Almost 30 cats, including 3 dead ones, recovered from Brooklyn Park woman's home: Charges
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Brooklyn Park woman has been charged after nearly 30 cats, including three dead ones, were recovered from her home.
Cat hoarding charges in Brooklyn Park
What we know:
According to the charges, 68-year-old Ann Rickson has been charged with six counts of animal neglect.
The charges state that on July 7, officers responded to Rickson's home on West Broadway in Brooklyn Park for a welfare check.
The welfare check stemmed from a city employee that had been conducting an inspection after neighbors complained about pet waste, animals and long grass, court documents said.
During the inspection, the employee found a Rottweiler named Dewey and two other cats at the front door, with one of the cats having signs of a respiratory infection. The employee noted in an email that Rickson reportedly had difficulty bringing the dog inside the house, and while the employee helped Rickson, they noticed about 10 cats in the entryway of the home.
Dig deeper:
Court documents state that there have been several prior investigations involving "questionable living conditions" linked to the number of cats living in the home, which ranged from five to 30 cats. This resulted in an accumulation of feces and urine, which police reports say could be smelled from neighboring homes.
Timeline:
On July 14, officers went to Rickson's home with an investigator from the Animal Humane Society and spoke with Rickson outside her front door. As they walked up the driveway, officers saw two groups of cats, one of which was huddled underneath a car in the driveway along with kittens, and the other group was by the front door and consisted of four to five kittens.
While they were speaking with Rickson, officers saw another group of cats in the backyard as they hid in the two-feet-tall grass, court documents said.
Officers could smell urine, feces and mold from the home while standing outside.
On July 22, officers executed a search warrant at the home and had to wear respirators and other protective gear. The charges say even with the respirators, officers were "overwhelmed" by the smell in the home.
Court documents say that the home was "completely destroyed" inside, with the floor, walls and other parts of the home being covered in cat urine and splattered feces.
Eventually, the home was deemed completely unsanitary for human living and was condemned. Over 29 cats were recovered from the home, including the carcasses of three dead cats. The cats are considered strays and feral. Three other cats had to have their eyes removed due to poor health from living in the home.
The dog, Dewey, was also rescued from the home. Rickson was taken to the hospital and remains out of custody.
The ammonia reading inside the home was 25.4 parts per million.
What we don't know:
It is not known what the outcome was from the prior police investigations into Rickson.
What's next:
Rickson's first court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 9.
The Source: Court documents out of Hennepin County.