| Dorothy Gay |
Hoarder,
63 cats 1 dog |
Clayton, NJ |
July 24, 2006 |
Gay has previously appeared in Clayton Municipal
Court, claiming to own 23 cats. The court order stated she must reduce the
number of cats to 4. SPCA and animal control found 63 cats and 1 dog, an
elderly male Labrador mix.
Gay states she is not guilty of having too many cats and wants
her surviving cats returned to her. Gay is facing animal cruelty charges after
1 dog and more than 60 cats were removed from her home by the New Jersey Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Sgt.
Jane Donoghue of the NJ SPCA executed a search warranty
at the home on July 24th and found several rooms covered in animal
urine and feces. 2 dead cats were also found. Most of the cats, several
with only one eye, were euthanized due to extreme ill health.
Municipal Judge J.R. Powell stated a borough ordinance limits cat ownership
to four animals. Gay insists that she was holding the fifth cat
for her son.
Judge Powell stated that Gay possibly will be asked to make restitution,
paying for the storage of her surviving cats at the animal shelter. Gay told Judge Powell that the Gloucester County Health Department
had given her until August 14th to clean up her home and that she
was trying to do so.
Judge Powell advised Gay that she was going to need an attorney and
he approved her application for a public defender. A new court date is set
for September 11th.
Many of the cats removed had numerous
diseases, poor socialization and serious flea infestations. The cats also
have severe eye conditions, either clouded white or missing eyes. Most of
the cats were euthanized because they were in such ill health.
Update 7/25/06:
Gay sais she is not guilty of having too many cats and having
unlicensed cats, and wanted her surviving cats, being hld at the Gloucester
County Animal Shelter returned to her. Sgt. Jane Donoghue said there
were 6 cats being held, Gayinsisted there were only 5.
Reference:
The Gloucester County Times
The Star Ledger