BALCH SPRINGS, Texas — 107 allegedly cruelly treated animals were seized from a property yesterday in Balch Springs where, in August 2015, 156 allegedly cruelly treated animals were seized.
BALCH SPRINGS, Texas — 107 allegedly cruelly treated animals were seized from a property yesterday in Balch Springs where, in August 2015, 156 allegedly cruelly treated animals were seized.
In the 2015 incident, the owner also pled guilty to cruelty to a non-livestock animals, a class A misdemeanor.
In the latest incident, Balch Springs Animal Services received information about several cats at the property that were covered with urine and feces. Animal services contacted the SPCA of Texas and an animal cruelty investigator visited the property on May 29, 2018, and unsuccessfully attempted to make contact with the owner.
While there, the investigator stated that a strong scent of feces and ammonia could be smelled from outside of the house and garage — information that led to the issuance of a search and seizure warrant for the property earlier today.
The animals seized yesterday include 57 cats, 36 kittens, 11 dogs, two deceased cats and one dove, according to the SPCA of Texas. The live animals were transported to the SPCA of Texas' Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center in Dallas, Texas, where they will be cared for and evaluated by medical staff before a custody hearing takes place.
"The animals appear to be suffering from various health issues, including flea infestation, long nails, eye discharge and nasal discharge, and the majority appeared to be significantly underweight," stated the SPCA of Texas. "At least one cat was missing an eye, one kitten had a bloody nose, and another kitten received emergency subcutaneous fluids at the scene."
The SPCA of Texas described the conditions inside the home, as follows:
"Inside of a house on the property, cats and kittens were roaming freely in the feces-filled, urine soaked rooms. Most of the dogs were confined to small, wire crates in a separate bedroom with little to no access to food or water. One cat was found confined to a small, glass fish tank and two dogs roamed freely in the living room. Two deceased cats were found on the floor in the same areas where other live animals roamed. More cats and kittens were found in a garage behind the house. Many were confined to feces-filled wire crate with no access to food or water. Others roamed the garage freely. Several additional deceased cats and kittens were found wrapped in plastic grocery bags in an outdoor trash bin, but were too decomposed to remove for further examination."
Additionally, the SPCA of Texas measured the ammonia level in the home to be 45 parts per million (ppm) and 65 ppm inside the garage.
"As a point of reference, short term exposure to any ammonia level over 20 ppm or long term exposure to any level over 12 ppm can cause health problems in humans," stated the SPCA of Texas.
Necropsies will be performed on the deceased cats to determine causes of death.
A custody hearing for the animals seized today will be held on Thursday, June 7, 2018, at 11 a.m. before Judge Valencia Nash at the Dallas County Government Center located at 107 Texas Street in Lancaster.
The 156 animals seized in August 2015 included 107 cats, 40 dogs, three doves, two chickens, one finch, one deceased parakeet and one guinea pig. Five of the cats were deceased and dozens more were found on the property.