FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have arrested a woman months after officers found dozens of cats, dead and alive, inside of her Sunrise apartment.
Sunrise Police on Tuesday issued a warrant for the arrest of Michelline Toulouse for 12 felony counts of aggravated animal abuse and one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty.
She is currently in the hospital recovering from a crash, according to a social media post.
Back in May, officers found dead and starving cats living in filth inside Toulouse’s unit.
“You had to step over dead animals to rescue animals,” said Gina Vlasek with Saving Sage Animal Rescue, where Toulouse used to be a volunteer.
Vlasek helped with trapping the animals and getting them medical attention.
The felines had no food or water, so some had resorted to eating the dead in order to survive.
“What she did is not forgivable, and you can’t change from that,” said Vlasek. “You can’t pretend to be a person that cares about animals, that rescues animals, that takes care of animals, and knowingly and willingly leave those animals to die with no help.”
This is not Toulouse’s first arrest. She was taken into custody after she was caught on surveillance video allegedly stealing from Saving Sage.
However, it may be a while before the suspect is back in cuffs. According to her Facebook page, she was injured in a crash earlier this month.
Even so, Toulouse is technically under arrest by Sunrise Police. Her room at Broward Health Medical Center is currently guarded, and when she is released, she will be taken to the Broward County Jail.
“She had all of the opportunities to ask any of us for help, and we all would have helped her, so she deserves whatever she has coming,” said Vlasek.
Of Toulouse’s 12 felony counts, nine are for cats found dead and three are for cats found near death.
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