MOOSIC, Pa. — Dozens of cats were found living in filthy conditions after police were called to an apartment in Lackawanna County.
Moosic police responded to the Moosic Motor Inn on Birney Avenue Tuesday. When they arrived, officers found around 30 cats inside, along with the couple living there.
Officers were called to the upstairs unit after someone complained about cats.
Along with the cats in the unit, three dead cats were kept in a freezer inside the apartment.
Moosic police say most of the rooms at the motel are long-term rentals.
Neighbors below also complained of a horrible smell of cat urine that was coming down into their apartment.
There are also several cats roaming around the property.
The cats will be taken to Griffin Pond Animal Shelter near Clarks Summit to be checked out.
Lackawanna County Humane Officer Marci Zeiler says it's fortunate they got called to get these animals the care they need.
"Not enough food for the amount of animals that are in there. We do have a decent amount that are underweight. A lot have hair loss and flea dermatitis, just not in great health."
Zeiler says all the cats were living in the small space with the couple who lived here.
"It's a very potent odor in there. We're out of food in there. The litter boxes have paper, so the cats really aren't using them, so it's not a really good situation."
Investigators say the inside of the apartment had very poor living conditions, and an inspector was called in he deemed it unfit for humans to live in.
As volunteers continued to take cats out, they found two dead cats inside the apartment in a freezer.
Officers say the couple was cooperating with them. Zeiler says this isn't the first time they've met this family.
"One of the managers at the shelter here was helping them get everybody spayed and neutered. There was certainly the option to reach out, and that wasn't utilized," Zeiler said. "It is a really stark reminder why spay and neuter is important. Every single shelter is drowning right now. We are all over capacity, and nobody has anywhere to put these animals."
The borough brought in an inspector to check the apartment who deemed it unsafe to live in.
It's up to Moosic officials to decide if the building should be condemned.
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