Posted: June 12, 2008 2 a.m. EDT
Eighteen cats were found abandoned in the sweltering heat of an apartment in Woonsocket, R.I., after a neighbor reported the smell from the unit to the building’s landlord. When the landlord investigated the complaint and found the cats, he called authorities, who removed the cats on Tuesday. It appears the cats had been neglected for at least five to seven days, the NBC Channel 10 News (Providence) and The Associated Press report.
The Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is working with other animal shelters to find homes for the cats. E.J. Finocchio, RISPCA president, said the cats did not appear to have received proper care. “They’re not spayed. They’re not neutered. They haven’t been vaccinated. They have fleas. They’re in deplorable condition,” he said.
Finocchio said the SPCA had contact with the owner of the cats in the past month, and hopes she will be charged with abandonment of the cats. “She abandoned these animals and left them in this apartment to fend for themselves,” he said. “So, we felt that something had to be done.”
Officials continue to look for the owner of the cats.