how bad it was. The conditions were definitely one of the worse I've ever seen," said a SPCA official at the scene.

A woman, in her 70s, discovered in the trash-filled home was taken away to a mental facility.

License & Inspection officials said the building will be condemned for unsanitary conditions..." Link & video