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Raid finds 55 cats; home condemned
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Police raided a house at 1106 19th Street on Monday and found 55 live cats, some of which were very ill, and five deceased cats. (Times photo: Marissa Weiher)
MONROE - A Monroe woman's home was condemned Monday after more than 50 cats were found being kept there in extremely unsafe and unsanitary conditions.

Delores Marti, 78, was discovered keeping 55 cats in varying states of illness in a home at 1106 19th St. Five dead cats were also found in the residence.

The Monroe City Code limits the number of adult cats in a residence to no more than three.

According to a Monroe Police press release, the animals were discovered after a citizen made a complaint to the city building inspector about a stench emanating from the building last week.

When the Monroe Fire Department investigated the residence on Monday, they were forced to wear protective clothing and air filters, due to the very poor sanitation of the home.

The surviving cats were confiscated and turned over to the Green County Humane Society for medical attention and re-sheltering. Laci Westgard, director of public affairs at the Humane Society, said she was unable to comment on the cats' current welfare or location.

Previous complaints about cat hoarding were leveled against Marti at least two other times in the last four years.

The future of the residence will be determined by the Monroe building inspector. It is currently marked as uninhabitable.

No charges have yet been filed.