More than four dozen pets were rescued from a hoarder’s “uninhabitable” Long Island home, the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said Wednesday.
The organization said the Ronkonkoma house was so “unsanitary and dangerous” that rescuers had difficulty breathing inside and at one point a hazmat team was called in.
Linda Hart, 79, is now facing 49 charges of animal cruelty based on the conditions of her home. She was arrested Tuesday after SPCA investigators and Suffolk County Police followed up on a complaint about distressed animals.
Inside the home, the animals — mostly dogs — were in terrible shape, with some caked in their own waste and others covered in fleas, maggots and flies.
“Some of these cages had to be cut open with bolt cutters it was so caked on. Some of the cages couldn’t be lifted off the ground, they were stuck to the floor. It appears every room in the house had these dogs, birds and a cat living in there,” SPCA Chief Roy Gross told News 12 Long Island. “It was sad, to say the least.”
The conditions of the animals were not released. They’ll be checked by veterinarians and getting groomed before its determined if they’re suitable to be fostered or adopted.
The Islip Hazmat Unit, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, Islip Animal Control, Islip Building Inspector, Islip Fire Marshall, Lakeland Fire Department all assisted is safely removing the animals.
The home was declared uninhabitable by the town.
