Children and dozens of animals were removed from a house that had deplorable living conditions, and this isn't the first time officials have been to the location. Four children were removed from a house on Royal Palm Drive in Cheektowaga Tuesday night. "Feces all over the place... our officer said that the children were barefoot," Gina Browning, with the Erie County SPCA, said. "There hasn't been heat in the house, there hasn't been running water from all the water sources, so the children were removed from the property."
Also 19 cats, a dog, and a fish were taken from the home. Police say Linda Roehre was charged with child endangerment and animal cruelty. She was issued an appearance ticket and the house was condemned, sited as unlivable until it's completely cleaned up.
Officials say this isn't the first time they've been to the home and believe it's a case of hoarding animals. "Help the person who is causing it. Is that person just as much of a victim because it's a mental illness? It's impossible to say, every situation is different," Browning said. "The one common thread though is that all these people need some kind of help."
The children are now staying with relatives and the animals are for the most part in good health. "In this particular situation there were some flea allergies, one of the animals had some dental concerns, but other than that they were not malnourished, not dehydrated," Browning said. "We're not seeing the severe health concerns that we usually see with animals in these settings. We were able to get them in time and rescue them before they were suffering to a greater degree."
The cats have been treated and are healthy enough to be adopted out. If you want to adopt one of the cats just call the Erie County SPCA at (716) 875-7360.
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