More than 40 pets rescued from home
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Recommend ThisCats, two dogs recovered from Frederick trailer after tenant evicted, appear healthy
By Alex Bridges - abridges@nvdaily.com
MIDDLETOWN -- A man evicted from a Frederick County trailer home gave dozens of cats to authorities Monday, highlighting a trend animal control officers see during a bad economy.
The Frederick County Sheriff's Office responded to 6690 Valley Pike (U.S. 11) at about 8:30 a.m. to assist in an eviction, said Maj. Robert "Robbie" Eckman. Animal control officers took about 40 cats and two dogs from the home, Eckman said.
Most of the felines law enforcement took from the single-wide trailer appear healthy and friendly, according to Deputy Megan Moreland, animal control officer for the agency.
"Obviously he's just been evicted so he doesn't have any place to take all these animals," she said. "But he did surrender them over. He ended up coming to the residence while we were there and surrendered them over to us."
Officers took the cats and dogs to the Esther L. Boyd Animal Shelter. The animals must be examined before the shelter can decide whether to put any of the cats and dogs up for adoption, Moreland said. Several of the cats taken appear pregnant, and others may have recently given birth to kittens, according to Moreland.
She had not made a precise count Monday afternoon, but said she expected to have transported more than 40 animals. Moreland said she and fellow Deputy Billie Harvey had to spend a couple of hours taking the animals to the shelter
"There were a couple more there we couldn't fit into our cages so we had to make another trip," Moreland said. "It was in reference to an eviction over there, and I guess he didn't make arrangements for these animals so we had to come and pick them up. He was very cooperative."
The officer said she does not plan to seek any criminal charges against the tenant. She would not identify the man.
"Actually all these cats were really, really healthy, and they're all pretty friendly, for the most part," Moreland said. "I mean there were a few just because it was a little stressful trying to get all these cats."
The matter was a far cry from the situation the agency faced in 2009 when Moreland and other officers rescued close to 200 cats from a double-wide trailer in a community off Forest Lake Drive near Stephens City. Most of the cats taken from the home died or had to be euthanized. Authorities charged resident Linda McLaughlin with animal cruelty, a charge to which she eventually pleaded guilty and received a suspended jail sentence. Her trailer was demolished after building officials declared it uninhabitable.
The Valley Pike trailer didn't appear in as bad of shape, Moreland said. But it still had some odor from the animals, according to Moreland.
"Considering the amount of cats in there, it was, relatively speaking, it was pretty decent," the officer said. "The cats were far more easier to handle. ... It's not as bad as I thought it was gonna be."
Residents' economic or living situations force some people to leave pets behind, often prompting a response by animal control.
"This isn't the first time this has happened, unfortunately," Moreland said.
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I wen't back and re-read this article..exactly why was this man evicted in the first place? Reason I ask people can be evicted for "other reasons" besides "..I have just lost my job and I can't pay the rent.." such as doing something that goes aginst the lease you had to sign to move in. For example I used to live in a trailer park near Martinsburg and as I can recall one of rules that could lead to an eviction was HAVING TOO MANY PETS or even the kind a pet one wishes to have. I can still remember seeing one family getting evicted because their kids were into pet RATS and well the owner of the trailer park didn't like rats so out goes the family. Oh for the record having a pool or washing your car after 9pm was enough to get one evicited too..even if they had paid the rent on time. It was a very happy day in our family when we had left that place.
While the current economy doesn't help in situations like this..can't blame it totally. Even if our area had a TWO percent unemployment rate..well stories like this one will continue
Can you clarify the term "rescue" here? By the reporter's own description, the animals appeared well cared for, no reports of neglect or abuse. A man is displaced, as are his animals. I am missing the "rescue" aspect of this story. Seems like hype, at the expense of a man already down. With today's economy, one would think objective reporters would be available. The best consolation I find in this is that I found the story on line, paid nothing for it, and found it worth exactly that. Sorry to be so scathing, but when you violate my trust, well, there's a consequence.
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