Couple Faces Cruelty Charges For Filthy Conditions
Officer: 'The Fluids Were Running Down The Side Of Chairs'
POSTED: Tuesday, November 19, 2002
UPDATED: 12:46 pm EST November 21,
2002
A couple faces animal cruelty charges after animal control officers searched their home and found 25 cats, nine of which were dead, and one dog, all covered in their own feces, according to Local 6 News.
Tarik Minor Reports
"The house was in pretty deplorable condition," Volusia County sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.
Leslie Hendricks, 51, and Catherine Hendricks, 63, were charged with cruelty to animals and confinement of animals after the Saturday raid at their home. They each later posted $1,500 bail and were released, pending court appearances.
The nine dead cats were found in boxes inside the home. The other pets were all dirty and wild, said Halifax Humane Society spokeswoman Michelle Pari.
Local 6 News reported that feces covered every piece of furniture in the home.
"The fluids were running down the side of the chairs," animal control officer Dee Ferguson said. "The sides of the chairs were actually stuck to the floor because of the feces on the floor. There was not an area in the house that was not covered in cat feces."
Video inside the home showed piles of feces covering the couple's dining table, kitchen, living room and bathroom.
Officers had to wear respirators to enter the home to shoot the video and remove the live animals.
"That's terrible," neighbor Zora Marks said. "I don't know how they could stand it."
Police officers found piles of clothes stacked to the roof in the garage, some with the price tags still attached, Local 6 News reported.
Animal control officers said that the house should be condemned.
Workers at the Humane Society said the condition of the 16 rescued animals had improved by Tuesday.
Attempts to reach the Hendrickses were unsuccessful Tuesday.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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