Family, cats removed from house of squalor

By Brian Crandall | Reporter
Published: October 21, 2009
Updated: October 21, 2009

NEW BEDFORD, Mass.—New Bedford police said a family was living in one of the worst cases of squalor they’ve ever seen.

Investigators went to the house Tuesday for a report of cats that might be in tough shape.

Lt. Jeffrey Silva said that was an understatement.

“The stench was absolutely horrendous. We couldn’t even go into it without putting on special hazardous-materials suits,“ Silva said. “It’s really like something out of the movies. We’ve never seen anything like this.“

Police were barely prepared for what they found: 13 cats—two of them dead—and floors covered in waste.

“It’s amazing that anybody or anything could live in there,“ Silva said.

The house apparently did not have working toilets.

“Very sad situation,“ Silva said. “Not only were there 11 cats alive that we had to take out of there as well as two skeletal remains of cats, but three people were living in there. A couple in their 50s and their adult son were living in a house that was in just utter squalor. Human and animal feces three feet high, trash turned over.“

Police said they will charge the son with animal cruelty and neglect.

A man told NBC 10 that he was another son of the couple, but that he hadn’t lived in the house in years.

“They couldn’t take care of all of it,“ he said.

A next-door neighbor said the family was nice, but kept to themselves.

“It’s a shame that people would actually live that way,“ the neighbor said. “A few people that have come to my house have complained that there’s an awful stench.“

Police said the house has been condemned.

As for the cats: “They were emaciated. Their fur was a mess. They were hungry. Some were skittish,“ Silva said.

The cats that were removed alive were taken to various animal shelters.

Police said they removed five more cats on Wednesday.