MONROE - A Monroe woman who was found keeping more than 50 cats in a Monroe residence last month was charged Thursday with misdemeanor charges of mistreating animals.
Delores Marti, 78, was charged with three Class A misdemeanors of mistreating animals, improperly sheltering animals and obstructing an officer.
The charges relate to an incident that began Aug. 9 when police were called to Marti's residence in the 1100 block of 19th Street for a report of a foul smell emanating from the house, as well as reports of more than the city limit of three cats residing inside.
According to a police report, when officers arrived at the residence, Marti claimed the six visible cats were the only animals in the residence, and added that, since only two of them were hers and the rest were strays, she was not violating the Monroe animal limitation ordinance. This attempt to mislead officers eventually led to the charge of obstruction.
The ordinance makes no distinction as to the proper ownership of animals.
When police executed a search warrant at the residence on Aug. 15, they found 50 live cats and five dead ones. Dozens more dead cats, most of them kittens, were found in a freezer later that week.
The house was very poorly maintained, with seemingly little effort to control or clean the excretions of the many cats within, according to the report. As a result, the fetid air within the residence was actively harmful to the animals, leading to the two animal-related charges.
Marti's home was condemned and ordered to be destroyed due to its severely unsanitary conditions.
Marti was already ordered to pay $10,000 to the City of Monroe as reimbursement for the cost of resettling the surviving cats with the Green County Humane Society. Each Class A misdemeanor carries a maximum possible sentence of 1.5 years in prison or a $10,000 fine.
Marti will appear in court on these charges for an initial appearance on Sept. 12.
Delores Marti, 78, was charged with three Class A misdemeanors of mistreating animals, improperly sheltering animals and obstructing an officer.
The charges relate to an incident that began Aug. 9 when police were called to Marti's residence in the 1100 block of 19th Street for a report of a foul smell emanating from the house, as well as reports of more than the city limit of three cats residing inside.
According to a police report, when officers arrived at the residence, Marti claimed the six visible cats were the only animals in the residence, and added that, since only two of them were hers and the rest were strays, she was not violating the Monroe animal limitation ordinance. This attempt to mislead officers eventually led to the charge of obstruction.
The ordinance makes no distinction as to the proper ownership of animals.
When police executed a search warrant at the residence on Aug. 15, they found 50 live cats and five dead ones. Dozens more dead cats, most of them kittens, were found in a freezer later that week.
The house was very poorly maintained, with seemingly little effort to control or clean the excretions of the many cats within, according to the report. As a result, the fetid air within the residence was actively harmful to the animals, leading to the two animal-related charges.
Marti's home was condemned and ordered to be destroyed due to its severely unsanitary conditions.
Marti was already ordered to pay $10,000 to the City of Monroe as reimbursement for the cost of resettling the surviving cats with the Green County Humane Society. Each Class A misdemeanor carries a maximum possible sentence of 1.5 years in prison or a $10,000 fine.
Marti will appear in court on these charges for an initial appearance on Sept. 12.