Nearly 80 cats, kittens rescued from deplorable conditions in Lancaster County

Nearly 80 cats and kittens were removed from a residence in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, after officials said they were found living in deplorable conditions.

Officials said the investigation began earlier this week, when the Lancaster Township Police contacted the Pennsylvania SPCA after responding to a residence on the 300 block of Spencer Avenue for an unrelated call.

Police had found that the home was unsanitary, with feces and urine throughout, debris and trash stacked from floor to ceiling, and a large number of cats free-roaming inside.

Based on these observations, officials said the Pennsylvania SPCA’s Animal Law Enforcement team secured a search warrant pertaining to the “ill-treatment of animals and failure to provide access to clean and sanitary shelter.”

Animal law enforcement executed the warrant on Tuesday. Officials said the rescue was challenging for the team due to the dangerously high ammonia levels from waste and extreme heat inside the property.

Officials said a total of 78 ragdoll cats and kittens were removed from the residence.

“The conditions inside this home were among the most severe our team has encountered,” said Nicole Wilson, Director of Animal Law Enforcement and Shelter Operations at the Pennsylvania SPCA. “Our officers endured hours of extreme heat and extreme ammonia levels to ensure every single animal was safely removed. We are grateful to the Lancaster Township Police Department for their partnership in executing this warrant, and we are committed to ensuring all 78 cats and kittens receive the care they need and deserve.”

Now all of the animals will undergo forensic examinations and receive any necessary medical care.

The majority of the animals were signed over to the custody of the Pennsylvania SPCA. The remaining eight will be held in the organization’s protective custody pending their surrender or the adjudication of the court case.

Anyone with information about this case or other cases of animal cruelty is urged to contact the Pennsylvania SPCA’s Cruelty Hotline at 866- 601-SPCA or cruelty@pspca.org. Tips can be left anonymously.

For those wanting to support the care of the cats, and others like them, visit www.pspca.org/78-ragdoll-cats-rescued for more information.