Cats Removed From Two Northland Properties
Posted at: 03/18/2010 6:58 PM
| Updated at: 03/18/2010 7:09 PM
By: Laura Kennedy
lkennedy@wdio.com
Police and Humane Society workers pulled cage after cage filled with cats from two separate Northland properties on Thursday. But the whole thing started earlier this week.
"We got a complaint of animal neglect at a trailer in Duluth Township," said Shawn Padden, Duluth Township police chief. "During that investigation, we recovered 25 cats from that trailer where the living conditions were horrible."
Further investigation led authorities to a pole barn on the same property Thursday, where they found 20 more living cats and 39 dead ones. Thirty-two more cats were taken from the owner's house in Two Harbors.
"I know the neighbor that lives in that gray house and I actually remember she told me, 'I got a whiff of ammonia coming from that place,'" said Shelby Graden, a neighbor.
Padden says the conditions in the pole barn were shocking.
"We found 20 cats living in basic squalor and darkness, surrounded by feces, just disgusting," said Padden. "I don't know how they've survived this long to be honest with you."
Padden says this isn't the first time police have been called to the Duluth Township property.
"There was an investigation in 1997 on that same property," Padden said. "There was a trailer fire where 73 cats were killed. The cause of the fire is unknown."
Padden sayd the animals in the house were in relatively good shape, but the house needed to be cleaned.
Authorities say both properties belong to Todd Stoehr of Two Harbors. Padden says authorities used a search warrant to enter the Duluth Township property, but he says Stoehr did let authorities into his home voluntarily and helped them get the cats into cages.
We did reach Todd Stoehr for a comment, and he referred us to his attorney who had left his office for the day.
Padden also says a veterinarian on scene found most of the cats to be fairly healthy, and they should be adoptable. Most of them will go to the Humane Society in Golden Valley, but some will be taken to Animal Allies in Duluth.
Police say they don't know if there will be any charges at this point.
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