(WSVN) - Authorities made a grim and shocking discovery when they were called to do a wellness check at a home in New York.
SPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) received an urgent call from Yorktown Heights police to assist at a horrific scene where 150 cats were discovered living in filth and squalor and being hoarded inside a small dilapidated home in Westchester, N.Y.
The 150 felines weren’t the only shocking discovery for authorities. When police were asked to perform a wellness check on the homeowners, they were found deceased inside the residence.
Officials were unable to clear the scene until the SPCA’s rescue team members removed a majority of the cats, who were found trapped in every room of the home, including the walls and ceilings.
“The conditions were absolutely horrific,” SPCA Westchester said in a Facebook post.
Officials said the cats, who appear to be Abyssinian mixes had been neglected for years. The cats were found “sick and suffering with upper respiratory, eye and skin infections, malnutrition, dehydration, and sadly, some have more severe injuries that require immediate medical attention.”
“Due to the stress of the situation, one of the cats actually gave birth while in transit from the residence to the SPCA’s Rescue Center, and many others appear to be pregnant,” SPCA Westchester said in a Facebook post. “All of the cats were starving upon rescue and had likely not eaten or had access to water in many days.”
SPCA Westchester estimates that veterinary care and rehabilitation for the cats will cost over $40,000.
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