Wearing protective suits and respirators, a rescue team from the Oregon Humane Society yesterday cleared a path through trash, debris and waste to seize 10 cats from the home of a Lake Oswego resident under investigation for animal neglect. Investigators also removed the bodies of 18 deceased cats that were found on the property at SW Jean Road.
Many of the seized cats were emaciated, dehydrated, and infested with fleas. The area surrounding the single family home was almost impassable due to large amounts of rubbish. Once inside, the accumulation of possessions and trash made it extremely difficult to walk through the home. Deceased cats were located in four different areas of the residence.
The cats were transported from Lake Oswego to the OHS Holman Medical Center in Portland. The cats will remain in the protective custody of OHS pending the resolution of the case and are not available for adoption at this time. The day-to-day care of the cats, along with any needed medical treatment, will be provided by OHS.
The case began last week when the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office referred to OHS a citizen who suspected neglect at the residence. An OHS Humane Special Agent met with the reporting party and learned that there were a number of cats not receiving minimum care at the residence. It was also reported that there could be several deceased cats on the property.
An OHS request for a search warrant was approved by Clackamas County Judge Douglas Van Dyk on August 2. The warrant was executed the morning of August 3 with the assistance of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
Under Oregon law, it is crime to fail to provide food, water, shelter and veterinary care to pets. OHS Humane Special Agents are commissioned by the Oregon State Police to enforce animal cruelty laws throughout the state.
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so sad. I am so happy these cats were rescued. thank you.
You know we think of Lake Oswego as being a place where just wealthy people reside with pampered pets. How sad but thank you for being there. I am a 30+ year PAWS contributor and I feel OHS is one of the most exemplary organizations.
As an animal advocate I love to see a great rescue! I do find this slideshow and video posted of the property, insensitive. Though it is difficult to have sympathy for someone that allowed for this to happen, these situations call for discretion. You are exploiting a person that likely suffers from mental illness.
I wish I could up vote Alexa Rae several times. I’m very happy for the rescue but we don’t even need to know where it occurred. There’s a difference between news and gossip.
No names were given in this report. And, the Humane Society is not in the business of diagnosing what may or may not be a mental illness. The focus is the needs of the survivability of the remaining cats and getting them placed in better homes. The video is revealing and educative. It not only shows what to look for in your own neighborhood, but reminds us that too many people stand idly by while their neighbors perpetrate hideous crimes of neglect and abuse against animals (which some in law enforcement believe that if animals are being harmed, there is a good probability harm is also occurring to human beings) meaning the person or persons are capable of harming themselves or others. Godspeed to those who have the bravery, stomach, and sense of justice to do this kind of work.